Alvin M. Dizon

Speech: Welcome Dinner hosted by Kortrijk City officials, Belgium

2011-12-20T22:46:00.002+08:00

By Councilor Alvin M. Dizon

A very pleasant evening to everyone - Goedenavond ("KHOO dun AH fohnt")
In behalf of the Cebu City Government and the people of Cebu, let me extend my sincerest appreciation for inviting us to be here to the beautiful city of Kortrijk - Dank u wel ("dahnk oo vel")

Two years ago, I was also doing international cooperation work under the Olof Palme Center as a Regional Coordinator for Asia. I was so in love with the job because it placed me in a very good perspective to understand and appreciate development issues in a macro context. The 5 years with Olof Palme Centre thus led me to an important conclusion--we are more similar than different.

Interestingly, the more I see what’s happening beyond the borders of my country, the more I was drawn to go back into serving it again as I have gained valuable insights and learning from the years of international cooperation work. I was privileged to be given the opportunity to serve my fellow Filipinos and Cebuanos when I got elected as Cebu City councilor and now on my first year.

Recognizing my extensive exposure in international cooperation, I was given the Vice-chairmanship of the Committee on Tourism and Foreign Relations of the Cebu City council and was designated as the point person of the City as far as the city-to-city cooperation with Kortrijk is concerned.

The vital importance of international cooperation, exchange and linkaging among local governments cannot be underemphasized in a world that has evolved from the struggle to independence towards increased solidarity and interdependence and cooperation rather than exclusion.

The world functions as a single integrated unit and enhanced regional and international collaboration among local governments should be the norm as this has proven to be mutually beneficial to not only address development issues at the local level through international assistance but combating global issues as well such as climate change, terrorism, global poverty and hunger, and other transboundary issues and concerns.

In this highly integrated world, it is even difficult to dichotomize (divide) between local and global issues as both reinforce each other. International cooperation is an important learning tool in understanding the social, political, environmental and economic issues that face other parts of the world.

It is within this context that the Cebu City government commits its governance towards forging partnerships with the city of Kortrijk as international cooperation has direct relevance to our local community concerns, effective service delivery, and increased awareness and understanding.

Exchange visits like these can provide a unique experience and insight into the lifestyles and environment of another community where rich insights can be source of inspiration and replication. International cooperation can link directly into this work by giving us the opportunity to collaborate with counterparts overseas and to share information and experience in a number of service areas to make us more effective and meaningful public servants to our constituents.

The partnerships between Cebu and Kortrijk provides an opportunity to put our two cities and cultures together. More importantly, twinning can increase our understanding of the world and can bring together all members of our local communities, regardless of age, ethnic or religious background, gender, disability or social or economic status.

With this, let me extend again my heartfelt appreciation to the city of Kortrijk for this invitation. We look forward to an interesting and fruitful exchanges in the coming days. And there’s no best gift that we can bring to our constituents than a renewed and reinvigorated spirits equipped with valuable learning to benefit the communities we serve

One-Year Report of City Councilor Alvin M. Dizon

2011-07-08T22:12:00.004+08:00

ALVIN M. DIZON
Councilor, City Of Cebu

Chairperson, Committee on Housing
Vice-Chairperson, Committee on Tourism and Local and International Relations and Arts and Culture
Vice-Chairperson, Committee on Youth &Sports Development
Member, Committee on Labor, Employment, Livelihood and Manpower Development and Placement
Member, Committee on Trade, Commerce, Commerce, Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship
Member, Committee on Education, Science and Technology
Member, Committee on Urban Planning and Development
Member, Committee on Markets

Legislations:
174 RESOLUTIONS filed and approved
• Urban Poor and Housing Rights - 52
• Basic Services: 38
• Good Governance: 12
• Workers’ Rights and Welfare: 12
• Persons with Disabilities: 7
• Environment and Climate Change: 6
• Children: 4
• Women and Gender Equality: 3
• Youth and Education: 2
• Consumer Protection: 4
• Human Rights: 3
• Senior Citizens: 1
• Authorize the Mayor to Sign MOA: 7
• Voters Education: 1
• Agriculture Development: 1
• Sports Development: 1
• Health: 3
• Commendations: 13
• Others: 4

12 resolutions sponsored granting transfer tax exemptions to hundreds of socialized housing program beneficiaries of the city.

4 ORDINANCES filed and approved• Ordinance 2254
An Ordinance Adopting and Approving the Cebu City Shelter Plan Framework 2011-2016 That Will serve as Guidelines for All Housing Programs, Projects and Initiatives in the City of Cebu. By virtue of this ordinance, Cebu City is the first highly urbanized city to approve its Shelter Framework Plan.
• Ordinance 2259
An Ordinance Restructuring the Loans and Extending the Terms of Payment to a Maximum Period of Ten Years of the Beneficiaries of the Slum Improvement and Resettlement (SIR) Program. Almost 2,000 SIR urban poor beneficiaries can be provided with security of land tenure through the restructuring program and the extension in the terms of payment
• Ordinance 2247
An Ordinance Increasing Private Sector Representation in the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commision, Amending for the Purpose Sections 5, 8 and 9 of Ordinance No. 1098 Entitled An Ordinance Instituting the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission of Cebu City as Amended
• Ordinance 2251
An Ordinance Amending Further Section 3 of Ordinance No. 1762, As Amended, Otherwise Known as the Ordinance Creating the Cebu City Houisng Board, Providing for its Functions and for Other Purposes Including in the Membership of the Board One Additional Non-Government Organization (NGO) Representative

8 COMMITTEE REPORTS
• On Housing: 6
• On Tourism : 2

PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIESIn partnership with the NGOs, POs, Barangay Governments, Different Departments in City Hall, Private Organizations and Concerned Citizens.

 50 children in Barangay Busay availed of “Operation Tuli” in partnership with the Cebu City Health Department and Cebu City Medical Center.
 130 Badjao families in Barangay Mambaling were benefited after the installation of 3 electric posts by the Visayan Electric Company which provided the needed lights in the community and contributed towards the peace and order in the area.
 96 families who were fire victims in Barangay T. Padilla and affected by the City government’s road restoration project were provided with financial help and housing materials allowing them to rebuild their homes.
 900 people assisted with various medical, dental and legal concerns in collaboration with DYRC-Cebu’s Dangpanan Operation Tulong.
 200 underprivileged pre-school children in selected mountain barangays benefited from the free school supplies with the support of some private groups and citizens.
 500 participants attended the “First World Habitat Day Celebration” in Cebu City organized by the Office of Councilor Alvin M. Dizon last October 4, 2010 with DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo as guest speaker.
 263 meetings attended and presided with various associations and organizations.
 100 monobloc chairs provided to the urban poor organizations of CURE Foundation in Barangays Pit-os, Busay, Budlaan and Lahug which they can use for their organizational activities.
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PUBLIC FUNDS:-Access and Utilization
 5,000,000 million worth of Local Development Funds were earmarked for various community projects in the city’s barangays for the year 2011.
 256,000 pesos worth of financial assistance provided for displaced Mahiga families in cooperation with Cebu City Representatives Tomas R. Osmena and Cutie Del Mar.
 500,000 pesos worth of medical and hospitalization aid will be provided for low-income families after facilitating the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between AKBAYAN Party and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
 600,000 pesos was facilitated for the site development of the Gawad Kalinga-Lorega housing project where a three-storey socialized housing building will benefit 60 families presently living in the Lorega public cemetery

MISCELLANEOUS -Requests and Assistance
• 208 requests facilitated for sports equipments and financial assistance for various community activities.
• 189 job applicants seeking employment at the public and private sector were provided with letters of recommendation and endorsement.
• 62 youths were endorsed and admitted to the Special Program for Employment Students (SPES) of the Cebu City government.
• 16 requests facilitated for free use of City hall buses
• 21 requests facilitated for the City Hospitalization and Medicines Program (CHAMP).
• 64 requests faciliated for adjudication at CITOM and LTO.

______________________________________
“It is my conviction that when we side with the poor and social justice, we would never go wrong ”

Councilor Alvin Dizon's message to the Mahiga settlers in Barangay Mabolo, May 20, 2011

Youth needs to relate to Edsa’s lessons | Sun.Star Network Online

2011-02-25T06:32:00.000+08:00

Youth needs to relate to Edsa’s lessons Sun.Star Network Online

Two City Council committees support margot on marker | The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

2011-02-01T22:39:00.000+08:00

Two City Council committees support margot on marker The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

Gawad Kalinga breaks ground for socialized housing in old Lorega cemetery | Sun.Star Network Online

2011-01-24T07:49:00.000+08:00

Gawad Kalinga breaks ground for socialized housing in old Lorega cemetery Sun.Star Network Online
Six more medium-rose buildings will soon be constructed on top of the Lorega San Miguel Public Cemetery.
Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon said a cemetery will house a total of seven buildings in order to accomodate all the families currently living inside the facility.

Important Rituals for the New Year

2010-12-31T08:39:00.000+08:00

Important Rituals for the New Year

Lorega graves to be removed | Sun.Star Network Online

2010-12-09T07:41:00.000+08:00

Lorega graves to be removed Sun.Star Network Online
THe construction of a low-rise residential building will start after the construction of the dig. The Gawad Kalinga Village project will have eight buildings that will accomodate 60 families.Around 300 urban poor families will benefit from this project

CITY TO REWORK HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM FOR THE POORhttp://cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=8098

2010-12-06T06:28:00.000+08:00

Homeless rescued from streets | The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

2010-11-28T07:12:00.000+08:00

Over 100 individuals were rescued off the streets of cebu city last thursday and friday as the city government strengthens its campaign to clear the city of night dwellers.
Homeless rescued from streets The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

Live coverage gains support | Sun.Star Network Online

2010-11-24T07:18:00.000+08:00

Live coverage gains support Sun.Star Network Online
Government must bring those responsible for the killing to justice, whoever they may be, the Cebu City Council said in a ressolution, drafted by Councilor Alvin Dizon.

Self-help gets P3M from City | Sun.Star Network Online

2010-11-22T06:57:00.000+08:00

Self-help gets P3M from City Sun.Star Network Online
These self help projects will facilitate the provision of basic services that will directly benefit thousands of urban poor families, said Councilor Alvin Dizon who sponsored the resolution. The council, in its session last week, also allocated 1 million for a study on the current conditions of socialized housing projects the city government funded in the different barangays.

Councilor wants boxing clinics to search for 'the next Manny' | Sun.Star Network Online

2010-11-15T06:10:00.000+08:00

Councilor wants boxing clinics to search for 'the next Manny' | Sun.Star Network Online
After Manny Pacquiao's victory, a Cebu City councilor said he wants the Cebu City Sports Commission to build up its boxing clinics in the barangays.
These clinics, said Councilor Alvin Dizon, may help the city discover "the next boxing hero".

2010-11-12T22:19:00.000+08:00

Lorega families prepare to bid graves goodbye

AFTER 74 years, today will be the last All Souls’ Day at the Lorega-San Miguel Cemetery, which will be closed to give way to a P13.1-million socialized housing project.

Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon said the closure should have been imposed late October, but the families and relatives of those who buried in the cemetery asked the City Government to extend it until after All Souls’ Day.

In his visit to the cemetery yesterday, Dizon said the exhumation of the bones will start in the second or third week of November.

According to Dizon, they only lack the certification from the Palace of Justice, which is looking into the background of those who have been buried in the cemetery, particularly if are involved in any pending cases.

Dizon said they expect the certification to be released by the Palace of Justice next week.

Of the 3,012 bodies buried inside the Lorega cemetery, 362 will be displaced by the socialized housing project. The bones that will be exhumed will be temporarily placed in a bone chamber inside the facility.

The remaining 2,650, Dizon said, will soon be removed to give way to further site developments.

The City Health Department (CHD) has already posted notices announcing that the cemetery will now be closed for burial.

It no longer meets the safety standards mandated by Section 6, Article 21 of Presidential Decree 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.

“We have to close this because it is no longer compliant with the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, which states that a cemetery should be 25 meters away from dwelling places and 50 meters away from the water source. So we have to close this to eliminate the threat to public health,” Dizon said.

The actual construction of the project, Dizon said, will start by December and will be finished within six months. JJ&J Construction will build it.

Of the total amount intended to fund the socialized housing project in Lorega, P10 million came from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Rep. Rachel del Mar, while the remaining P3 million came from several non-government organizations.

At least 60 families are set to benefit from the housing project.

Asked about the mode of payment once the housing project will be in place, Dizon said the Local Housing Board is leaning towards having it rented, saying it will be an additional financial burden to the families if a rent-to-own scheme is chosen.

If the houses will be rented, families will have to pay P500 to P750, compared to P2,000 to P3,000 if they will have a rent-to-own scheme, Dizon said.

Payments will be used for the maintenance of the housing project.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/lorega-families-prepare-bid-graves-goodbye

2010-11-07T18:12:00.000+08:00

‘LET TOURISTS STAY WITH THE POOR’

By Fatrick Tabada, Correspondent, Cebu Daily News

Inspired by Camarines Sur's successful tourism program, a Cebu City official said visitors to Cebu City should be offered bed-and-breakfast accommodations as an option to pricey hotels.

The twist is to offer the affordable lodging in urban poor homes, not upscale residences.

Barangay Luz is a good choice for a pilot area with its location near malls, said Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the housing committee and one of 13 city councilors who joined the four-day “lakbay aral” tour to Camarines Sur in the Bicol region.

“This is a very good opportunity to boost tourism and at the same time our urban poor residents will have an extra income,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Dizon said Cebu City officials found out that Camarines Sur's bed-and-breakfast project offers local and foreign tourists a place to stay in resettlement areas. He said many tourists prefer the simple lodging, paying only P500 a day instead of P2,000 or more for a hotel room.

Attention on Camaraines Sur was heightened by results of the 2010 Conde Nast Traveler annual survey, reported in Cebu Daily News front page last Monday. Cebu was dropped from the list of Top Island Destinations, and replaced by Luzon in 7th place.

(Cebu, for four years, ranked 7th place in the international travel magazine's reader-based survey and 8th place for two years.)

The slide in ratings puzzled Cebu officials and even rekindled a word war between Rep. Tomas Osmeña and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia over leadership and priorities of tourism development.

Osmeña praised Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. for being “very focused” in developing water sports and promoting his province while blaming Garcia for promoting “her face” more than Cebu province.

Governor Garcia, in turn, said Osmeña was spreading “lies” that Cebu was no longer the no. 1 tourist destination, when statistics of the Department of Tourism show otherwise.

DOT official figures show that Camarines Sur drew the biggest number of domestic tourists in the country last year at 1,258,212 with a sharp 140 percent increase in a year's time.

But combining local and foreign visitors, Cebu is still the no. 1 tourist destination in the Philippines drawing in 1,615,982 tourists in 2009. Camarines Sur was close behind with 1,566,447. (See table.)

Councilor Dizon said he'll meet on Monday with the city housing board to discuss his idea of replicating a bed-and-breakfast program by next year.

Dizon was impressed with how Camarines Sur was using tourism revenues for programs to alleviate poverty and develop communities.

“If they can do that, then there is no reason why Cebu City can't do it,” Dizon said.

“This is also a good chance to make the tourists feel the hospitality of Cebuanos.”

He said barangay Luz would be a good pilot area as well as barangay Camputhaw and Mabolo.

Marlyn Paracuelles, president of the Association of Barangay Apas Community Association (ABACA), which has 1,200 urban poor households, said Councilor Dizon called them yesterday about the idea.

“We will welcome the program with open arms. It is another income-generating activity for our urban poor residents,” she told CDN.

Dizon said guidelines can be set with heads of urban poor organizations and City Hall's Division of Welfare of the Urban Poor for the pilot project.

The 13 councilors were expected to arrive to Cebu City last night.

Vice Mayor Augustus Young and Councilor Margot Osmena arrived last Friday.

2010-10-30T16:00:00.000+08:00

Dizon wants procurement seminar for barangays leaders
By Jessica Ann R. Pareja/JPM (The Freeman) Updated October 24, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (1)

Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon wants all elected barangay officials in the city to undergo a seminar on the Government Procurement Act to prevent irregularities in government transactions at the barangay level.

This develops following the alleged irregularities in the bidding and awarding of some City-funded barangay projects in the south, prompting Rep. Tomas Osmeña and city officials to call for a thorough investigation on the matter.

In response to this, Dizon said he will propose to Mayor Michael Rama the conduct of an orientation-seminar for barangay and youth leaders on the provisions of the Government Procurement Reform Act and its implementing rules and regulations.

“The seminar is designed to provide barangay officials with necessary information for the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of barangay projects to improve efficiency and accountability in the use of public money,” Dizon said.

Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act was enacted into law to provide for the modernization, standardization and regulation of the procurement activities of the government.

Its policy states that all procurement of the government, in all cases, shall be governed by the principles of transparency, competitiveness, streamlined procurement process, accountability and public monitoring.

Dizon wants the Cebu City Development Council to organize the seminar immediately after the assumption of office of the new set of barangay and SK officers.

Meanwhile, Dizon is encouraging voters to be prudent in choosing barangay leaders during tomorrow’s synchronized barangay and SK elections.

“The barangays is the basic political unit, and it is at this level that we find direct and face to face contacts between public officials and citizens on a day-to-day basis. It is important to elect the right candidates in the coming elections because you will have them as your barangay leaders for the next three years… elect those who will promote transparency and accountability,” he said.

He added that good officials are those with commitment and dedication for the poor. (FREEMAN NEWS)

2010-10-30T15:58:00.000+08:00

T. Padilla road widening: Families affected to receive cash aid
By Jessica Ann R. Pareja/WAB (The Freeman) Updated October 21, 2010

CEBU, Philippines – All 103 families affected by the restoration of the 10-meter road easement in barangay T. Padilla shall receive at least P5,000 financial assistance from the Cebu City government if the City Council approves the resolution proposed to allocate P835,000 for the purpose.

Councilor Alvin Dizon will propose during tomorrow's regular council session to fast track the release of the funds since the restoration is ongoing and the residents need the assistance badly.

"The Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council has recommended to extend financial assistance to the affected beneficiaries as the housing materials are not enough to compensate for the extent of damage in the houses that will have to be partially or fully demolished to pave the way for the road restoration project," the proposed resolution reads.

The road restoration in T. Padilla is the response of the city government to requests to make the roads in the barangay more accessible after it was hit by a big fire in August.

Narrow roads reportedly caused delay for the fire trucks to get to the area that allegedly increased the extent of the damage.

"In order to improve the accessibility of the interior portion of the affected area and to ensure proper passageways for emergency situations, the Cebu City government and the lot owners, the heirs of Don Teresio Villa, have agreed restore the 10 meter road easement at T. Villa, F. Villa and the unnamed road connecting T. Villa and F. Villa," added Dizon.

The Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor has identified 103 families whose houses will be partially or fully demolished because of the road restoration project.

Those whose houses will only be partially affected will receive P5,000 while those whose house will be totally demolished will receive P10,000.

Dizon clarified that this will be on top of the building materials that will be provided to them to repair or rebuild their houses.

The city government and the heirs of Don Teresio Villa have already signed a memorandum of agreement for the development.

Mayor Michael L. Rama has also already approved the request to provide financial assistance to the affected families with a total amount of P835,000.

After the city finishes the widening and asphalting of the 600-meter F. Villa and T. Villa streets, reblocking will be conducted to be based on the Subdivision Plan prepared by T. Padilla barangay captain Michael Ralota, who is an architect.

The plan divides the fire-stricken area in 86 slots of 25 to 50 square meters each.

The lots will be raffled to the fire victims who will sign a memorandum of agreement with the owners that they will pay their dues and will not engage in illegal activities such as drugs, wiretapping and other crimes.

The recent fire in T. Padilla destroyed the homes of 786 families with around 3,500 individuals affected. (FREEMAN)

2010-10-30T15:55:00.000+08:00

City asks Dole to spare salesladies from long hours of standing
By Rene U. Borromeo/JPM (The Freeman) Updated October 17, 2010 12:00

CEBU, Philippines - If Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the Cebu City Council will have their way, workers of sales establishments will be allowed to rest after long periods of standing at work.

In last Friday’s session, the Cebu City Council passed a resolution asking the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to ensure that workers shall not be subjected to inhumane conditions.

Malls and department stores do not allow their sales ladies to sit from the time they start working during the day until they finish their shift.

“Nindot kaayo nang gihimo sa City Council. Malipay g’yud mi nga mga nagtrabaho og department stores kay kapoy g’yud nga magsige lang og barug,” said a salesgirl of a department store in Colon Street.

Councilors Alvin Dizon and Sisinio Andales sponsored the resolution.

They also requested the employers or owners of department stores to allow their workers ample time for rest at regular intervals after prolonged standing.

Andales said prolonged standing, particularly the women, can cause hazards to their health.

“Independent surveys here and in abroad found widespread health problems from standing for long hours at work,” said Andales.

Medical research and studies conclude that individuals spending most of the day on their feet are at greater risk for health problems like varicose veins, poor circulation and swelling in the feet and legs among others.

According to Dizon, requiring workers to stand for long hours at work, if not all the time they are working, is inhumane given its negative health effects.

While a mere resolution can’t force the employers to comply with the city legislators’ request, Andales and Dizon said the City Council shall conduct further studies and multi-sectoral dialogues on the necessity of enacting an ordinance for this purpose. (FREEMAN)

2010-10-27T07:57:00.002+08:00

Promising initial accomplishments
PERSPECTIVE By Cherry Ballescas
(The Freeman) Updated October 16, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=621361&publicationSubCategoryId=109

Vice-President Jojemar Binay, as Housing Czar, deserves to be congratulated for his policy to grant loan condonation to BLISS homeowners.

Requiring the owners a minimum insurance payment of over P400 and simple doable procedures to avail of the loan condonation policy earned so much profit, both financial and non-financial, for the new administration.

By allowing the owners to pay a reasonable monthly amortization, VP Binay easily assured this new government monthly collections that could run to millions of pesos from grateful beneficiaries of the loan condonation.

Had VP Binay insisted on the same policy of forcing high interest rates and penalties on homeowners as previous administrations, he would have realized, as previous housing officials had, that the response rate would be very low not to mention the high public resistance and resentment and expensive court fees needed by government to force the homeowners to pay their overdue amortizations.

Unlike previous administrations that imposed penalties and high payments and that refused to extend some reprieve to the homeowners, long burdened by the financial crisis and abusive and inefficient governance, VP Binay's loan condonation policy signaled a new approach, one based on faith and reciprocity between the new government and the public.

Hence, aside from possible millions per month collection for housing amortizations, Binay earned for this new government the people's trust and commitment to meet their payment obligations. Rather than enemies, VP Binay's loan condonation policy has made the grateful homeowners active partners of the new government. A very low-key but meaningful accomplishment by VP Binay for the new adminstration within the first 100 days - not bad at all and one most welcomed!??

Alvin Dizon is also to be commended for his initial accomplishments for his first 100 days as councilor of Cebu City and as Committee on Housing chairperson, Although a neophyte in city politics, Alvin continues to bring his civil society experience to his present job. Before he was elected, he served the urban poor. As an elected official, he continues to serve the urban poor.

He shared that for his first 100 days, he has passed 38 resolutions that included the following approved resolutions: a) exempting urban poor residents under the 93-1 province-owned lots (Bgys. Lahug, Busay, Mabolo, Lorega, Capitol site, Apas and Camputhaw) from payment of transfer taxes to the City of Cebu, b) supporting the passage of Magna Carta for the Poor, the Freedom of Information Bill, the BPO Workers' Welfare Bill, c) urging strict compliance to the Expanded Senior Citizens' Act, Magna Carta for PWD, d) proposing Barrier Free-Tourism and Minimum Wage Increase for Workers, and, e) requesting the National Anti-Poverty Commission under the Office of the President to help Cebu City in its poverty-alleviation efforts and ratifying the Memorandum of Agreement between the Cebu city government and participating colleges and universities under the Cebu City Scholarship Program.

Alvin also reported having passed four ordinances: 1) extending the Contract of the Slum Improvement Renewal (SIR) program for 10 years that will benefit some 3,000 families in Barangays Mambaling, Suba, Pasil and Sawang Calero, 2) adopting the Cebu City Shelter Plan for 2011-2016 that will serve as the guide for all housing programs, projects and initiatives in the the City of Cebu, 3) providing additional NGO representative in the Local Housing Board (LHB) , and, 4) Increasing private sector reps in the Cebu City Historical and Arts Commission (CHAC).

Aside from legislative work, Alvin has also rendered direct services to urban poor communities to cope with their eviction problems with the help of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the office of the Cebu City Mayor.

Hoping that his brand of transparent and accountable public service will become the norm among government officials, Alvin realizes, that beyond the first 100 days, he still has "a lot of work to do in the next two years and nine months," and he "looks forward to working with the urban poor in the next 100 days, and all of the 100 days to follow to make sure that our city will be a better place where urban poor rights and welfare are protected and promoted."

First 100 Days Report of Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon

2010-10-27T07:54:00.000+08:00

First 100 Days Report of Cebu City Councilor Alvin M. Dizon Chairperson, Committee on Housing

by Alvin Dizon on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 7:20am

(This report was presented during the First World Habitat Day Celebration in Cebu City on October 4, 2010 at the College of Technological Sciences)

1. LEGISLATIVE WORK

Passed 38 resolutions (samples of approved resolutions)

a) Exempting urban poor residents under the 93-1 province-owned lots (Bgys. Busay, Mabolo, Lorega, Capitol site, Apas and Camputhaw) from payment of transfer taxes to the City of Cebu.

b) Supporting the passage of Magna Carta for the Poor, Freedom of Information Bill, BPO Workers' Welfare Bill.

c)Urging strict compliance of the Expanded Senior Citizens' Act, Magna Carta for PWD, Barrier Free-Tourism, Minimum Wage Increase for Workers.

d) Requesting the National Anti-Poverty Commission under the Office of the President to help Cebu City in its poverty-alleviation efforts.

e) Ratifying the Memorandum of Agreement between the Cebu city government and participating colleges and universities under the Cebu City Scholarship Program.

Passed four (4) ordinances

a) Extending the Contract of the Slum Improvement and Resettlement (SIR) program for 10 years. This ordinance will benefit some 3,000 families in Barangays Mambaling, Suba, Pasil and Sawang Calero.

b) Adopting the Cebu City Shelter Plan for 2011-2016 that will serve as the guide for all housing programs, projects and initiatives in the City of Cebu.

c) Providing additional NGO representative in the Local Housing Board (LHB)

d) Increasing private sector reps in the Cebu City Historical and Arts Commission (CHAC)

2. DIRECT SERVICES

a) With the support of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the office of the Mayor, we assisted four (4) urban poor communities to cope with their eviction problems. Organized quick reaction team to address demolition cases.

b) Endorsed at least four (4) million worth of self-help projects from the different barangays and sitios.

c) Facilitated assistance to the fire victims of Barangays T. Padilla and Sambag Uno.

d) Acted on at least 40 requests for assistance from the urban poor, homeowners associations and barangay governments for city government's action.

3. SPECIAL PROJECTS

a) Represents the City Government in the Gawad Kalinga Lorega Housing Project, a 3-storey medium-rise building project of the Cebu City government, the Office of Congressman Del Mar, DWSD, Gawad Kalinga and ANCE; the first phase of the project will benefit 60 urban poor families.

b) Initiated NGO dialogue to discuss how civil society can help the city's efforts in fighting dengue.

c) Helped organize the 1st Cebu City World Habitat Day Celebration with DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo as guest speaker.

4. CONSTITUENCY WORK

a) Holds regular meetings and dialogue with urban poor groups, homeowners' associationsc and barangay governments to come up with collective solutions to their issues and problems on land tenure, evictions, basic services, and other matters. At least 50 meetings were conducted in the last 100 days.

b) Received a total of 1,590 people in the office with varied problems and concerns.

5. MEDIA ADVOCACY

a) Anchors the weekly radio program entitled “Urban Poor in Action” every Saturdays from 9:00-10:00 AM over DYRC Aksyon Radyo Cebu. Webcast - www.dyrc-cebu.com.

6. NETWORKING

a) Established partnerships and linkages with the following:

- 93-1 Movement in 11 barangays of Cebu city

- Urban Poor Alliance and Bag-ong Politika

- Pagtambayayong Foundation

- Center for Participatory Governance

- Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors

- Kaabag sa Sugbo, Cebu City NGO Network

- Shelter Agencies

- Gawad Kalinga- Office of the President - University of Cebu

- DYRC Aksyon Radyo

- Alliance of Progressive Labor

- AKBAYAN Citizens' Action Party

- Filipino-Cebu Business Club - Rey Calooy

- Kortrijk, Belgium (Sister city)

- Marit Stinus- Remonde

- UP-Cebu Prof. Felisa Etemadi

I think we are off to a good start, but it's just a start. I'm pleased with our progress, but we still have a lot of work to do in the next two years and nine months. I look forward to working with the urban poor in the next 100 days, and all of the 100 days to follow to make sure that our city will be a better place where urban poor rights and welfare are protected and promoted.

Daghang Salamat

Alvin M. Dizon

Cebu City Councilor

Chairperson, Committee on Housing

2009-09-30T15:35:00.003+08:00

Akbayan has made an audio visual presentation (avp) of the typhoon that struck Manila and its ongoing relief operation efforts.
They have uploaded this video to youtube for easy access and here is the link to the avp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Owt-lzAe7c

The video is a tribute to those who generously shared in Akbayan's relief operations for the victims of Tropical Strom Ondoy. We are overwhelmed by the generosity and the volunteerism that we have witnessed.

How you can help the flood victims of Metro Manila

2009-09-27T20:35:00.005+08:00

How to help

Ways to donate to the Philippine National Red Cross via the PNRC web site

Manuel L. Quezon's blog: How to help (original on Quezon.ph | Tumblr.com mirror link)

Google Docs: Rescue InfoHub Central | List of Places where to donate (check out one nearest your area, or add a donation center that is not on the list)

Another list of where to donate goods via Bury Me In This Dress blog

Hot lines for help:

National Disaster Coordinating Council - 912-2112 / 911-1873 / 912-2665

Citizens Disaster Response Center - 0906-4361185

Red Cross - 527-0000 / 524-5787

Coast Guard - 5278481

Bureau of Fire Protection - 729-5166

Pagasa - 433-8526

Senator Manny Villar - 0917-4226800 / 0927-6751981

Senator Richard Gordon - 0917-8997898 / 0938-444BOYS

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration - 0917-8986992

Department of Trade and Industry - 751-0330/ 0917-8540009

Department of Health - 7438301

Department of Interior and Local Government - 925-0343

Philippine National Police - 117

Metro Manila Development Authority - 136

National Capital Region Police Office - 838-3203 / 833-3354

Marikina - 646-2436 /161

Pasig - 643-0000

Cainta - 387-2992

Meralco - 631-2222

Napocor - 921-3541

Maynilad - 1625

Manila Water - 1627

Metro Manila flooded by typhoon

2009-09-26T22:29:00.019+08:00

Relief donations drop in centers in Manila:

1) Balay Expo across Farmers Market contact: Jana Vicente: +63 9285205499

2) Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no. 5639298/5639308)

3) Radio Veritas at Verit...as To...wer West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40)

How you can help, pls click here: http://helpondoyvictims.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/how-you-can-help-from-twitter-as-of-sept-26-1005pm/

More photos on the Manila flood: http://www.calvinshub.com/2009/09/photos-of-metro-manila-flooding-due-to-typhoon-ondoy/

Noynoy Aquino to run for President in 2010

2009-09-09T09:27:00.003+08:00

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has officially announced that he will seek the presidency in 2010, exactly 40 days after the death of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino. Calls for the senator to seek the presidency has grown stronger after the death of his mother, last August 1 and the 26th death anniversary of his father, Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., on August 23.

A Noynoy presidency oould usher in a fresh start for the country. But whoever wins in the 2010 elections, the important thing is to ensure that the vote is credible. The country can no longer afford to have a president with a questionable mandate.

4TH AKBAYAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

2009-08-19T20:57:00.006+08:00

4TH AKBAYAN NATIONAL CONGRESS - August 14-16, 2009, Manila, Philippines

Theme; MAGLINGKOD, LUMABABAN AT MAGTAGUMPAY

Precinct by precinct, door by door, vote by vote........ AKBAYAN is gearing up for the 2010 polls

Remembering Cory Aquino

2009-08-03T08:44:00.003+08:00

My most memorable experience with former President Corazon Aquino was when I had the opportunity working with her administration from 1991-1992 right after I graduated from College. It was Cory's final year in office as President when I worked for the Presidential Council for Youth Affairs (now National Youth Commission). I organized information campaign and training programs for the youth to prepare them for the first Sangguniang Kabataan elections. Another significant experience was when I sat beside an already private citizen Cory during a civil society forum in Cebu sometime in 1995. I was one of the reactors in the forum representing the NGO sector and I was very ciritical of the inadequacies of government. After I delivered my speech, she stood up and congratulated me, and remarked, "very well said young man." The Philippines and the world will always remember and admire Cory for her extraordinary courage and moral leadership.

Walden Bello, now a member of Philippine Congress

2009-04-26T08:49:00.003+08:00

Professor Walden Bello, AKBAYAN Chair Emeritus, was proclaimed on Friday by the Commission on Elections as AKBAYAN party's second representative in Philippine Congress. He will have his oath-taking on Monday and will hit the legislative ground running, with the endorsement of the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and participation in committee hearings. A recipient of the Alternative Nobel Award (Right to Livelihood Award 2003), Rep. Walden Bello is a welcome change in the House of Representatives.

To know more about Walden, please read his profile here: http://www.waldenbello.org/

Gaza conflict: War is stupid!

2009-01-04T21:11:00.019+08:00

Humanitarian crisis has worsened in Gaza after Israel intensified its operation against the Palestinian people. Israeli tanks has penetrated deeper inside the densely populated-city on Sunday. The ground operation into Gaza strip had been preceded by air and artillery attacks on the territory in more than seven days of bombardment which killed more than 500 people so far, mostly civilians.

War is stupid!
Hatred has to stop now!
Aggression is not the solution to the ongoing conflict!
Both parties should enter into a peace effort at once!

photo credits: ABC news

2008's Worst Soundbytes

2008-12-21T09:09:00.004+08:00

The 2008 TOGY Awards

As a three-month-old column dedicated to communicating better in life, Ms.Com meets the yearend by launching the 2008 TOGY Awards (The Outstanding Gaffes of the Year Awards). This is the communications version of the late Richard Blackwell's notorious "10 Worst Dressed List."
Choosing the nastiest, most insensitive, patently untruthful, idiotic public declarations and sound bytes turned out to be a very tough job.
You see, determining the year's 10 worst statements was the ironic counterpart of Diogenes's search for one honest man. He didn't find any, while Ms.Com found too many.
So, instead of the T in TOGY standing for "ten," it now stands for definite article "the."

Read on: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=423923&publicationSubCategoryId=82

The universal declaration of human rights

2008-12-05T06:25:00.002+08:00

On 10 December, we are commemorating the 60th birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on Human Rights Day 2008. The United Nations will launch a year-long campaign around the globe to focus on helping people everywhere to learn about their human rights. The UDHR was the first international recognition that all human beings have fundamental rights and freedoms and it continues to be a living and relevant document today. The theme of the campaign, “Dignity and justice for all of us,” reinforces the vision of the Declaration as a commitment to universal dignity and justice and not something that should be viewed as a luxury or a wish-list.

Click here to learn more about the UDHR: http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/declaration.shtml

Burma Bulletin-November 2008 issue

2008-12-03T07:51:00.003+08:00

The Burma Bulletin is a short month in review of events in Burma, particularly those of interest to the democracy movement and human rights activists.

In the November 2008 issue you will find:
* SPDC jails 186 dissidents
* Landmines casualties rising
* Forced labor increases
* CEDAW conclusions
* UNGA condemn s SPDC
* SPDC-Bangladesh face-off
* Other Burma news
* List of Reports
* Much more...

Click to here to read the November 2008 Burma Bulletin: http://www.altsean.org/Reports/Burma%20Bulletin/BBNovember08.php

AKBAYAN VOTES NO TO THE 2009 NATIONAL BUDGET

2008-11-16T10:39:00.003+08:00

Below is the vote of Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros on HB 5116, the National Budget for 2009. A total of 160 legislators voted in favor of the bill, 16 voted against it, and one abstained. Rep. Hontiveros voted No to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, AKBAYAN engaged in the process. We submitted several amendments to the 2009 General Appropriations Bill, among them:

A special provision in the DPWH budget to require the conduct of feasibility studies for all locally funded projects to prevent corruption
A special provision in the DPWH budget so that NO appropriation would be allocated to projects with less than 15% economic internal rate of return (EIRR) to prevent wastage in the use of public works funds.
A cut in DPWH's budget by P64.7 billion due to its failure to account for billions of missing funds
A total of P1.1 billion additional appropriation for the Department of Health, for the following programs: subsidies to indigent patients (P133 million); epidemiology and disease surveillance (P553 million); Family Health, including family planning (P470 million)
The appropriation of funds for the implementation of the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers (P1.3 billion)
A special provision in the budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform to ensure that the budget for Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) would not be subject to reallocation
Additional budget for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST): an additional appropriation for the Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers, and other S & T government personnel (P441 million); Payment of P5.7 million for the Night Time Differential of PAG-ASA employees and P3 million for PHILVOLCS employees.
Additional budget for the Commission on Audit to the amount of P152 million
Additional budget for the Commission on Human Rights to the amount of P284 million
Inclusion of several special provisions on debt appropriation, specifically to restrict the use of government funds on the following: the onerous Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project; on the interest payments to loan agreements challenged as fraudulent, anomalous, and wasteful, and; on payment for accounts payable accruing in the previous fiscal years unless fully liquidated according to existing COA guidelines.
Tighter guidelines in the release of lump sum funds, including the Kilos Asenso fund, to ensure compliance to the NEDA-ICC policy on NG-LGU Cost Sharing Policy

Mr. Speaker, we did not receive the courtesy of reply on these proposed amendments. There was no transparency. We don't know what happened to the amendments we painstakingly worked on with the help of civil society partners.

This is exactly the environment that breeds corruption, and this being the de facto election budget, we won't be surprised if this budget only goes to the pockets of corrupt officials.
By not allowing members of the House to scrutinize the budget, voting for this budget is a vote to erode the integrity of Congress as an institution.

AKBAYAN is deeply frustrated with the outcome and the shortcutting of an already abbreviated process. The House has denied itself an opportunity to achieve greater bi-partisan consensus on the budget based on amendments submitted in the spirit of recovering Congress' power of the purse and the spirit of fiscal democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I therefore vote No to HB 5116.

Statement of the Peoples Global Action (PGA)

2008-10-22T14:57:00.003+08:00

Statement of the Peoples Global Action (PGA) on the Unjustified Revocation of the Issued-Permit to Hold Parallel Events during the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development
October 17, 2008

We, the organizers of the People’s Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights, are outraged by the revocation of our permit to hold activities from October 22 – 30, 2008 at the Rajah Sulayman park, a public space, as parallel events organized by migrants, advocates, and other civil society organizations, to the forthcoming 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). The Manila City government had issued a permit for the use of the park last June 25, 2008 only to revoke it on October 2 on the recommendation of Manila Police District. It was conveyed to the PGA by fax on October 6, 2008 and was affirmed with finality on October 16, 2008 during our meeting with PNP PNP-NCRPO Regional Director Jefferson Soriano and Manila Police Department Director Roberto Rosales . We do not accept the so-called alternative venue that has been offered to us, the Mehan Garden / Bonifacio shrine, for doing so would mean accepting the further exclusion of migrant workers and their advocates from the global discussions at the 2nd GFMD which will take place at the PICC that would ultimately affect their plight.We recognize the GFMD in the Philippines as an event that can open opportunities for migrant workers and their advocates to meaningfully contribute to the current global discourse on migration and development. The People’s Global Action is planned to be organized in and around Rajah Sulayman Park, events open and visible to the public at-large and to the GFMD delegates themselves. Foreign and local dignitaries, such as Sharan Burrow of the Chairperson of the Civil Society Day of the 2nd GFMD and the First President of the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Luis de Alba of Mexico. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim among others are scheduled to address our activities The PGA is a demonstration of global cross-border solidarity among migrant workers and their advocates that is peaceful and legitimate. We had welcomed the issuance of our permit last June 25, a result of a transparent and aboveboard process of dialogue with city officials. To say that we are disappointed by its revocation at this late hour, is to say the least. The stated official reason for the last-minute revocation of the permit – and that is, that our ranks will be ‘infiltrated by the leftists’—is a flimsy reason without basis, and no more than the usual standard excuse whipped out by authorities when no other reasonable justification could be produced. The revocation of our permit is most unreasonable, and we cannot but view it as an extension of the national government’s policy of continued denial of migrant workers’ rights and the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression. Moreover, we believe it also reveals the increased anxiety of the national government and the forces of neo-liberal globalization in the light of the unfolding global financial crisis and its impending impact on the situation of migrants worldwide. The revocation of our permit signifies another act of ‘management’, also known as ‘control’, as in ‘the management of migration’ which now dominates official global discourse on development, but without substantive consideration for migrants’ rights and of the fundamental issues that underlie the so-called pursuit of development. We believe that migration should not be viewed merely as a problem or crisis to be ‘managed’; migrant workers and other citizens are not commodities to be traded, nor objects and statistics to be ‘managed’. In this moment of heightened insecurities among migrant workers and their families, especially in the face of the global financial crisis, the best policy on the part of governments would have been to extend a hand of assurance and demonstrate genuine openness to listen to the voices of those who would most likely suffer its adverse impact. Instead, we are witness to the further suppression of the voices of the migrant workers and the curtailment of our rights and freedoms. We cannot respond to this latest development with silence. We will continue to demonstrate the solidarity among migrants, migrant workers, their advocates, and all those concerned about development and democratic rights – a solidarity forged across borders and tempered by our common struggles and shared vision for a world that is more equitable and a future that is more sustainable and inclusive to all.

Sgd. Members of the Peoples Global Action

Contact Person:

Ellene A. SanaExecutive Director, Center for Migrant Advocacy Member, PWGTelephones: 920-5003; 433-0684Cellphone: 0917 448 1464

2nd Sweden-Asia Forum

2008-10-17T07:48:00.008+08:00

The 2nd Sweden-Asia Forum gathered representatives of progressive parties and solidarity movements that have been working on representing marginalized constituencies and are active in programmatic party-building efforts.
This year's conference took place in Manila, Philippines from 9 to 11 October 2008 and brought together 31 participants from 12 political parties and movements representing 11 countries. The following countries were represented: Burma, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Aceh, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sweden.
The conference is organized every year by the Swedish Social Democratic Party (SAP), the Olof Palme International Center and AKBAYAN Citizens' Action Party, for representatives of progressive organizations in Asia to build networks and contribute to the sharing of knowledge about the development in the respective countries and in the region as a whole. The first Sweden-Asia Forum was held in Bangkok, Thailand last August10-13, 2007.
Ann Linde, International Secretary of the Swedish Social Democratic Party (SAP) in her brief presentation on "Social Democracy: a Global perspective", elucidated the social democracy's core values of Freedom, Equality and Solidarity, which are mutually dependent and mutually supporting.
After the country presentations, which covered the current political and institutional context and what the concerned parties were doing to address this situation, the delegates were actively engaged in the following panel discussions: Social Democracy: Is it Viable in Asia?, Religion and Democratization, Social Movements and Populism and Nuts and Bolts of Party-Building.
Tian Chua of the People's Justice Party-Malaysia; Ann Linde and Olle Thorell of the Social Democratic Party-Sweden; Anna Ardin and Abdulkader Habib of the Christian Social Democrats-Sweden; and Ronald Llamas, Joel Rocamora and Arlene Santos of Akbayan Citizens' Action Party-Philippines acted as lead speakers and discussants of the two-day conference.
The 2nd Sweden-Asia Forum culminated with delegates from participating political parties and movements expressing their desire to continue to learn from one another's struggles (especially in building a strong political party) and to deepen democracy in the respective countries.

Aung San Suu Kyi to reach 13 years in detention

2008-10-15T15:38:00.004+08:00

Burma Campaign UK

On October 24th Aung San Suu Kyi will have spent a total of 13 years in detention.On the same day leaders of Asian and European countries are having a summit meeting in China. We want the leaders to back UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in securing the release of ALL political prisoners when he visits Burma in December.

JOIN OUR PROTEST!
Friday, October 24, 2008Time:
12:00pm - 1:00pmLocation:
Chinese EmbassyStreet:
49 Portland Place, near Oxford Circus tube

The number of political prisoners in Burma has almost doubled in the past year, despite calls from the United Nations Security Council for their release. These people have committed no crime. They have been locked up for calling for freedom.We have never had a UN Secretary General visit Burma to discuss political problems before, and we have never had European and Asian government joining forces to pressure the regime to release prisoners. They all say they want it. We must make them work to make it happen.For too long the UN has fallen for the lies of the regime. They must secure real change. The release of political prisoners should be the minimum benchmark for progress that Ban Ki-moon aims for in December.Join the protest! send a message to world leaders than they must turn words into action. Don't leave Burma's democracy activists suffering in Burma's jails.This protest is organized by a coalition of campaign groups and Burmese community organisations in the UK.
IF YOU ARE NOT IN LONDON –
YOU CAN STILL TAKE ACTIONWE ARE HAVING AN IMPACT

Two weeks ago we asked you to email the UN demanding they work for the release of political prisoners. The UN has received thousands of emails, and last week Ban Ki-moon stated that he wanted to see the release of political prisoners as a sign of progress for when he visits Burma in December. It is the first time he has linked his visit with the release of political prisoners. We are getting this issue onto the agenda of world leaders, but we need to keep it there.If you haven’t taken the action please do so now at: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html

Please also ask your friends to support this campaign.--Was this email forwarded to you by a friend? If you are not already a member of the Burma Campaign UK e-mail network, and would like to receive these updates directly, you can subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to: burmacampaign-subscribe@lists.burmacampaign.org.uk

The Burma Campaign UK Registered Company No. 3804730
Registered office address28 Charles SquareLondon N1 6HT

War and Democracy

2008-09-28T08:11:00.004+08:00

War and Democracy -- Miriam Coronel Ferrer

“Use devastation in a sentence,” an old, silly joke goes. The answer: “I waited for you at the-bus-station.”The devastation in Lanao, Cotabato and Maguindanao is no joke, however. Go there and find devastation in the 500,000 men, women and children crammed in deplorable evacuation centers.Most of them belong to poor farming communities. Six weeks ago, they had their own homes, cooked their own meals, plowed their land, and sent their children to school. Despite the deprivation, they survived on their own. Government did not have to feed them.

Read on http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/09/25/08/war-and-democracy-miriam-coronel-ferrer

Saffron Revolution a year later: It’s not over

2008-09-24T07:43:00.002+08:00

Altsean-Burma has released a briefer titled “Saffron Revolution a year later: It’s not over.” On 26 September, one year will have passed since Burma’s military regime began its bloody crackdown on the Saffron Revolution. The spirit of the monk-led Saffron Revolution that moved hundreds of thousands of people to hold protests throughout Burma and inspired hundreds of solidarity events around the globe lives on. This briefer details what has happened in Burma since: repression has intensified, the SPDC has exacerbated another humanitarian crisis, persisted with its gross economic mismanagement and refused to deliver the actual reforms it has been promising for years. Despite this, monks and ordinary people have persevered in their defiance of the SPDC.

The briefer is available at: http://www.altsean.org/Reports/Saffron%20RevolutionOneYear.php

Haarlemmermeer

2008-09-17T22:35:00.010+08:00

From September 5 to 8, I visited Haarlemmermeer, a municipality in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Dutch group, Vereniging Haarlemmnermeer Cebu (VHC). VHC was established by the local government of Haarlemmermeer to promote the cooperation between the sister cities through regular exchanges and provision of voluntary services, donations, and assistance. This was my second visit in this beautiful municipality in the province of North Holland.

The Stockholm Archipelago

2008-09-10T19:29:00.009+08:00

No visit to Sweden is complete without a boat trip to the archipelago. It consists of 24,000 islands, from big to small. It has become a divine retreat for people from all walks of life who fill the cottages and homes of the islands and the pleasure boats that cruise the waterways in between. My OPC colleagues Anita and Magdalena brought me to the island of Vaxholm, a harbor town with a 16th century fortress, historic buildings, small shops and restaurants, and a bustling harbor area. It was indeed a wonderful treat for me to see the archipelago after five straight days of meetings and engagements at the Olof Palme Center headquarters in Stockholm last week.

23 million Filipinos living below Asia-Pacific poverty line

2008-08-27T21:54:00.002+08:00

23 million Filipinos living below Asia-Pacific poverty line

MANILA, Philippines— The new poverty line for Asia-Pacific is $1.35 a day and about 23 million Filipinos, or 27 percent of the Philippine population, are living below it.
Using the regional poverty threshold of the Asian Development Bank, the Philippines is is next to Pakistan and worse than Vietnam when it comes to the percentage of its population living on less than $1.35 a day.
In a report released on Wednesday, the ADB offered a new way to gauge poverty incidence using price data specific to the Asia and Pacific region, and, critically, to the poor. The report was contained in a special chapter of Key Indicators 2008, its flagship annual statistical publication.
Using 2006 data, the ADB study estimated that about 27 percent of the Philippine population would have consumed less than the new Asian poverty line.
This new measure suggested a higher poverty incidence in the Philippines using the regional benchmark. Based on the $1-per day globally used threshold of extreme poverty, the ratio in the Philippines as of the previous estimate was lower at about 13.6 percent.
“This is a landmark study for two reasons,” ADB chief economist Ifzal Ali said in a statement. “For the first time, a thorough sensitivity analysis of internationally comparable poverty estimates has been carried out. Second, a poverty line that is relevant specifically to the Asia and Pacific region has been adopted.”
The ADB thus came up with the new poverty line of roughly $1.35 a day for the region.
The report showed that the ratio of the population consuming less than this amount each day was highest in India at 65.3 percent.
Other countries with high ratios living below the Asian poverty line were Nepal (59.2 percent), Bangladesh (58.2), Laos (48.8 percent), Mongolia (40 percent), Indonesia (39.2 percent) Cambodia (35.4 percent) and Pakistan (32 percent).
The Philippines' ratio was worse than Vietnam's 25.6 percent, Sri Lanka's 18.4 percent and Thailand's 0.1 percent.
The report estimated that in the 16 countries that participated in the study, 1.042 billion people would have been living below $1.35 a day in 2005.
“While the $1-a-day poverty line remains an appropriate benchmark for counting the extent of extreme poverty in Asia, and the developing world more generally, in a region that has witnessed rapid economic growth it might also be time to evaluate poverty incidence using a benchmark that reflects the region’s dynamism,” Ali said.
A major contribution of the report is to examine the sensitivity of poverty estimates to different methods for evaluating purchasing power parities (PPP) -- or conversion factors that ensure a common purchasing power across countries over a given set of goods and services.
“PPPs are one of the most vital ingredients in generating internationally comparable estimates of poverty,” Ali said.
The report noted that the World Bank’s $1-a-day poverty estimates are based on PPPs developed for comparing household consumption across countries, known as consumption PPPs. From the perspective of poverty comparisons, however, it was considered more appropriate to use a set of PPPs that are based on comparisons of prices of goods and services that the poor purchase.
The report, using original data collected specifically for its study, examined where the poor shop, what they buy, in what quantity, as well as the quality of the products they purchase. The report noted, for example, a considerable difference in quality and price between packaged rice bought in a supermarket and rice bought by the scoop in a wet market -- where the poor traditionally shop. The prices paid for the products purchased by the poor are used to generate a new set of PPPs, called poverty PPPs.
Poverty-specific PPPs were also computed using an International Comparison Program (ICP) price data with weights representing the expenditure patterns of the poor.
Even using this ICP measure, Filipinos living below the Asian poverty line were also estimated to be over 20 million.
“Our aim in this study was to shed light on how alternative approaches to compiling purchasing power parities can influence internationally comparable estimates of poverty,” Ali said.
“Clearly, the choice of PPP used matters a lot to the final estimates of poverty and it is therefore critical that we price the most appropriate set of goods and services. This report shows that the collection of poverty-specific prices -- the feasibility of which has been demonstrated by 16 developing Asian countries -- is possible,” he said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080827-157167/23-million-Filipinos-living-below-Asia-Pacific-poverty-line

888 Campaign: Burma Democracy

2008-08-08T07:40:00.004+08:00

8 August, marks the 20th anniversary of Burma’s biggest ever democracy uprising when hundreds of thousands of people across Burma bravely marched through the streets demanding an end to military dictatorship. Soldiers fired on crowds of unarmed protesters, killing thousands.

Free Burma’s Political Prisoners!
Today there are more than 2000 political prisoners in Burma, many subjected to brutal torture and denied medical care.

Come and demonstrate outside the Burmese Embassy to call for the release of Burma’s political prisoners.

ALTSEAN-Burma has produced a campaign kit/resource page for the 8-8-88 20th anniversary.
The kit is available at: http://www.altsean. org/Research/ 8888/8888Home. php

SONA 2008

2008-07-27T14:11:00.004+08:00

Tomorrow, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will deliver her 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Once more, as in previous annual reports by this illegitimate president, we anticipate to be treated to a distortion of the actual political and economic realities experienced by our people.

If we are to go by official pronouncements on GMA’s upcoming SONA, the claim is that our country is “on track”. How are we to interpret this statement? So far, these are the felt realities for the majority of us:

We can no longer afford the basic commodities. Inflation is at 11.4% and rising. The situation is expected to remain bad with the rising prices due to the tight global supply of rice and oil. And, we note with alarm the Asian Development Bank study that claims that for every 10% increase in food prices, about 2.3million more Filipinos fall into poverty.

More and more Filipinos are hungry and getting hungrier. In the Social Weather Station’s latest report, 16.3% of total population or 14.5 million Filipinos experienced “severe hunger”.

We continue to be jobless. The unemployment rate rose at 8% last June despite an emergency employment program for out-of-work youth.

Are we then “on track”? Spin can only take one so far. Government spin does not lower food prices and put food on our tables. And, Filipinos understand this. If we are to take the latest Pulse Asia survey as measure, only 14.1% of Filipinos have faith in what Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will say in her SONA tomorrow.

A Gaping Hole in Noah’s Ark

GMA’s administration hopes to appease the growing hungry crowd with an unsustainable, dole-out National Social Welfare Program under a Noah’s Ark framework, an allusion to the biblical boat that saved humanity from the great flood. This program hopes to make subsidy, relief and dole-out the strategic response to the ongoing crisis.

The problem with such band-aid, “pantawid gutom”, pa-pogi strategy is that hunger is a symptom and not the disease. It is not a strategic response to the chronic problem of joblessness, resource-draining corruption and the disparity in asset and resource distribution. It does not address the systemic root of the crisis, a morally-bankrupt economic model -- the elite-driven global capitalist framework of greed with its boom-and-bust cycle.

Our Calls

While we underline the continued relevance of the call for a socialist revolution as a respond to the global capitalist crisis, we realize the need for medium-term solutions to our present situation.

We echo the calls of our brothers and sisters in the mass movement for:

Repeal the Oil Deregulation Law and scrap the regressive value-added tax.
Extend and reform the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to ensure the distribution of assets and wealth.
Reorient development strategy towards job creation for full employment.
Living wages, not minimum wages.
Realign the national budget for debt payments to necessary social services. Scrap the automatic debt appropriations act.

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BISIG-CEBU, AKBAYAN-CEBU, ALLIANCE OF PROGRESSIVE LABOR-CEBU, MOVEMENT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF STUDENT POWER-CEBU, MAKALAYA-CEBU, FORGE, CPAG.

Junket

2008-07-02T12:23:00.003+08:00

WHAT CAN BE MORE CALLOUS THAN THIS?

While Typhoon Frank devastated the country and claimed more than 650 lives, including the poor victims of the MV Princess of the Stars sea tragedy, illegitimate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her 74 junketeers mindlessly spend billions of taxpayers' money to visit Bush and watch Pacquiao fight in the US.MONEY SPENT MINDLESSLY

USD 1.5 M JUNKET!300-5000 – Willard Hotel rate 30 rooms booked 400-500 – Dinner per plate207++ - Airline rate per person800-1000 – Rental per car30 cars rented250 consulate officials mobilizedTHE PERKSP100,000 – each congressman gets monthly travel allowanceP1,620 – travel tax exemption when traveling with the President

WHO ARE THE 74 JUNKETEERS?

Representative ProvinceRep. Narciso Santiago III, Alliance for Rural Concerns Party List GroupRep. Monico Puentevella, BacolodRep. Albert Garcia, BataanRep. Mark Llandro L. Mendoza, BatangasRep. Hermilando Mandanas, BatangasRep. William Irwin Tieng, Buhay Party List GroupRep. Jose Zubiri III, BukidnonRep. Lorna Silverio, BulacanRep. Mitzi Cajayon, CaloocanRep. Diosdado "Dato" Macapagal Arroyo, Camarines SurRep. Joseph Santiago, CatanduanesRep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., CaviteRep. Antonio Cuenco, CebuRep. Eduardo Gullas, CebuDeputy Speaker Raul Del Mar, Cebu CityRep. Rommel Amatong, Compostela ValleySpeaker Prospero Nograles, Davao CityRep. Antonio Lagdameo, Davao Del NorteRep. Marc Cagas, Davao Del SurRep. Nelson Dayanghirang, Davao OrientalRep. Teodolo Coquilla, Eastern SamarRep. Andres Salvacion, LeyteRep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, LeyteRep. Trinidad Apostol, LeyteRep. Ma. Zenaida Angping, ManilaRep. Amado S. Bagatsing, ManilaRep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., ManilaRep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, MasbateRep. Herminia Ramiro, Misamis OccidentalRep. Yevgeny Emano, Misamis OrientalRep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon, MuntinlupaRep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, Nueva EcijaDeputy Speaker Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa, Occidental MindoroRep. Anna York Bondoc, PampangaRep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., PampangaRep. Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo, PampangaRep. Conrado Estrella III, PangasinanRep. Ma. Rachel Arenas, PangasinanRep. Eduardo C. Zialcita, ParañaqueRep. Roman Romulo, Pasig CityRep. Mary Ann Susano, Quezon CityRep. Nanette C. Castelo-Daza, Quezon CityRep. Danilo Suarez, Quezon ProvinceRep. Junie Cua, QuirinoRep. Arturo B. Robes, San Jose Del MonteRep. Roger Mercado, Southern LeyteRep. Munir Arbison, SuluRep. Rex Gatchalian, Valenzuela CityRep. Antonio Diaz, Zambales

Senate

Sen. Miriam Defensor SantiagoSen. Richard Gordon (Sen. Gordon did not go and did his job as Red Cross Chairman)

Cabinet

Sec. Arthur Yap, AgricultureSec. Rolando Andaya, BudgetSec. Gov. Amando Tetangco, Central BankSec. Gilbert Teodoro, DefenseSec. Ronaldo Puno, DILGSec. Jesli Lapus, EducationSec. Lito Atienza, EnvironmentSec. Margarito Teves, FinanceSec. Alberto Romulo, Foreign AffairsActing Sec. Marianito Roque, LaborSec. Ignacio Bunye, Presidential SpokesmanSec. Jesus Dureza, PressSec. Peter Favila, Trade

Shall we leave our country in the hands of such uncaring people?

It's time to take back our country!

Bigger Storms

2008-06-26T07:15:00.001+08:00

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was storming last Sunday. After learning that MV Princess of the Stars had sunk while sailing through storm-tossed waters, she called from San Francisco, demanding to know from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and the Philippine Coast Guard, “Why did you allow it to sail and why was there no ample warning?” She specifically berated Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, Coast Guard chief: “When did you issue the warning to all vessels (not to sail)?” She said “when” at least six times, as Tamayo tried to explain. The tongue-lashing was broadcast live on national radio.
There is no truth to the rumor that the NDCC replied when asked why it allowed the ship to sail, “We thought you were aboard, Ma’am.”
To be sure the NDCC and the Coast Guard deserved the public chastising. The only thing that left a bad taste in the mouth was the person doing it with the nation as captive audience. You may not demand responsibility when you yourself display staggering levels of irresponsibility. I don’t know if this country still remembers, but the last time I heard Arroyo repeating a word on the phone was when she called up a fellow named “Garci.” The word was not “when,” it was “hello.”
Juan de la Cruz may very well berate her in public in exactly the same terms. The ship of state is floundering, if it has not slammed into a rock and bellied up yet. It has been set a-sail despite the more ferocious storm of public opinion that says the captain steering the ship never got her diploma from the School of Elections and amid the howling winds of public fury expressed in rallies, marches and protests against a ruler who has broken records in lack of acceptance by the ruled. “Why did you sail the ship of state into a churning sea, and why did you refuse to turn back despite ample, angry and strident warnings from the Citizens’ Catastrophe Prevention Center?” “When will you stop plunging the ship of state to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean?” “When will you resign?
Epic as the tragedy of the sinking of Princess of the Stars is, there are in fact other, more alarming concerns that Typhoon “Frank” has brought to light. Concerns that have escaped public attention from the focus drawn on the sea mishap. The first of that concern is the storm itself.
Lest we forget, Frank didn’t just sink Princess of the Stars, it also sank the provinces of Iloilo and Aklan and Metro Manila, and left more than 200 people dead in its wake. I’ve been saying all this time that we are not just facing two crises today of mind-boggling severity and indefiniteness, which are the food and oil crises, we are facing a third, which is natural disasters of even more mind-boggling severity and indefiniteness. Which comes from the environmental crisis, also called global warming, environmental degradation, climate change. It’s happening everywhere as we speak: in the hurricanes that have struck the United States, in the earthquakes that have razed parts of Burma and China, in the superstorms that have devastated Infanta town and Albay province. I do not know which is more frightening, the death toll from those disasters or our factoring of it to a point where we now find a hundred people dead “normal.”
Cold comfort as it is, and at the risk of insulting the kin of the dead from Typhoon Frank, we can at least thank heaven its toll was not as bad as China’s or Burma’s from the earthquakes. I’ve been warning about this for some time: the terrifying prospect not just of the combined effects of the rice crisis and the fuel crisis unraveling over the next few months or years, but of these happening alongside the effects of environmental degradation. Almost overnight after Typhoon Frank struck, the prices of rice, meat and fish soared in all wet markets. As I write this, rice in some parts of the country was expected to reach P50 a kilo.
This is just the beginning. The weather is messed up and has gotten fickle, and life has become fragile in all parts of the world. You don’t know where the next major disaster will strike. Typhoon Frank has just hinted at the shape of things to come, a warning for those who imagine it is just part of normal cycle of storms to visit this country, like those who imagine the food and oil scarcities are just part of the normal boom-bust cycle of the economy. Things are going to get worse, unless we move strenuously to avert it. Unless we produce more food ourselves, change our lifestyle to save fuel or shift to alternatives, and do our share of saving the planet.
Which brings me to the other concern that Typhoon Frank has brought to light. That is the fourth, more immediate and worrisome, crisis we’re facing today, which is the crisis of government. We’re facing a worse situation today than the world did during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Then, the limits were economic; today, the limits are physical. The planet is dying from carbon emissions, and fossil fuel is near to depletion. Only food is a renewable resource. These are the very times when, as I wrote about earlier this week, we need a government that is honest and truthful. These are the very times when we need a leader we can trust and rally behind. These are the very times when we need a Winston Churchill who can inspire people to shed blood, sweat and tears to face a war, or a Franklin Delano Roosevelt who can convince people they can expect a good deal from government as they face want.
That is what we have not got. All we have is someone we distrust and want to distance ourselves from. That conclusion is as inescapable as the fate bearing down on the people trapped in the womb, or tomb, of a sinking ship. Except that I don’t know why we should resign ourselves to this fate.
Arroyo was storming last weekend. Some storms are worse than others.

Source: By Conrado de Quiros, PDI

The world’s 10 worst maritime disasters—in the last 20 years

2008-06-25T17:23:00.003+08:00

The world’s 10 worst maritime disasters—in the last 20 years

The Philippines tops the charts with the MV Doña Paz/MT Vector collision in terms of number of casualties in a single maritime disaster. But three of the top maritime disasters in the past two decades happened in Indonesia.

1. MV Doña Paz (Philippines, December 20, 1987)

Passenger vessel MV Doña Paz collided with MT Vector, an oil tanker, along the Tablas Strait, between Mindoro and Marinduque. The collision ignited some 8,800 barrels of petroleum products that Vector was carrying at the time, causing a fire that rapidly engulfed the tanker and the Doña Paz. Subsequent investigations into the incident found that Dona Paz exceeded its passenger and cargo limits and that the Vector’s boat license had expired. Casualties reached 4,375.

2. MV Joola (Senegal, September 26, 2002)

The disaster happened within five minutes after MV Joola sailed to a sea of storm in the coast of Gambia. Various reasons for the disaster were cited, among them overcrowding, and negligence by management as the ship was not originally designed for sea faring. Death toll totaled 1,863.

3. MV al-Salam Boccaccio 98 (Red Sea, February 3, 2006)

Faulty drainage pumps and unpredictable weather were some of the reasons cited for the sinking of MV al-Salam Boccacio 98, a Roll-on/Roll-off ferry, into the depths of the Red Sea. Survivors and eye witnesses said a fire started at the storage area and, as the ship turned, it capsized and eventually sank. 1,018 passengers died in the disaster.

4. MV Bukoba (Lake Victoria, Tanzania, May 21, 1996)

The passenger steamer MV Bukoba sank in Lake Victoria causing 894 casualties while en route to Mwanza, a city in Tanzania. The steamer was already in bad shape before the voyage. It was also found out that the steamer was overcrowded.

5. MS Estonia (Baltic Sea, September 28, 1994)

The locks on the bow visor and bad weather caused this cruise-ferry’s demise. A total of 852 were killed during the tragedy.

6. KM Cahaya Bahari (Indonesia, June 29, 2000)

A total of 550 deaths were recorded after a storm hit and eventually capsized Cahaya Bahari, an Indonesian wooden-hulled ship, off the island of Sulawesi. The ship was overcrowded with refugees fleeing from the Maluku islands.

7. MV Nazreen 1 (Bangladesh, July 8, 2003)

The overcrowded MV Nazreen I sank at the confluence of the Padma, Meghna, and Dakana rivers, considered one of the most dangerous parts of the river from July to October. Casualties were counted at 528 although there’s no recorded number of passengers aboard.

8. Salem Express (Egypt, December 15, 1991)

The Salem Express, a roll-on/roll-off ferry sank off Safaga in the Red Sea as it was crossing the treacherous Hyndman Reefs. Because of the storm, the ship hit a reef, causing the bow visor to open, creating a hole on the starboard side. Water penetrated the ship which eventually sank in 20 minutes. Deaths were counted at 464.

9. MV Senopati Nusantara (Indonesia, December 30, 2006)

The Indonesian ferry sank due to a violent storm off Mandalika Island in the Java Sea. One survivor said that the ship rolled over before it submerged to the depths. Deaths were counted at 461.

10. KM Bismas Raya 2 (Indonesia, October 1999)

KM BIsmas Raya 2 caught fire while off Merauke, Irian Jaya. It eventually capsized and caused the death of 361 people.

Research by: Leilani Chavez / abs-cbnNEWS.com

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_disasters_by_death_toll
http://www.touregypt.net/VDC/Salemexp.htm
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jul2003/bang-j19.shtml
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/jul2000/ferr-j11.shtml http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ee1s-ari/lake.html

Burma's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi's 63rd birthday

2008-06-19T11:47:00.004+08:00

Today, June 19, Burma's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, celebrates her 63rd birthday alone, under house arrest. She is now in her 13th year of detention yet she has committed no crime.

She is imprisoned for peacefully calling for freedom and democracy in Burma. She isn't allowed to see family or friends as all visitors are banned. Her phone line is cut and her post is intercepted. Today we are asking you to send a message direct to the regime, asking them to free Aung San Suu Kyi and the other 1,919 political prisoners in Burma. Take action here: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/mtvaction.html.

For taking a stand against Burma’s brutal regime, Aung San Suu Kyi is kept under house arrest. But international pressure keeps her safe. Aung San Suu Kyi asks for our support; “ Please use your liberty to promote ours”. Today please do that – send the regime an email http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/mtvaction.html

UN report: Poor suffer as Asia beset by petty corruption

2008-06-12T18:54:00.004+08:00

UN report says poor suffer as Asia beset by petty corruption
Source: Agence France-Presse

First Posted 16:07:00 06/12/2008

JAKARTA -- A few hundred baht here, a few thousand rupees there -- a major UN report released Thursday said "petty corruption" is a massive drain on Asian economic growth and hits the poor hardest.
The sort of bribes many Asians pay as a matter of course are worsening child mortality rates and perpetuating poverty across the region, the report said.
"Petty corruption is a misnomer," said Anuradha Rajivan, who led the team that compiled the UN Development Program's report, titled "Tackling Corruption, Transforming Lives."
"Dollar amounts may be relatively small but the demands are incessant, the number of people affected is enormous and the share of poor people's income diverted to corruption is high."
She said too much attention focused on the "big fish" in anti-corruption drives and not on the low-level vice that affects countless Asians daily.
"Hauling the rich and powerful before the courts may grab headlines but the poor will benefit more from efforts to eliminate the corruption that plagues their everyday lives," she said in a statement accompanying the report.
UNDP Assistant Secretary General Olav Kjorven, launching the report in Jakarta alongside Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said it was the poor who paid the price for corruption.
"Development is ultimately about expanding the choices that people have to lead the lives that they value," he said in a speech.
"Corruption strangles these choices especially and disproportionately for the poor and vulnerable, meaning that fighting it needs to be a priority."
Yudhoyono said that despite a string of corruption arrests and convictions since his election in 2004, much more needed to be done.
He called for greater multilateral cooperation and an end to "corruption havens" around the region, a veiled jab at countries such as Singapore and China where high-profile Indonesian corruption suspects are living in exile.
"I have time and time again said there needs to be bilateral and multilateral cooperation. There should be no safe haven for corruptors that take away state assets and live peacefully in another country," he said.
Indonesia is one of the world's most corrupt countries and ranks 143rd on Transparency International's global corruption perceptions index, level with Russia, Togo and Gambia.
Kjorven said the need to free poor Asians from corruption was even more pressing in the face of the global food crisis, with the price of rice rising as much as 70 percent in the past year.
"The reason for this global food crisis is many fold but one thing is clear, corrupt practices in how agricultural lands, the environment and natural resources are managed are making the situation worse," he said.
A summary of the report said small-scale corruption limited poor Asians' access to education and basic health services, contributing to high infant mortality rates and locking people into cycles of poverty.
Across the Asia-Pacific region, it said politicians were seen as the most venal element in society, followed by the police and judiciary.
Nearly 20 percent of people claimed to have paid a bribe to police in the past year in the Asia-Pacific region, it said.
In South Asia, many people had to pay bribes to gain admission into hospital and even for mothers to see their newborn babies. Up to a third of drugs sold in certain countries were expired or counterfeit.
"Ghost teachers" and even "ghost schools" -- where government funds are lost on non-existent services -- were examples of corruption in the education sector which meant fewer children in school and higher illiteracy rates.
Meanwhile, natural resources that should provide a foundation for economic and social development were being destroyed by illegal activity.
In Indonesia, less than a quarter of logging operations worth an estimated $6.6 billion were legal.

Part Two: Complaints about Cebu Pacific

2008-05-25T12:33:00.002+08:00

Cebu Pathetic
By Melanie T. Lim

CEBU Pacific has now been dubbed “Cebu Pathetic” and by another, “Sorry Pacific.” These monikers are not mine but of those whom Cebu Pacific has so aggrieved. The horror stories are real. (Check out this link: http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php) Or you can email me and I will send you the link above. Some say, “You get what you pay for,” when you fly Cebu Pacific. Let me ask you, when you buy an airline ticket, what are you paying for? Are you paying to NOT get to your destination? Are you paying to get to your destination three hours late? No matter what price you pay for an airline ticket, you expect to GET TO YOUR DESTINATION on TIME because THAT is WHAT you are PAYING FOR. The decision to go on a price war with the industry leader is a corporate decision. Consumers should not have to bear the brunt of this business strategy. Consumers should not have to be misled into thinking they are getting “value for money” by paying X amount of pesos for Y level of service. We don’t pick up our phones because we are understaffed. We don’t hire managers because we need to cut costs. We don’t entertain complaints in person or over email. When you visit our offices, you will languish for hours. Don’t come screaming at us when your flight is five hours delayed or when you get to the airport and find that your flight is canceled and therefore must pay rebooking charges to get on another flight or when you get your refund in eight months. Remember, we are a budget airline. When you pay low-end prices, you don’t expect high-end service. Still, no matter how low a price anyone pays for an airline ticket, no one ever signs up for CRAP. Everyone expects DECENT service at any price level. You don’t expect lies, sorry excuses or public humiliation. You don’t expect to bear the blame of others because a company has no conscience. A no-frills airline is not expected to provide “perks” to its passengers. But getting passengers and their luggage to their destination ON TIME is NOT a “perk.” It is a contractual as well as moral obligation. In the event, therefore, that an airline is unable to fulfill this basic obligation for whatever reason, it should rightfully compensate the aggrieved passengers or at the VERY LEAST, apologize to them. An airline that decides to drop its prices as a business strategy does not have carte blanche to treat its customers shabbily. Or it should advertise: LOW PRICES. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. PLANES FLY WHEN FULL. This way, the public can make informed decisions about whether or not they should take the risks of flying with a budget airline. Cebu Pacific has extended a luncheon invitation to Sun.Star columnists. In light of what’s going on, I find the invitation highly inappropriate. Cebu Pacific knows what I want—and it won't cost them a single cent. Cebu Pacific has been informed that I will not be wined, dined and gagged. (sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com)

Complaints About Cebu Pacfic

2008-05-18T08:28:00.002+08:00

Cebu Pacific
By Melanie T. Lim

IF the problems of Cebu Pacific continue, it is not only because their airline service is unreliable, their customer relations is equally untenable. It is ridiculous for Cebu Pacific Corporate Communications Manager RG Orense to dismiss the complaints of the public. “We can’t respond to complaints based on speculations because people have the tendency to generalize. Complaints must be specific and the person complaining must be identified.” (The Freeman, 05/13/08). What is Orense trying to say? That the public is making up all these stories about getting bumped off because they have nothing better to do? Would Cebu Pacific prefer that these aggrieved parties organize themselves and document their complaints so they can file a class suit against Cebu Pacific? Would these make it real for Orense? Orense further says that the company is open to dealing with customer complaints but suggests that instead of going to the media, passengers should instead fill out a customer service form which they can do online through their website. (Sun.Star Cebu, 05/13/08). I don’t know if I should laugh or cry over this suggestion. Fill out a customer service form? Might Cebu Pacific act on this in this lifetime? Their customer service hotlines don’t even pick up. And in person, we can’t even get the help we need with an “actual” Cebu Pacific employee facing us. About a month ago, I bought tickets online. Because of a booking mistake, I had to get in touch with Customer Service. It took me days to get through and still, no resolution. Alarmed, I visited the Cebu Pacific office to talk to an “actual” employee. I was shocked at the sight that greeted me. People were packed like refugees all the way to the door. It took me ten days to straighten things out. Then, three days ago, I got a call from my bank. I was told that my credit card had been exposed to security risk and that it had to be cancelled immediately. I was informed that my last transaction was online with Cebu Pacific. Perhaps, there are more risks to flying this airline than we think. In a letter to me, VP for Marketing & Product Candice Iyog says, “On the concerns you have raised, we can only respond to those with specific details.” It is this condescending attitude, seemingly company-wide, that continues to raise the ire of an aggrieved public. Instead of seeking to appease aggrieved passengers, Cebu Pacific responds with astonishing arrogance saying unless complaints are specific, they are speculative. Unless you identify yourself, you are a liar. The message is crystal clear. Cebu Pacific DOES NOT CARE about its customers. Or why else would passengers have to prove themselves simply to be heard? Any other corporate entity would jump at the chance to know what they’re doing wrong so they can do right. Well, apparently not Cebu Pacific. Until Cebu Pacific ACCEPTS, APOLOGIZES and ADDRESSES the concerns raised by the riding public, the complaints no doubt will continue to rise. Where corporate responsibility ends, consumer advocacy must begin. This is why media has to step in. (sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com)

The Current Situation in Burma

2008-05-15T09:14:00.001+08:00

The Current Situation in Burma

The UN reports the death toll to be around 100,000 with 220,000 missing. 1.5 million are at severe risk if aid does not get in immediately. Instead of allowing aid in and providing the best response to the crisis, the regime is still blocking international aid efforts and even preventing local NGOs access to the worst affected areas. The U.N. said the World Food Program was getting in only 20 percent of the food needed because of logistical problems and regime restrictions. General Thein Sein, the junta's Prime Minister, said on Monday that no foreigners were allowed to go to the delta region, the worst-hit areas. International aid agencies operating in Burma warn that only 10% of the aid needed to cope with the millions struggling to survive had arrived in the country. The military is now even forcing people into camps, similar to prisons. No one is allowed to leave, not even to search for missing family members. They must wear their ID number at all times.

Click phoos here: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/features/article_1405389.php/In_photos_Burma_Cyclone_Aftermath_May_14th?page=10

Jobs and Justice, Food and Freedom

2008-05-01T21:09:00.008+08:00

Majority of the Filipinos are still trapped in the rigors of daily survival and are unable to think beyond the next meal.

The social faultiline between the rich and the poor is steadily widening.

Today (May 1st), thousands of Filipino workers observed International Labor Day by holding march rallies and protest actions to demand for higher pay and better working conditions

__________________

Unity Declaration of the Filipino Working People on the issues of Rice and Food Crisis , Scarcity of Jobs, and Injustices. : http://www.apl.org.ph/articles/?p=214

Saying No to JPEPA !

2008-04-26T07:14:00.003+08:00

Are there at least 8 Senators who love our country?

While the nation’s focus in on the rice crisis and the escalating food prices, the Senate, according to Senator Pia Cayetano, is poised to approve the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) “despite objections.” Senators seem to be convinced, like Malacañang, that the Philippines may be left behind if the JPEPA is not approved. Japanese investments and official development agreement may be withheld from this country if the JPEPA is not approved.

Critics of JPEPA have an online campaign asking the Filipino people to convince their senators to cast their votes for the Filipino people by junking JPEPA. Only eight senators need to vote vs. JPEPA. Will there be at least 8 Senators who will show their love for our people and this land by saying no to JPEPA? For those interested to know more about why the Senators and the Filipino people should not accept the present JPEPA, please see http://www.Petition Online.com/ jpepa/petition. html.

The move of Senator Miriam Santiago to endorse the approval of JPEPA subject to conditionalities show that even the endorser herself has questions about the present JPEPA. If the treaty is not tight and totally acceptable, why approve this? What is the truth behind JPEPA?

Is the JPEPA truly beneficial for our country and our people? We have no objection to an economic partnership agreement with Japan or any country provided the provisions will truly benefit our people and our land.

Objections to the JPEPA have taken the form of the issue of toxic waste, the stringent conditions required for our Filipino nurses and caregivers, and the secrecy that accompanied the signing of the treaty by GMA that denied our people and even the Senate to deliberate on the treaty from the start.

Some less known highlights of the objections about the JPEPA posed by its critics include:

1. The NBN deal would have cost the Filipino people at least $130 million. JPEPA will cost us more: For promised and theoretical Japanese investments, we are giving up our lands, our seas, our livelihood, our laws, our farmers, our fisherfolk, our migrant workers, and our lives. Our patrimony, our sovereignty, our dignity, our people, our land, our next generation of Filipinos as well will be the price to be exchanged for JPEPA.

2. JPEPA grants national treatment to the Japanese. JPEPA allows foreign ownership of Philippine private lands in all sectors except manufacturing and services. If Japanese investors wish to engage in real estate development, agribusiness, and other similar ventures, they can now own private lands in the country. This is a crime against Filipino farmers who continue to suffer and die in the fight to own the very lands that they till. JPEPA also allows corporations with 40% Japanese capital to engage in deep-sea fishing activities together with the Philippine government via joint venture agreements, production-sharing agreements or production-sharing agreements; a crime against Filipino fishermen who barely get government support for their livelihood.

3. In Article 93 of the JPEPA, the Philippines waived its right to require Japanese investors to transfer technology to their Filipino partners. The Philippines also surrendered the right to require Japanese investors to hire a given level of Filipinos. This voluntary surrender of rights has not been done by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. The provisions contained in Article 4 and Article 27 of the JPEPA do not exist in similar EPAs with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. The Philippine negotiators also restricted the law-making powers of the Congress by indicating provisions of current laws in our reservations for future measures. Article 27 and its implementing guidelines allows importation of used four wheeled vehicles; a clear violation of Executive Order 156.

4. JPEPA is but the first in a long line of free trade and economic partnership agreements currently being negotiated by the Philippines, and it will set the stage for all future trade and investment agreements. If we cannot strategically defend our interests in this treaty, what kind of future can we promise to the Filipino people?
Will the Senators insist on ratifying JPEPA in its current form despite clear objections and clear threats to our lands, our seas, our people of this generation and the future and our freedom, our lives? Will there be at least eight Senators who will block the current form of the JPEPA for the sake of our people and our land?

By Cheery Ballescas Perspective

The Freeman, April 25, 2008

Decent Work, Decent Life

2008-04-21T20:45:00.005+08:00

Sign the Call to action for Decent Work Decent Life

click here: http://www.decentwork.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=29

Bill vs discrimination to be pushed anew

2008-04-21T10:15:00.004+08:00

Cebu Daily News
Posted date: April 19, 2008

A PARTYLIST representative seeks to revive a bill against discrimination following the traumatic experience of a gay florist who became the brunt of jokes after his surgery to remove a body spray from his rectum was circulated in YouTube and cellular phones.

Partylist Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan said there was a need to schedule the deliberation of House Bill (HB) No. 956 following the Internet videotape scandal gripping the Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Center (VSMMC).

"I called Hon. Lorenzo Tanada, head of the Committee on Human Rights, to give time to the deliberation of this Anti-Discrimination Act because I am or we in Akbayan were really saddened about what had happened in this Vicente Sotto incident," said Baraquel who was in Cebu to speak in a forum on good governance.

She said she was saddened by what happened to Danilo (not his real name), the 39-year-old florist who underwent a rectal surgery to remove the metal can of Black Suede body spray from his rectum.

The videotape of the surgery was circulated in YouTube and in cellular phones. In the videotape, VSMMC medical staffers were heard making fun at the patient who was unconscious. There were over 10 people inside the operating room, some were videotaping the procedure using their cameras and cellular phones.

Baraquel showed up during the press conference of Basak Pardo barangay captain Dave Tumulak, who was assisting Danilo in his case, to show her support to the patient.
Tumulak said the legislator promised to file a bill on Monday, seeking to conduct a congressional inquiry on the matter.

He said the inquiry, which would be conducted in aid of legislation, would seek to determine how to strengthen the laws protecting the rights of homosexuals so they would be subject to discrimination.

According to Baraquel, she filed HB 956 or Anti-Discrimination Act on July 10, 2007.
But, she said the bill, which seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, remained pending at the House Committee on Human Rights.

Under the bill, it is considered unlawful if a person will be denied access to public service, medical and health services, educational institutions and employment because of his sexual orientation.

It is unlawful to anyone who will force any person to medical and psychological examination without the consent of the person involved and to harass someone because of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Violators will face a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000 or imprisonment of from one year to six years or both at the discretion of the court.
In addition, community service in terms of human rights education to the perpetrator and exposure to the plight of the victims can be imposed at the discretion of the court. Kimberly May Villacrucis, UP Masscom Intern

Arroyo dared to revoke EO on Hanjin

2008-04-10T07:23:00.001+08:00

Arroyo dared to revoke EO on Hanjin
By Maila Ager INQUIRER.netFirst Posted 18:33:00 04/09/2008

MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was challenged on Wednesday by a militant lawmaker to revoke her executive order that gave power subsidies to a Korean company now under fire for its construction of two condominium buildings in Subic in the province of Zambales.

Arroyo signed Executive Order 701 in January 22 this year directing the National Transmission Commission (Transco) to give the controversial Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines a discount on transmission and generation charges for 10 years.

"If its claim that it is not giving special treatment to Hanjin is true, then we dare the government to remove the power subsidies given to the company," Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros said in a statement.

For the first six years, Hontiveros said, Hanjin would be given discounted generation and transmission rates of $0.0491, and this would increase to $0.0600 for the remaining four years.

"This is a hefty discount considering the power needs of an industrial firm and compared to the P5 per kilowatt hour rate imposed on Filipino consumers to cover NPC's [National Power Commission's] charge and Transco's transmission charge," she said.

Besides, Hontiveros said these power subsidies would not only be for Hanjin's shipyard in Subic but it would also cover another shipyard, which is yet to be constructed in Mindanao.

"The cost of these subsidies would eventually be imposed on Filipino consumers in the form of power rate hikes, which are oftentimes rationalized by increasing generation and transmission costs," Hontiveros said.

"The extent of concessions given to Hanjin at the expense of labor standards, environmental protection, and revenues lost due to power subsidies," she said, also showed a "government that bends backwards for foreigners but gives its own citizen's second-class treatment."

Hontiveros then urged the President to revoke the executive, saying it is not only unfair but is also costly on the part of the government.

"It's not a question of how many millions of dollars the company is investing in the country. The principle of parity and the rule of law should be applied," she said.

Olympic Torch protest London

2008-04-06T07:51:00.002+08:00

The Burma Campaign UK and the Burmese community will be highlighting China’s continued support for Burma’s brutal regime by holding a peaceful protest as the Olympic Torch comes to London on Sunday, April 6, 2008.

Why China?
China arms the regime, supplying weapons, bullets and military vehicles to the brutal army.China finances the regime , by signing deals in the oil, gas, hydro-electric and mining sectors china provides the regime with an economic lifeline.

China protects the regime by blocking UN Security Council action on Burma.

By providing economic, political and logistical support China is helping to keep the brutal generals in power in Burma.

Source: The Burma Campaign UK

All About Rice

2008-04-03T22:20:00.002+08:00

· It is the staple food of about 3 Billion people around the world

· 250 Million farmers depend on rice cultivation

· 90% of the world's rice is produced and consumed in Asia

· It has political, economic, and social significance especially in the Southeast Asian region

· The MOST IMPORTANT CROP in the SEA producing 150 Million tons of paddy annually

· Its production is associated with irrigation, use of modern varieties, and inputs of fertilizer nutrients. Thus, expansion in any of these inputs rationalizes the increase in rice production

· Philippines has the 3rd largest irrigated rice area, next to Indonesia and Vietnam

· Thailand and Vietnam remain to be the region's major rice exporters while Indonesia and the Philippines remain to be major rice importer in the region

· The Philippines is 9th in terms of rice consumption in the world next to China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and Japan

· World's top rice- exporting countries are Thailand (1), Vietnam (2), USA (3), China (4), Burma (10) and Taiwan (14)

· World's top rice- importing countries are Indonesia (1), Philippines (8), and Malaysia (9)

MAJOR PROBLEMS IN RICE PRODUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

· Poor production techniques

· Lack of irrigation

· High dependence on weather conditions

· Massive land conversion

· Small farmers are highly indebted to private money lenders and loan sharks who usually charge high interest rates because of the high costs of inputs such as fertilizers and seeds

· Urbanization

· Rice trade is controlled by private capitalists with whom farmers have debts

· Illegal rice trading practices

· Liberalization of the rice industry due to GATT- WTO- Agreements on Agriculture

(SOURCE: AFA and ASIADHRRA Issue Paper)

Photos of Tibet demonstrations, March 2008

2008-03-28T08:32:00.006+08:00

Free Tibet Campaign: http://www.freetibet.org/

pls. click here for more photos: http://www.freetibet.org/march2008.html

Beijing 2008 olympics

2008-03-24T22:52:00.003+08:00

Repression continues in China, six months before Olympic Games

When the International Olympic Committee assigned the 2008 summer Olympic Games to Beijing on 13 July 2001, the Chinese police were intensifying a crackdown on subversive elements, including Internet users and journalists. Six years later, nothing has changed. But despite the absence of any significant progress in free speech and human rights in China, the IOC’s members continue to turn a deaf ear to repeated appeals from international organisations that condemn the scale of the repression.

To continue reading, click here: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22672

The Old Churches of Cebu

2008-03-21T08:26:00.010+08:00

Cebu is not only known for its Sinulog festival and beautiful beach resorts but it also recognized for its century-old churches. These Augustinian built churches form an essential part of our national heritage. Their preservation should be ensured for the future generation.
Yesterday (Holy Thursday), Teresa and I observed the Catholic Lenten tradition of the Visita Iglesia by visiting old churches at the southeastern side of Cebu province. We went up early in the morning and drove all the way to the South. We visited the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Naga, Church of San Isidro Labrador in San Fernando, Church of Santa Catalina de Alejandria in Carcar and Church of San Miguel Arcangel in Argao.

4.2M Filipinos jobless, 10M want more work

2008-03-18T13:24:00.002+08:00

There were 4.2 million jobless Filipinos in January 2008, almost the same level as last year, according to the latest labor force survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The country's jobless rate was 7.4 percent in January 2008 compared to 7.8 percent a year ago, the NSO announced Tuesday.
However, the unemployment rate increased on a quarterly basis, from 6.3 percent recorded in October 2007.
The underemployment rate fell slightly from 21.5 percent, or 12 million Filipinos wanting more work in January 2007, to 18.9 percent or 10.8 million this year.
The NSO defines unemployed persons (15 years old and above) as those who have no job or business and are actively looking for work.
Underemployed persons are all employed persons who "express the desire to have additional hours of work" or want to "have a job with longer working hours."
Among the regions, the National Capital Region had the highest unemployment rate of 12.5 percent.
Males had higher unemployment rate of 7.8 percent compared to females at 6.7 percent.
For every ten unemployed, five (49.6%) were aged 15-24 years, while three were in the age group 25-34.
Around 39 percent of the unemployed had attained college level and 33.5 percent were high school graduates.
The NSO said a total of 33.7 million people were employed as of January 2008, which placed the employment rate at 92.6 percent.
The number of persons in the labor force in January 2008 was estimated at 36.4 million out of the estimated 57.4 million population 15 years and over. '
These numbers translated into a labor force participation rate of 63.4 percent, compared to last year's figure of 64.8 percent.
Of the estimated 33.7 million employed persons, around one-half (50.2%) were in the services sector, more than one-third (35.0%) in the agriculture sector and the rest (14.8%) were in the industry sector.
These proportions were almost the same as in January 2007 estimates at 50.5 percent for services sector, 34.7 percent for agriculture sector and 14.8 percent for industry sector.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=112436

Cardinal Vidal: Lozada not Welcome in Cebu?

2008-03-17T18:37:00.003+08:00

The recent statement by Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on Jun Lozada shows how far astray from truth and justice the shepherds of the Catholic flock have gone.

Jun Lozada is not welcome in Cebu? With due respect to the Cardinal, he does not speak for, and in behalf of, the entire Cebuano populace.

According to Cardinal Vidal, Cebuanos are intelligent enough to understand Lozada's side of the story. True, but intelligence is of the mind and discernment is of the spirit. And we, Cebuanos, are more than intelligence. Far from it, we discern (and also engage in affirmative actions) because the church, as an institution, has been strongly influencing us to form our soundest judgments and profound discernment so that we would become a collective oasis of strength to those who risk their lives in the name of TRUTH.

And for the church to remain an important institution that preaches the HIGHER TRUTH and the good news of salvation, it must be keep its fidelity to its core teachings of justice, truth and fairness.

Is it fair & just to spurn Jun Lozada, extend special invitation to a "recollection" to an administration spinmeister like Mr. Cerge Remonde and refer to it as a way of "exactly knowing the truth"? The truth and Mr. Remonde is like white and black.

The clergy recollection is not the proper forum to ferret out the truth with only government's side "clarifying" the version of truth. For the head of priests to allow "his" priestly flock to hear only one side is akin to putting blinders on them. The tragedy in this is these very same priests with blinders on have monopoly of the pulpits and, through these, churchgoers trying to find their moral anchor. We ask then, how can the blind lead the blind?

Lozada is not welcome in Cebu? Cebuanos are interested to know the truth as well. What sets us apart from the Cardinal's quest for truth is that we are not only concerned with just knowing the truth, we also need an encounter with the source of the truth. This is intelligence with discernment.

And who is making Jun Lozada a hero? If the Cardinal does not realize it, the issue at hand is already beyond Lozada. The crux of the issue now is the systemic corruption and greed that haunts this country; the flagrant decadence of moral values and the defeat of righteousness against the evils of society. And whoever risks his life in the battle against evil is necessarily a HERO; he doesn't have to be declared one nor be created by the people who are in solidarity with his noble cause.

In the face of this crisis of institutions, may our observance of the Lenten Season find deeper meaning. Lent is a time of prayer and penance as a way to focus on God's grace. This is the best time to take off our righteous robes and to come before God with a new humility, willing to confess our inadequacies. To kneel down with all humbleness before Him and strip ourselves of all pretenses and hypocrisies. By doing so, this might put us in a position to hear God in ways that we have not heard Him in a long time. In this, we may find the beginning of a healing for ourselves and for our country.

O Lord, begin with them. Here. Now.

----------------

Akbayan Citizens Action Party • Alliance of Progressive Labor • Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa • Center for Participatory Governance • Movement for the Advancement of Student Power

Southrail memo also missing

2008-03-06T11:16:00.002+08:00

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111326
Southrail memo also missing
The Philippine Star

After the disappearance of the original document signed by the government with ZTE Corp. of China, another project document has been reported missing,A Senate resolution was filed Wednesday censuring Philippine National Railways general manager Jose Ma. Sarasola II for the "loss" or withholding of a copy of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the PNR and the China National Technical Import-Export on the construction of the Southrail project.Under Resolution No. 316, Sen. Jamby Madrigal said Sarasola must be compelled to submit the documents related to the Southrail project to ferret out the truth on charges of corruption surrounding the deal.The senator said she wrote Sarasola on Feb. 13 asking for a copy of the MOA between the Philippines and China on the Southrail, to which the PNR chief replied on Feb. 14 that they were still looking for it. On Feb. 19, Madrigal said she again inquired about the MOA and said the letter of Sarasola on Feb. 14 was tantamount to a cover up as it was hard to believe such an important document could not be found.Madrigal said that on Feb. 20, Sarasola claimed they still could not find the MOA signed on April 27, 2005 and that it might have been lost.Madrigal said she could not understand how such important documents could be lost, like what happened to the original contract of the national broadband network (NBN) deal signed in Boao, China by the Philippine government and ZTE Corp. of China."They are either very mad or very bad. It’s quite stupid for them to say they lost it, they lose everything," Madrigal said.Madrigal, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manuel Roxas II have sought an investigation into the Southrail project that was also said to be overpriced like the NBN and the Northrail deals.Madrigal said she was not convinced that the Southrail agreement could not be produced because various media reports have quoted Sarasola as the source for details about the project. "To tolerate such denial by the PNR general manager is to tolerate purported corrupt acts," Madrigal said."This is another cover up. Is this the tactic of the Arroyo administration?" Madrigal added.Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said the hearing on the Southrail project would be held after the Holy Week break of the Senate.

A letter to CBCP

2008-03-05T20:22:00.002+08:00

Dear CBCP,

My name is Gary Granada and I am neither a Catholic nor a Protestant. I do not belong to a huge organization, much less represent one. At best I am a volunteer of Kaalagad, a small interfaith community. I write this letter in the hope that you might reconsider your stance regarding GMA and her government - that too.

But primarily I write out of confusion. In previous pronouncements, you deplored a “most corrupt President” which you said the Church helped install, hence urged everybody to take communal action. And then two weeks later you asked the very same President to take the lead in combating corruption.

I understand that this was the result of a process of discernment on your part as bishops. God must have spoken to you and told you to ask a most corrupt leader to rid her most corrupt government of corruption. Perhaps God forgot to consider who would benefit from your statement. Lord, do you see who is cheering?

Discernment must be a supernatural mystery, I wonder if it involves executive privilege between God and the CBCP. “Discernment” reminds me of one of Christ’s disciples. When he announced that one of them was about to betray him, the culprit himself asked, “Is it I, Lord?” Napakahirap nga i-discern ang klaro na.

As a fan of Jesus, I did a bit of discerning myself. Something tells me that the Gospel itself - the good news to the needy, the reign of hope, sufficiency, justness and goodwill – is being undermined by the very institution that owns its franchise. It has made it like tasteless salt, no longer good for anything except perhaps to be thrown out and trampled under foot by people.

Dear CBCP, two years ago you could have helped prevent a most corrupt president and her gang from continually getting away with lying, cheating, stealing and murder. But you chose to sit it out, hence instead helped save GMA and Garci. Despite the odds, the people went ahead anyway and marched. And “lost”.

Now you do the same. And again the people will march to oust GMA and her conspirators. The triumph of public good might be uncertain. They may not prevail. Just the same, the people will march anyway – in a sense trampling on the tasteless salt of hierarchical religion. You may want to join them, not as bishops, not as CBCP, but as average believers whose untrained spiritual eyes nevertheless discern God’s Will in the obvious.

____________

Gary Granada is one of the alternative Filipino artists I genuienely admire. He is an icon of the Philippine progressive music because of his nationalistic compositions. His many songs included Eroplanong Papel (my favorite), Philippines 2000, Kung ayaw mo na sa akin, Kung alam mo lang Violy, Bahay and Salamat Musika.

------------------

Gary

Bishops: Call for Arroyo ouster likely if EO 464 stays

2008-03-02T20:34:00.006+08:00

At least three members said Sunday that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) might eventually seek President Arroyo's resignation if Malacañang continues to defy the CBCP's call for the revocation of Executive Order 464.Bishops Oscar Cruz of Dagupan and Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan said that the Palace seems to be dragging its feet in heeding the call to abolish EO 464.The controversial directive orders members of the Cabinet and other officers of the government's executive branch to first ask for permission from the Palace before appearing in any congressional hearing.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=110974

2008-02-28T21:29:00.004+08:00

Interfaith Rally in Cebu

Friday, 29 February

Assembly Area: General Maxilom Avenue (fronting the former Sacred Heart Campus) at 1:00pm

March towards Fuente Osmena Rotunda at 2:00pm

Let us not be afraid to fight for the truth and justice!

photo credit: F Edralin

The CBCP Leading Us Nowhere

2008-02-28T11:45:00.003+08:00

A Statement of the Black & White Movement

THESE are times that indeed call for discernment. All our institutions are being judged by the people. The Black & White Movement recognize that the leaders of many can only move as far and as fast, as the obstinate few. Archbishops Talamayan and Capalla have prevailed on their fellow bishops to refrain from committing the hierarchy to a cause the country is embracing. But the bishops won't embrace it, yet. Rather, they have embraced what some bishops call prudence and others compare to the strategy of the ostrich when faced with a problem: to stick its head in the sand.

The bishops' pastoral exhortation disappoints us, and although they call for the administration to scrap EO 464, for executive officials to face the Senate without mental reservations or efforts at evasion, the people know better. Their diluted and muted statement has made them akin to toothless tigers, fast becoming irrelevant to the times.

Whether in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao, we are one people, who all know right from wrong, and who can tell the truth from official lies.

We know all too well, that in the fullness of time, the President will prefer lies to the truth, and embrace suppressing the truth to embracing the light. The bishops have given the President a chance.

She will find a way to betray their good faith, the way she did with their calls for a Truth Commission and to face issues squarely before Congress.The truth is our perpetual help, we said last Monday.

It is our strength and comfort even when the shepherds are fearful and leading us nowhere.

CBCP Pastoral Statement

2008-02-27T19:39:00.003+08:00

Seeking the Truth, Restoring Integrity

Beloved People of God: Greetings in the peace of the Lord!
Today in the midst of restlessness and confusion, we come to you aspastors, for that is our precise role. We do not come as politicianswhose vocation it is to order society towards the common good. Ourmessage contributes to the flourishing of a democracy which must notbe built only on political formulae.We face today a crisis of truth and the pervading cancer ofcorruption. We must seek the truth and we must restore integrity.These are moral values needing spiritual and moral insights.Therefore, we address this pastoral statement to everyone particularlyyou our beloved people and in a special way to our political rulersand officials.We are convinced that the search for truth in the midst of charges andallegations must be determined and relentless, and that the way totruth and integrity must be untrammeled, especially at the presenttime when questions about the moral ascendancy of the presentgovernment are being raised.For this reason, we strongly:

1. Condemn the continuing culture of corruption from the top to thebottom of our social and political ladder;

2. Urge the President and all the branches of government to take thelead in combating corruption wherever it is found;

3. Recommend the abolition of EO 464 so that those who might haveknowledge of any corruption in branches of government, may be free totestify before the appropriate investigating bodies;

4. Ask the President to allow her subordinates to reveal any corruptacts, particularly about the ZTE-NBN deal, without being obstructed intheir testimony no matter who is involved;

5. Appeal to our senators and the ombudsman to use their distinct anddifferent powers of inquiry into alleged corruption cases not fortheir own interests but for the common good;

6. Call on media to be a positive resource of seeking the truth andcombating corruption by objective reporting without bias andpartiality, selective and tendentious reporting of facts;

For the long term we reiterate our call for "circles of discernment"at the grassroots level, in our parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities,recognized lay organizations and movements, religious institutions,schools, seminaries and universities. It is through internalconversion into the maturity of Christ through communal and prayerfuldiscernment and action that the roots of corruption are discovered anddestroyed. We believe that such communal action will perpetuate at thegrassroots level the spirit of People Power so brilliantlydemonstrated to the world at EDSA I. It is People Power with adifference. From the grassroots will come out a culture of truth andintegrity we so deeply seek and build. We instruct our CBCPCommissions to take active role including networking for this purpose.

May the Lord bless us in this sacred undertaking to build a new kindof Philippines and may our Blessed Mother be our companion and guidein this journey to truth and integrity.

For and on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of thePhilippines:+Angel Lagdameo, D.D.Archbishop of JaroPresident, CBCPFebruary 26, 2008

People Power not DEAD

2008-02-26T08:46:00.003+08:00

Contrary to what President Arroyo and Malacañang would like people believe, People Power and the yearning for change are not dead.This was the message of the Redemptorist priest who delivered the homily at the mass for truth and accountability held to mark the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA revolt at the Baclaran Church Monday afternoon."Huwag tayong magpalinlang na ang ang People Power ay wala na katulad ng nais ipaniwala sa ating ng mga nasa kapangyarihan ... Ang pagkakabalisa, pagkabigo, ang matinding pagnanais ng pagbabago, ang paghahangad natin ng pagkakaisa ay buhay na buhay pa rin sa atin (Do not believe those in power who try to convince us that People Power is dead. Our yearning for change and unity remains very much alive),"Fr. Joey Echano said, as the crowd applauded.Echano's statement was an apparent retort to President Arroyo's statements last weekend that the world will not tolerate another EDSA revolt, after embracing EDSA 1 and tolerating EDSA 2.He said that while rallies and protests have not been as loud as before, people are merely looking for a new form of communal action.The people, he added, are merely looking for a new rallying symbol. Besides, he said communal action should not be based on the dictates of politicians."Hindi patay ang people power. Ito ay sisibol sa darating na panahon na may malakas na kapangyarihan at mas mayamang kahulungan (People power is certainly not dead. It will surface again, in a more powerful and more meaningful manner)," he said. Excerpts of his homily were aired on Church-run Radio Veritas.Echano also scored the government for allowing greed and corruption to rule. Radio dzRH reported that he likened graft to "tooth decay" in the government.On the other hand, he said it is not enough for people to stay at the sidelines, reminding them of a passage in the "Divine Comedy" that the hottest flames in hell are reserved for those who choose to do nothing."Ang People Power ay di natatapos sa pagtanggal sa luklukan ng mga may kapangyarihan at wala nang moralidad na umupo ... Ang People Power ay pagbabago ng buong sistema sa ating lipunan at ng ating sarili ...Tama na, sobra na, kumilos na (People power does not end with removing a leader and letting just anyone take his place. People power is changing the system and our society and ourselves ... We must say enough, too much, let us act)!" he said.Among those who attended the mass were ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., former President Corazon Aquino, Georgina de Venecia, Fernando Poe Jr.'s daughter Grace Llamanzares, Reps. Darlene Custodio, Roilo Golez and Liza Maza, Sen. Benigno Aquino III, Armida Siguion-Reyna and Rez Cortez.- GMANews.TV

An Open Letter to our Church Leaders

2008-02-22T21:14:00.001+08:00

To Our Dear Churchleaders

WHAT DO SOME OF OUR CHURCH LEADERS DO WHEN A PRESIDENT AND HER CABINET CONSPIRE AGAINST THE CITIZENS?

They tell the people what the people already know:
*They talk about the moral fabric of society being assailed.
*They urge everybody to be vigilant and to seek the truth.
*They say the government reeks of corruption and opportunism.
*They suggest it is time for a concerted and collective action.
*They recite the mantras of "order", "constitution" and
"Democracy".
Yes, for the most part, some of our church leaders are inclined to tell the people what the people already know.

How do the people know, certainly not primarily by reading books or listening to sermons or lectures. The people know because they have eyes and ears that see and hear beyond the legalese and technicalities of court hearings. They know because God has endowed them with the magnificent gift of discernment. The religious calls it the Sensus Fidelium, the voice of the Spirit within them; the people simply call it obvious

Christ precisely became one of us - to make the Will of God obvious to the faithful. "Whoever believes in me, believes not only in me but also in him who sent me. Whoever sees me, also sees him who sent me. I have come into the world that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness…Yes, because I have not spoken on my own but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak." (Jn.12: 44-49)

Christ dwells in his people. And He makes known God's Will to the people who believe and accept his Word. And when he wants to make known the Father's will to the world, he speaks also through the people, as indeed we all understand by the phrase Vox Populi, Vox Dei. This is not to deny the authority and mandate of our church leaders to proclaim the Will of God to the people. Rather, it is to stress that since God speaks also through the people, our church leaders likewise have a similar duty to listen to God in his people.

The words from the musical 'Les Miserables' expresses this in a most poignant way:

Do you hear the people sing, Singing a song of angry men?It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drumsThere is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?Beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see?Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free!

And the Scriptures are even more urgent and more challenging:

"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?"
Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!
"You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes."
Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!
"Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD. [Haggai 1:4-8]

We discern at least three basic questions that might concern our church leaders, as they concern all believers in these most difficult and critical times:
· How courageously and faithfully are you hearing to the Will of God in his people?
· Where/how do you see yourselves in relation to the 'barricade' that has for so long denied our people a life of peace, freedom and dignity.
· What more are you willing to offer/give up so that the God's Will might be heard faithfully and proclaimed fully?

In concrete, we understand this to mean for our church leaders not to be content with the good things they are already doing in service to our people; But rather to become more active and committed towards being part of the people's present challenge:
Rebuild the nation!
Replace the corrupt usurper and her cabinet!
Install a transitional council of leaders!
Elect a new leadership through a snap election!
Establish a working democracy!

KAALAGAD Katipunang Kristiyano / February 20, 2008

A Call to OFWs: Make a Stand for our Country's Future

2008-02-21T08:31:00.009+08:00

Senator Kiko Pangilinan's call for Overseas Filipino Workers to make a stand for our country's future is very commendable. He urged OFWs to contribute for the sanctuary fund aimed at helping whistle-blowers (like Jun Lozada) on government's anomalous deals. The fund is set up by the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP). I hope our OFWs will support this very timely initiative. All of us have a moral obligation to save our country from this abusive and corrupt government. The time to make a stand is NOW.

--------------------------------------------------

Pangilinan urges OFWs: Donate money for whistle blowers

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080220-120148/Pangilinan-urges-OFWs-Donate-money-for-whistle-blowers

MANILA, Philippines -- Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan on Wednesday urged overseas Filipino workers to donate money to the “sanctuary fund” set up by church people to finance the legal needs of whistle-blowers on government corruption activities.
Pangilinan said the appeal is especially “for those who believe in the CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) call for communal action and so that we are not mere spectators but are active participants in the search for the truth.”
He said that only on its sixth day, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines' Sanctuary Fund to support witnesses like Rodolfo Noel Lozada has now reached P693,372.50.
Quoting former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri, Lozada himself said labor migration has become the “escape valve” that has kept the Philippine society from imploding due to the numerous government anomalies.
The fund was set up at the senator's suggestion during a hearing on the cancelled $329-million contract wherein Lozada admitted to his own responsibility in possibly anomalous government deals.
He said the fund should help whistle-blowers defend themselves in case they are charged in court because of their exposes.
Pangilinan said check donations may be sent to AMRSP Special Funds at 28 Acacia Street, Quezon City, with telephone numbers 724-4434 or deposited directly to MBTC Account No. 3259-07445-3. He said the point person is Sister Estrella Castalone FMA.
“Make a stand for our nation's future,” he said.

Conservatives Now Control CBCP

2008-02-20T17:48:00.006+08:00

This article written by Aries Rufo, which first came out on Newsbreak Online on October 29, 2007, was written to put into context why the Catholic Church has refused to join calls for President Arroyo to resign. It explains the dynamics that surround the membership of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). We are republishing this in the light of calls for the president to resign and separate public statements made by Catholic Archbishops concerning the matter. Read more: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=109727

A government that has betrayed its people

2008-02-19T18:13:00.004+08:00

In a democracy, the government is mandated by law to protect its citizens and promote their wellbeing. When this same government kidnaps, maligns, threatens its own citizens and, worst of all, blatantly engages in massive corruption at all levels of the bureaucracy, it loses its right to demand the allegiance of its citizens.
Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.’s exposé of the fraudulent national broadband network (NBN) deal shows that corruption in this government has crept into the highest echelons of government. The Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, through its sycophants in the Senate, such as Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Juan Ponce Enrile and Joker Arroyo, tried vainly to destroy Lozada’s credibility. As veteran trial lawyers, they should have known that an honest witness is the most difficult witness to break.
The last persons on this planet who would qualify to pontificate about morality and credibility are Senators Santiago and Enrile. Senator Arroyo is a difficult case to explain. But a political theorist said that power oftentimes addles the brain and weakens the character of most mortals.
The Arroyo administration is like the Mafia or a criminal syndicate. Instead of using the law to promote justice and the truth, it wields the “rule of law” as an instrument of oppression and terror. Thomas Jefferson once wrote that when a government betrays its own people, it must be toppled from its arrogant perch.

RICARDO M. MAGTIBAY - Letter to the Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Update on Akbayan's Ombudsman Complaint against Abalos

2008-02-19T01:01:00.003+08:00

Complaint was filed on 9 October 2007, with Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, representing Akbayan as the principal complainant. Benjamin Abalos was named sole respondent. Complaint cited violation of various graft laws including RA 3019, RA 6713, and Articles 211 and 212 of the Revised Penal Code. A copy of the Complaint and its attachments can be downloaded from http://www.akbayan.org/

Ombudsman took no action on the Complaint for over four months, in clear violation of Rule 112, section 3 of the Rules of Court, which requires that within ten days from filing, it should either dismiss the case or require the respondent to file a counter-affidavit.

Last week, the Ombudsman announced in the media that it would be holding a public hearing today, 18 February 2008, on the various complaints filed in relation to the ZTE-NBN scandal. Despite not having received any formal notice of hearing from the Ombudsman, Akbayan decided to attend and raise issues regarding the conduct of the Ombudsman investigation such as – the prior call on Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to inhibit herself from the investigation in view of her self-admitted closeness to First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, the reason for the delay in Ombudsman action which clearly violated its own rules of procedure, and the timing of the public hearing.

At today’s hearing, Ombudsman Gutierrez immediately announced that she was voluntarily inhibiting herself from the case, preempting any objections that we would have raised against her participation. The hearing was then conducted by a panel of senior Ombudsman investigators.

During the hearing itself, we raised questions regarding the delay of four months, but instead of being a clear answer, were given vague references to a supposed investigation the Ombudsman had been conducting. No explanation whatsoever was offered to explain why it violated its own rules of procedure. When asked if they would release the results of the alleged investigation, the panel replied in the negative, saying that these were “confidential.”

Questions from other complainants likewise revealed that despite the four month “investigation,” the Ombudsman had not even succeeded in securing basic documents such as the official transcript of the ZTE hearings in the Senate.

For all the fanfare surrounding today’s hearing, all that was really done was for the complainants, including Risa, to “reaffirm” their complaints under oath and for copies to be served (finally) on the respondents. From all indications, it appears to have been a “show” hearing intended principally to show the public that the Ombudsman is in fact doing something to address the ZTE issue.

Some observers have opined that the Ombudsman hearings are actually intended to be used as a justification for discontinuing the Senate inquiry, or at the very least, as a legal excuse for government officials to avoid giving testimony before the Senate.

Respondents have been given ten days, or up to February 28, to file their counter-affidavits. Next hearing at the Ombudsman is scheduled for 4 March 2008.

By Atty. Barry Gutierrez, Akbayan Counsel

Letter from Geneva

2008-02-18T07:37:00.006+08:00

My longtime friend and Bisig colleague Tos Anonuevo who is now based in Geneva sent me a letter expressing the collective stand of the Filipino community in Switzerland against the impunity in corruption under the present government. Tos who is a convenor of the Geneva Forum for Philippine Concerns informed me that their group organized a "communal action and prayer" in Geneva. The group exhorts migrant groups and OFWs to make their voices heard in the Philippines and around the world by writing letters to embassies and consultates and holding dialogue.

__________________

Geneva Forum for Philippine Concerns, Swtizerland, Feb. 16, 2008

When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed the business community last week and committed to end "the legacy of corruption", she put herself into the proverbial problem of finger pointing: three of her other fingers are pointing at herself.This height of hypocrisy is one of the many instances that GMA has totally ignored the morality of good governance. She does not have to look back in history or look at other institutions to tell the Filipino people about corruption. She just has to look in her presidency, her bedroom, and in her family dining table to see what corruption personified is.She has built a legacy of corruption and scandals that some dictators in other countries would pale in comparison. The list of tainted projects just goes on and on - the NBN-ZTE Project, South Rail and North Rail Project, Transco bidding etc. simply show the impunity in corruption of this government. The distribution of dole-outs in the palace ground is another blatant example of cooptation and bribery. Her family keeps coming up in controversies like in the Jose Pidal account and recently in the revelation of former Speaker De Venecia that the 2 presidential sons actually control the pork barrel in Congress. The Arroyo family has even gone mafia-style as the kidnapping of the new NBN-ZTE witness by police and military personnel provides a chilling reminder of the hundreds of unsolved political killings in the country under her very own presidency.Her presidency has therefore even become a confederacy of dunces – a cabal of bungling public officials who want to be addressed as ‘honorable’. The former presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor offered 50,000 pesos to Lozada, after telling him to deny that he was kidnapped and that he knows nothing on the NBN deal. His planned “denial press conference” was even the last straw that emboldened Lozada to become a Senate witness. When Lozada finally revealed the truth about the ZTE-NBN under oath, her chief legal counsel can only deliver a racial slur as a reaction. The rebuke of the Supreme Court on the government’s order to prevent the airing of the Hello Garci tapes again shows the idiocy of the administration.As GMA builds her legacy of corruption, she was also busy destroying our democratic institutions and freedoms. Her family’s control of the Congress, the bootlicking loyalty of local officials and military-police establishment, and the impunity in political killings and torture add to the many reasons why we should act now. Enough is enough! The Geneva Forum for Philippine Concerns (GFPC) joins in solidarity with the collective actions of civil society groups, the church and religious groups, the business community and other political forces to oust this bankrupt Arroyo regime. And as we were participants in the events of 1986 and 2001 that kicked-out the 2 most corrupt heads of state, we continue to be committed to take action in dismantling the unfortunate result of EDSA 2 – contributing a 3rd president to the top 10 corrupt list of Transparency International. We urge the migrant groups around the world to collectively discuss the immorality and gangsterism of the Arroyo administration. Let us make our voices heard in the Philippines and around the world that we are clamoring and acting for change. Let us inform the various embassies and consulates of our outrage through letters, dialogue or picketing.Finally, we call on the Filipino community in Switzerland to stand up and be counted in the people's movement to push for the resignation of GMA.

The Days of Apathy and Indifference are Over

2008-02-16T08:19:00.005+08:00

A Joint Statement by Akbayan-Cebu, Bisig, Center for Participatory Governance (Cpag) , Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors (Forge), National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (Nuwhrain), Akbayan-Youth, Movement for the Advancement of Student Power (Masp), Makalaya, APL-Women.

We pay tribute to Mr. Jun Lozada and his family for their bravery and selfless sacrifice in telling the truth about the anomalous ZTE-NBN deal.
The symbol of Filipino integrity and valor is not carried by high officials in government, certainly not those in Malacañang, but by ordinary citizens like Lozada.
The expose of Mr. Lozada directs accountability at the doorstep of Malacanang.
People closed to Mrs. Arroyo are responsible over the bribery scandal in the ZTE contract, and by law and morals, they should be held accountable.
These allegations of corruption and bribery should not be buried and forgotten.
We need to hold high officials accountable for an anomaly that could have cost the country billions of public funds.
This is the only acceptable closure to this controversy.
We call on the people to be vigilant in exacting transparency and accountability from our public leaders.
The days of apathy and indifference are over.
The time to make a stand is NOW.
We should be steadfast and unforgiving against any form of government maneuverings that would subvert the truth.
We should not be afraid to fight for truth and justice.

Quest for Justice and Truth

2008-02-15T08:13:00.003+08:00

Prayer Gathering in quest for truth and justice

Date: Friday, Feb. 15

Time: 430pm

Venue: Fuente O. Rotunda, Cebu City

Lihok na!

Ibon Survey

2008-02-14T19:39:00.002+08:00

77% of Filipinos want Arroyo to resign’--Ibon survey

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080214-118882/77-of-Filipinos-want-Arroyo-to-resign--Ibon-survey

Seventy-seven percent of Filipinos believe President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should resign over allegations of corruption, according to a survey by the Ibon Foundation.
Of 1,503 respondents asked by the think tank from January 7 to 14 if Arroyo should step down because of "widespread corruption under her regime," 77.41 percent said "yes," only 12.89 percent said "no."
Asked if they were aware of calls from various sectors for Arroyo to step down, 75.38 said "yes," while 24.62 percent said "no," Ibon said in a statement.
The margin of error for the survey was plus or minus three percent.
Last week, former government consultant Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. said the scrapped $329-million contract awarded to China's ZTE Corp. for the national broadband network (NBN) project was overpriced.
Lozada added that former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo pushed for the deal with ZTE.
Arroyo scrapped the contract last year after allegations of overpricing and bribery.

MBC: A Call for Accountability and the Pursuit of Truth

2008-02-13T21:58:00.003+08:00

As a forum, the MBC is dedicated to addressing economic and social policy issues which affect the development of the Philippines. The main thrust of the MBC is to foster and promote the role of the private business sector in national development efforts, both in the planning and the implementation of policy.

A Call for Accountability and the Pursuit of Truth

We salute Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. for overcoming his personal fear of the consequences of revealing what he knows about the scandal-ridden National Broadband Network project. He claims that his life was threatened, that he was enticed with assurances of his personal safety and promises of other considerations, and that he was abducted by persons belonging to the state security apparatus.We salute Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. for overcoming his personal fear of the consequences of revealing what he knows about the scandal-ridden National Broadband Network project. He claims that his life was threatened, that he was enticed with assurances of his personal safety and promises of other considerations, and that he was abducted by persons belonging to the state security apparatus. Mr. Lozada chose to walk away from the “dark side”—the lies and cover-up regarding the NBN project being peddled by persons connected to this Administration.
If he had been a lesser person, he could have continued to acquiesce and cower in the dark. But having come into the light, he has become a credible witness to the truth. Now that he is being unjustly maligned by government officials and by senators identified with the Administration in their continuing effort to suppress the truth, we express our support for Mr. Lozada and let him know, “Hindi ka nag-iisa!”
We call on DENR Secretary Joselito Atienza and CHED Chairman Romulo Neri to save themselves from further shame by resigning from their positions in government for their respective roles in the attempt to prevent Mr. Lozada from testifying on the ZTE deal at the Senate. Their protection at any cost of the interests of those in power render them unworthy of the people’s trust.
We support the Senate’s continued pursuit of the truth behind the NBN project. We must see to it that those who are revealed to have broken the law, no matter how high up, must be made to account for their transgressions. The long-term political stability and economic prosperity of our country will only be possible if we have leaders with integrity, and institutions that protect and uphold the public trust.
As business people, we cannot console ourselves in the strength of the peso and the mirage of inequitable growth. These are ephemeral gains that have not translated into a better life for most Filipinos. What is being compromised is the moral fabric of our society. It is not a question of guilt; instead, it is a matter of good old-fashioned delicadeza and personal morality.
We call on all Filipinos to proclaim,
“Tama na ang kasinungalingan! Sobra na ang kasakiman! Manindigan na, Bayan!

ZTE Controversy

2008-02-12T19:59:00.000+08:00

The confession made by Jun Lozada before the Senate may save people from being hostage to scandalous and shady government deals. Here's a statement from AKBAYAN exhorting former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri to speak out the truth on the questionable national broadband network deal under the Arroyo regime.

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AKBAYAN to Neri: Do a Lozada and tell all

Saying that it's never to late to tell the truth, AKBAYAN Party today urged former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri to do a Lozada and divulge the entire truth behind the onerous NBN deal.

"This is no longer about respecting privilege information between the President and her cabinet members. This is already about heeding one's conscience and standing up for truth," AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros said. "One does not need a Supreme Court ruling to have the courage to stand up for what is right. Lozada has shown what integrity and honor really mean, and we hope that Neri would follow suit."
She added that Lozada's bravery should inspire Neri to tell all. "The truth trumps executive privilege. By revealing the truth about the involvement of FG Mike Arroyo and the President herself in the NBN deal, Neri would be remembered as the man who bravely stood against a government of thieves," she added.

The group warned Neri against being too comfortable with the people he keeps. "Taking part in a deceitful act is tenuous. The Arroyo family must be aware by now that fraud begets fraud, and lying in the end becomes burdensome. It does not go away and one cannot run away from the troubles that each act of fraud spawns. But it is not yet late for Sec. Neri to put an end to this web of lies and lay down every detail that he knows about the NBN deal," Hontiveros said.

The group held a picket outside the Senate to call on the nation to stop corruption once and for all. Carrying images of Sec. Neri, then COMELEC Chair Ben Abalos, and PNP Chief Razon with elongated nose, AKBAYAN said that Neri would be part of the Pinocchio Hall of Shame if he continues to refuse to speak on the deal.

"To lie in order to protect another liar is the basest form of fraud. It is not only a question of morality, but an act of degradation and submission. His refusal to speak dehumanizes him," AKBAYAN said.

CBCP Statement re: Lozada Expose

2008-02-11T08:04:00.000+08:00

In light of the Senate hearings on the irregularities of the NBN-ZTE project linking First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and other government officials in the anomalies, the CBCP President and Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo has issued a statement in support of Rodolfo Lozada. Today, February 11, the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) and Mission Partners are joining hands with other faith based groups for a day of prayer in support of Lozada.

The Truth will set our Country Free

By ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO Archbishop of Jaro, CBCP President February 10, 2008

IT was courageous but damaging for two officials of government, former Speaker Jose de Venecia and Mr. Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, to expose questionable government deals in millions of dollars including scandalous and immoral kickbacks. It was courageous to come out in the open to “publicly confess” the high level of graft and corruption that they knew all along and “somehow” have been involved in. But it was also damaging to their political career as well as to significant others who are in high governance. Damaging also because they opened themselves to further scrutiny and inquiry. Truth hurts. Truth liberates. But the truth must be served. The truth will set our country free (cf. John 8/32)
Their public confession may be considered a providential event that may yet save our country from being hostage to scandalous and shady government deals that offend the common good and serve only personal, family and group interests. In our last CBCP Statement, the Bishops strongly lamented the absence of social conscience today. This is the root cause of our systemic graft and corruption.
We lament in this season of Lent not only that we are sinners but also that our country has too long been captive to the corruption of people in governance. “We have to confess that corruption is in truth our greatest shame as a people.” The call for a moral revolution has deep implication. The CRUSADE FOR TRUTH being initiated by the Religious like the AMRSP, Civil Groups and Clergy is encouraging, and must be supported by all truth-loving and freedom-loving citizens. Only the truth, not lies and deceits, will set our country free. This truth challenges us now to communal action.
We encourage the “Watch and Pray” activity that will be initiated by the Parish Pastoral Councils for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV). We can also call it PPC for Responsible Citizenship. The flame of “social consciousness and common good” must be kept alive. We suggest the prayer used by the Magnificat Movement, the MAGNIFICAT of Our Lady in Luke 1, 46-55 a prayer for social transformation.
As we said in our last CBCP Statement “let us pray together, reason together, decide together, act together” “towards a more vigorous work for good governance and a more active promotion of responsible citizenship in our society in the light of the Gospel and the Social Teachings of the Church.”

Profile: Noel Lozada, Jr?

2008-02-10T21:30:00.000+08:00

Rodolfo Noel I. Lozada, Jr., 45, CEO of the Philippine Forest Corporation, surfaced at the La Salle Greenhills campus early morning today and implicated former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos Sr and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in the anomalous ZTE deal.Lozada is an electronics and communications engineer and former chief executive officer of the Philippine Forest Corporation who served as a technical consultant to former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri on the national broadband project.News reports last month referred to him as a 'secret witness' in the Senate inquiry on the ZTE deal exposed by Jose de Venecia III last year.Lozada left the country hours before a January 30 Senate hearing he was supposed to attend. This prompted the senators to issue a warrant of arrest against him. As soon as he returned to the country, the Senate was not able to get him as he was taken away by suspected presidential guards. In a petition seeking his release filed before the Supreme Court, his wife Violeta said he was taken into police custody against his will.A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, he has a 20-year experience in executive and management positions in the private sector.Lozada assumed the post of president and CEO of PhilForest, a corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in 2004. He directed the government's program for the propagation and commercial cultivation of tuba-tuba or jatropha plant, a source of biodiesel.Lozada hails from Ligao City in Albay. He is a fan of the national hero, Jose Rizal. He loves to read books, and his favorite is "The End of History and the Last Man" by Francis Fukuyama.He is also a golfer, and plays in Wack-Wack at least once a week.

Sources: GMANews.tv, Philippine Graphic, Newsbreak

Controversial Mike

2008-02-08T10:01:00.000+08:00

Anomalies and controversies linked to First Gentleman 'Mike' Arroyo
Source: GMA News Research

Rodolfo Noel I. Lozada Jr.'s statement linking First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to the ZTE deal is just one of several controversies that have hounded the President's husband.

Alleged P50-million payola for telecoms franchise bills

In July 2001, Veronica "Bing" Rodrigo, former correspondence secretary and friend of President Arroyo, alleged that the First Gentleman received a P50-million bribe for the President to recall her veto of the franchise bills of the Philippine Communication Clearinghouse and APC Wireless Interface Network. Rodrigo retracted her accusations a few days later.

Alleged use of PCSO funds as campaign funds

In October 2001, Robert Rivero, axed consultant of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, alleged that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo used PCSO funds in the campaign of certain senatorial candidates and to bribe the media. He claimed that FG Arroyo paid P20.5 million to Bombo Radyo and Radio Mindanao Network; the PCSO and lotto draw announcements did not air in these stations, although some commentators aired pro-administration commentaries. The PCSO publicity department denied Rivero's accusations.

Designation as OFW envoy

In December 2002, President Arroyo designated Mike Arroyo as an OFW envoy so he could represent her in the countries she could not visit. However, critics assailed Arroyo's announcement when they learned that his activities as OFW envoy could be funded by a proposed overseas workers legal assistance fund. They feared that the Arroyo couple would use the funds for her 2004 campaign.

While the President did not recall her husband's designation, the first gentleman voluntarily resigned.

Jose Pidal expose

Sen. Panfilo Lacson's Jose Pidal expose in 2003 further cast First Gentleman Arroyo in bad light. Lacson accused First Gentleman Arroyo of maintaining secret bank accounts to launder money from campaign contributions for the 1998 vice presidential bid of Gloria Arroyo.

First Gentleman Arroyo denied the allegations. His brother, Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo took up the cudgels for him and claimed to be "Jose Pidal" before clamming up and invoking his "right to privacy" during a Senate investigation.

Friend's involvement in importation of rotten rice

Indian trader Kishore Hemlani, allegedly a close friend of First Gentleman Arroyo, also figured that year in a contract involving the importation of 600,000 metric tons of rotten rice worth P9.5 million from India.

Stay in an expensive Las Vegas suite

In 2005, First Gentleman Arroyo drew criticism for staying in a $20,000-a-night MGM Grand Villa in Las Vegas, Nevada, during a Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales boxing match. Arroyo’s camp said the accommodation was complimentary and not paid for by public funds.

Alleged receipt of jueteng payola

In the same year, witnesses at the Senate hearings on jueteng claimed that First Gentleman Arroyo received protection money for the illegal numbers game. The First Gentleman denied the allegations and left the country momentarily to help "remove distractions and doubts from people’s minds" on President Arroyo's ability to run the government. The Palace, then embattled with both the jueteng and "Hello Garci" controversies, dismissed the accusations against the First Gentleman as mere concoctions by those who wanted to oust the President.

Friend's involvement in fertilizer fund scam

In 2006, the Senate wrapped up a series of hearings on the fertilizer fund scam and concluded that First Gentleman Arroyo's close friend and fellow Makati Rotarian Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante diverted agricultural funds to the 2004 electoral campaign of President Arroyo.

Alleged existence of multi-million dollar German bank account

Later that year, then opposition Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that a member of the Arroyo family maintained a bank account in Germany amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. First Gentleman Arroyo flew to Germany and secured a certification from the bank to disprove Cayetano's claims. Upon his return, sought Cayetano's expulsion from Congress.

ZTE Controversy

2008-02-07T08:48:00.000+08:00

Official Kidnapping

Rodolfo Lozada Jr., a potential witness in the Senate’s continuing investigation into the ZTE controversy, and the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Senate, was met by airport officials and police officers as soon as he got off the plane Tuesday -- and then vanished.
As of the time of writing, Lozada remains virtually incommunicado, in a still unidentified location. He is, apparently, in police custody -- at least that is what Director General Avelino Razon of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.
But Razon has issued misleading statements before, even deliberately; his belated announcement that Lozada, the president of a government corporation with alleged insider knowledge about corruption in ZTE Corp.’s contract to build a national broadband network, was actually in police custody all this time raises legal and moral issues. They can be summed up in one question: Can the police, under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, do whatever it wants?
Consider the following facts that have come to light:
Lozada left the airport in highly unusual circumstances; after he was met right at the airplane door, he did not pass through the immigration or customs counters. This allowed him (and those escorting him) to evade the Senate officials waiting at the airport to arrest him. Is it now the PNP’s responsibility, under Razon, to keep Senate witnesses away from the Senate and its agents?
When Lozada left the airport terminal, he sent a text message to his brother, saying he had been abducted. Razon said Lozada was under the custody of the Police Security and Protection Office, the unit that handles VIP security. Is it now the PNP’s responsibility, under Razon, to detain VIPs against their will?
Lozada’s sister said she saw him hours after he arrived, looking thin and haggard; well, she is reported to have said he’s still alive. She said she could not say, however, where Lozada was being held. Is it now the PNP’s responsibility, under Razon, to coerce visitors into an ominous silence?
Razon waited an inordinate amount of time before declaring that the potential witness -- cited for contempt by the Senate when he unexpectedly left the country -- was in police custody. Is it now the PNP’s responsibility, under Razon, to detain people in secret?
As of the time of writing, Lozada remains out of sight, and separated from his own immediate family. Razon said Lozada had not been kidnapped, because he or his family had in fact requested police protection. But Lozada’s worried wife filed a writ for habeas corpus with the Supreme Court yesterday, to compel the police to present Lozada. If the alleged letter of request is genuine, it is exceedingly curious that Lozada’s wife knew nothing about it. Is it now the PNP’s responsibility, under Razon, to lie, brazenly, to the public it is supposed to serve?
The truth is Razon and certain trusted officers in the PNP are doing Malacañang’s dirty job -- and they know it. Lozada, a close friend of former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri, has inside information about the ZTE deal. He left the country because he was not ready to testify before the Senate; now that he has come back, the Arroyo administration wants him either to keep silent, or to sing a different tune.
It is not as if this is the first time we’ve seen the Arroyo administration’s unique Witness Protection Program at work. As in the cases of whistleblowers Udong Mahusay and Vidal Doble Jr., the administration’s special operations department enabled potentially hostile witnesses to recant potentially damaging testimony.
Razon’s blithe statement, that the police were ready to present Lozada if the Senate asked for him, is an outrage. Of course, the Senate wants him. That is what his arrest warrant is for: to compel him to testify. And that is exactly why the Senate sergeant-at-arms went to the PNP headquarters, to the very unit Razon identified as holding Lozada in custody.
Is it any surprise that Lozada wasn’t there? This is how a police state is born: First they detain us, and then they make us disappear.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20080206-117234/Official-kidnapping

Philippine politics

2008-02-04T14:18:00.000+08:00

Many of us are sick and tired of traditional politics in this country. The urgent task now is to create a critical mass to advance a genuiene alternative to mainstream politics and challenge the worsts (Arroyos, Erap, JDV, Nograles) of old politics. We cannot afford to wait for another 10-20 years to witness and be part of a truly democratic political society. Here's an article written by UP Prof. Randy David reminding us that advocating for new politics and changing the current political set up is no easy task. But there is hope…
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Thoughts on new politics

Akbayan, one of the first left-leaning groups to take up the challenge of electoral politics through the party-list mechanism, held a forum last week to mark the 10th year of its founding. I was one of the invited speakers. A restrained and reflective mood pervaded the occasion.
On its very first electoral bid, the group won a seat in Congress, doubling this in 2001, and attaining the maximum of three seats in 2004. The elections of 2007 brought Akbayan face-to-face with the harsh realities of traditional politics. The votes it raised were enough to send only one nominee to the House of Representatives. This outcome has provoked a lot of soul-searching within the party. In particular it has raised the question of whether it is at all possible for a modern ideological party to win anything in a traditional political system without giving up most of its own self-imposed standards.
At this gathering of comrades, many of whom had cut their teeth in politics as student activists and as mass movement militants, I thought it relevant to address the dilemmas of new politics in a transitional society. I want to share portions of what I said.
The paradox of new politics is that, in theory, it is perhaps the only type of politics that can offer a nation any hope of survival in a complex world. And yet, at the same time, in transitional societies like ours, its practice seems to offer little promise or meaning unless it bows to the norms of traditional politics.
Traditional politics aims to preserve the existing order of society -- its inherited hierarchies and inviolate norms. Its methods are well-known -- the fostering of dependence and patronage through the exploitation of customary values, like “utang na loob” [debt of gratitude], paternalistic rule that combines benevolence with calibrated intimidation, the obsession with consensus and disdain for free debate, the unaccountable disposition of public wealth, and the unchecked exercise of public power.
In contrast, new politics aims to reform institutions and revise existing routines and procedures in accordance with the pressures for change already manifest in society, careful not to embark on comprehensive programs of transformation that cannot be sustained by existing objective conditions. Its thrust is more evolutionary than revolutionary, more to strengthen the foundations on which to build the new than to invent something completely new. Its immediate objective is to end mass poverty and political illiteracy as a condition for the progressive democratization and modernization of society. Its favored instruments are: the formation of self-sustaining electoral parties with clear ideologies and programs, mass mobilizations centering on clear-minded advocacies, and community organizing for popular empowerment.
In transitional societies like ours, the problem has always been how to build something different on what exists, while avoiding assimilation by conservative forces. The temptation to make peace with the old order is very strong because of the advantages and resources offered by the latter. At the same time, the romantic promise of revolutionary politics lurks like a dream and refuses to go away. Here lies the paradox of new politics.
New politics finds itself struggling to survive in a political system that has its own code of acceptable behavior, its own mode of legitimation, its own procedures for using power -- all of which are rooted in the structural principles of the society in which it is embedded. Traditional politics thrives in highly stratified societies where political roles are woven into networks of patron-client relations.
The good news is that societies undergoing the wrenching transition to modernity are witnessing the erosion of the social base of these old hierarchies. The bad news is that this does not always lead to democratization. In many instances, it only paves the way for new forces sliding into the same patronage roles vacated by the old elite. For example, the exit of landed families from the political stage has not paved the way for the entry of professional politicians reared by modern political parties. It has only created space for moneyed individuals thrust into power by a gambling or drug economy, or popular celebrities projected by the mass media.
The dilemmas I refer to here can be seen in the practical day-to-day problems faced by individuals who have taken upon themselves the role of new politicians and have actually won public positions. People like Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela province come to mind. The case of Fr. Eddie Panlilio, the Catholic priest who has won as governor of Pampanga province, is particularly worth studying. Much can be learned from the circumstances that brought them to power, and the realities they have had to deal with once they assumed power.
We cannot change politics without basic organizing. To politically organize does not mean just being able to herd people for mass actions or electoral campaigns. It means, above all, providing them with the skills necessary for modern politics -- i.e., to be able to manage community meetings, to be able to speak intelligently about issues, make decisions, raise funds, and draw systematic plans and programs. In short, everything that has to do with the formation of accountable leaders suitable to a modern democracy. Max Weber’s words speak to us urgently: “Only the orderly guidance of the masses by responsible politicians can break the irregular rule of the street and the leadership of demagogues of the moment.”

ALTSEAN Burma Bulletin

2008-02-02T21:58:00.000+08:00

Allow me to share with you the January 2008 issue of ALTSEAN Burma Bulletin.

The Burma Bulletin is a short month in review of events in Burma, particularly those of interest to the democracy movement and human rights activists. In the January 2008 issue you will find:

* Daw Suu slams SPDC

* Persecution of NLD intensifies

* Child mortality rate worse than Sudan

* Bombs in Burma

* SPDC in international spotlight

* Food shortages

* Other Burma news

* List of Reports

* Much more...

Click here to view the Bulletin online http://www.altsean.org/Reports/Burma%20Bulletin/BBJanuary08.php

Burma Update

2008-01-28T14:47:00.000+08:00

Burma dissident arrests 'ongoing'

Amnesty International has said Burma's military government have detained 96 pro-democracy activists since November, when it promised to stop such arrests.
The human-rights group said many had been trying to gather evidence of the suppression of last year's protests, in which at least 31 people were killed.
At least 1,850 activists are currently being detained, including 700 who were arrested after the protests, it added.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7209419.stm

ILO Report on Unemployment

2008-01-24T11:23:00.000+08:00

GLOBAL UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO GROW IN 2008

More people will be out of work in 2008 as a result of global economic cooling, and any major slowdown could cause disruption and further hike unemployment, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In the wake of heavy losses in world stock markets, and amid growing fears of worldwide recession, the world unemployment rate would climb to 6.1 percent this year from 6.0 percent in 2007. US. Billionaire investor George Soros calls this global crisis the worst in 60 years!

Read the ILO press release here:

http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_090085/index.htm

Pakistan Collapsing under Musharaf, He has to go

2008-01-22T10:10:00.000+08:00

By: Farooq Tariq, Spokesperson, Labour Party Pakistan

Pakistan is on fast rout of collapsing under Musharaf dictatorship. The state is in immense crisis. The infrastructure, industrial and social, is in total chaos. The economic crisis is showing its muscles. The price hike is uncontrollable and unemployment in ever increase.

The vast majority of ordinary people of Pakistan are praying day and night that Musharaf be killed or at least he should die. Majority believe that he will never leave power without giving his life. “If he is not killed, he will kill us all one by one. He has become the most unpopular president of Pakistan.

Musharaf is widely seen as a person who has orchestrated the murder of Benazir Bhutto. “Qaatal Qaatal Musharaf Qaatal (Murderer the murderer, Musharaf the murderer) was the main slogan of the mass reaction. All the twist and turn of Musharaf dictatorship after the murder has strengthened the doubts of the masses in this regard. “He asked her to come to Pakistan by negotiating and let her be killed” is a remark you hear very often.

Despite that, Musharaf has consistently shown the trends that he will stick to power by any mean. “He is the ultimate power”, Pakistan needs him, Pakistan first, Pakistan my top priority” are some of his regular sloganeering. However, many do not trust him anymore here in Pakistan.

The desperation of masses to remove Musharaf by a mass movement is clear everywhere. They had attempted to throw him out of power after assassination of Benazir. That was an unprecedented movement for five days from 27 December 2007. Not a single shop was open, no wheel on the move, no factory working, no bank open, no office functioning, no restaurant or hotel open, no train on the move, flights cancelled, schools and colleges closed and thousands and thousands were on the road protesting. This was the most unexpected outburst of mass anger after the killing.

Nevertheless, unfortunately, Pakistan Peoples Party leadership had not learnt from history. They saw this an important occasion to show that are the responsible defender of the system. They went to appeal the masses to cool down, go back to their work and turn your anger into vote for Pakistan Peoples Party.

This was the time when majority of the political parties had announced to boycott the elections and demanded an immediate resignation of Musharaf. Had PPP joined the other parties in boycotting the general elections, Musharaf would have gone by now.

They had not realized the post Benazir killing scenario. They had not anticipated the total collapse of economy in the days ahead. They had not thought of the tactics of Musharaf supporters to rig the election if they were given chance. Over 4000 First Investigation Reports (FIR) has been registered by police against a record number of half a million PPP and other opposition political activists in Sind alone. Many PPP activists were arrested to be released on bail later. Many thousands have gone for bail before arrest. The tactics of PPP leadership has put PPP in defensive position.

The PPP is on the run after three weeks of Benazir Bhutto assassination, it was Musharaf who on the defense after the killings. He would have been relived when the PPP leadership had taken a decision to contest elections.

At a time when the consciousness of the whole of Pakistan was anti Musharaf with active participation in mass movement, the PPP leadership announcement to participate in elections was like putting cold water on the boiling heat, was like a fire brigade bus active in stopping fire spreading by showering water.

Moreover, what an elections that is taking place on 18 February 2008? Before the announcement of the general elections, top judges, 60 of them were put under house arrest on 3 November 2007 when martial law was imposed on the name of emergency; many are still in house arrest particularly the chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Ahmed Choudry. On 14 January, all public meetings and election rallies are banned for a month on the name of security. Thus, effectively, there is not going be any mass mobilization by the political parties. Most of the opposition parties that are taking part in the elections are already complaining that it will rig and that they have proofs of rigging in the electoral role.

All the rules lay out by Election Commission of Pakistan about the size and width of the posters, pamphlets, stickers, hording boards and banners have been widely violated by most of the candidates belonging to the government and the opposition.
It is race of money among the candidates. It is like a business competition. It is not a democracy that is going to be restored by the elections but a farce of democracy. The general elections have given a chance to the masses to choose among the exploiters. The condition that a candidate must be at least a university graduate meant that only less than one percent of the whole population had a chance to become candidates.

Three weeks after the assassination of Benazir, on 17 January 2008, there is unprecedented price hike of everything. Wheat flour is the most used food item in Pakistan. It has gone up from Rupees 13 a kilogram to 25 to 50 Rupees, if you can find it in shops. There have been suicide attempts by women after failure to buy the wheat flour from the government concessional utility stores. There has food riots reported in many parts of the country.

There is regular news on television and newspapers that “smugglers” of wheat floor have been arrested. Earlier smuggling was normally restricted to gold and electronic items. Now wheat flour “smugglers” are the main enemies of Pakistan. Almost every province has restricted the transportation of wheat floor. Thus making more problem for the people North West Frontier Province, Baluchistan and many in Afghanistan who are dependent on wheat floar from Punjab and Sind

There are massive electricity crises. The electricity is released on load shedding basis, in most cases there is electricity available for 10 to 12 hours a day in most parts of the country. The countryside is worst hit by this. There is no commercial gas available to all the industries for the last two weeks. Thus closing down of many hundreds factories. Even hospital s is not spared from this. Hundreds of thousands workers are laid off from the factories and they are asked to wait when the electricity and gas is restored to full capacity.

LPG gas has disappeared. The price has gone up from 50 Rupees a kilogram to 100/110 Rupees a kilogram if you can find one LPG gas shop open. The price of one kilogram of vegetable has gone up to 125 Rupees from 100 earlier. Almost there is a 25 percent price hike of everything available in the shops and super markets.

Yet there is neither wage increase nor any temporary compensation for the people.

This is a very good ground for the very rich politicians from Muslim League Q, who are main supporters of Musharaf. They will buy votes in bulk for the scheduled 18 February general elections. The objective reality of hardship of life under Musharaf with PPP taking part in elections may cut across the massive sympathy wave for PPP that they are counting on. However, there is a limit to that tactics.

Musharaf dictatorship has failed to curb the ongoing incidents of suicidal attacks. The religious fundamentalists groups in Wazirestan and Swat are not budging down despite a heavy military operation. They are striking back repeatedly. On 16 January, a group of religious extremist occupied a fort in North Wazirestan, which was used by Pakistan military. The newspapers reported eight army men killed while 20 disappeared, while unconfirmed reports put the causalities very high than the official announcement Government reported the killings of 50 militants as well.

There are several incidents where most of the suicidal attackers were less than 16 year of age. The completely new young generation has been motivated by the religious fundamentalists to take an all out war against the friends of imperialism and “enemies of Islam”.

There is lot of discontent among the police force and bureaucracy in Pakistan. They are sick and tired of their usage against the masses and movement. Many police officers are very often speaking against Musharaf government to their friends and contacts. There is no support among the public employees for the military dictatorship but are forced to go on.

Musharaf dictatorship is isolated and very much hated. It is a dictatorship supported by none but by American imperialism and its allies. It is trying its best to survive. However, the day of the military regimes are numbered. It cannot survive for long despite all the help of its political friends. It is the most hated dictatorship in the history of Pakistan. Day by day, it is loosing. Musharaf has survived by the most modern security arrangements available at present time. However, these will not work all the times in the wake of tremendous heartedness building up.

Images of Sinulog 2008, Cebu City, Philippines

2008-01-20T19:44:00.000+08:00

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival which honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs.

Click here to see more photos: http://www.fliptrack.com/watch/pjGQUZp76q

Forgetting EDSA 2

2008-01-19T09:13:00.000+08:00

FORGETTING EDSA 2

By Randy David

This Saturday, Jan. 20, we mark the seventh anniversary of EDSA People Power II, the series of events that drove away a corrupt presidency from office. Because of the abusive and even more corrupt regime that succeeded it, many people who joined EDSA II have had problems celebrating this historic event. The question that seems to haunt them is: Seeing how Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has turned out to be, did we make a mistake in ousting Joseph Estrada? My answer is No. There is nothing to regret, but there is a lot to learn from what happened.
Recently, I went through the tricky exercise of reviewing what I wrote in this column right after EDSA II. I’ve always believed that such reflexivity is part of the duty of every writer who dares to comment on events as they unfold. I asked myself if there is anything in what I wrote about those days that I would take back in the light of what I now know.

Freedoom House Report

2008-01-17T08:33:00.000+08:00

Int'l democracy watchdog: RP only 'partly free'

An international democracy watchdog relegated the "freedom status" of the Philippines to partially free though it noted that the world in general was less free for a second consecutive year.
A report by The Associated Press said that the New York-based Freedom House dropped the Philippines from a list of totally free countries.
The group added that freedom declined significantly in 2007 in almost four times as many countries.
According to a survey by Freedom House, 36 percent of the people in the world -- about half of them in China -- were not living in freedom.

Read more: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=70&release=612

DATABASE ON GOVERNANCE

2008-01-16T08:47:00.000+08:00

More rich LGUs since Local Gov't Code took effect
By Miriam Grace A. Go
Newsbreak

More local government units (LGUs) have grown rich since they were given powers to collect local taxes and fees and receive regular subsidies from the national government under the Local Government Code. Based on the income classifications set by the finance department since the Code took effect in 1992, an increasing number of provinces, cities, and municipalities fall under the first- to third-class brackets. These are LGUs whose annual incomes afford them big-ticket undertakings almost independently, and require them less subsidies from the national government and other funding institutions.

Read More: http://www.democracyandgovernance.org.ph/

Gov. Ed Panlilio is Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year 2007

2008-01-13T21:37:00.000+08:00

Many people, especially in his hometown, were quite surprised with the announcement of Fr. Panlilio’s that he would run for governor. But those tired of traditional politics in Pampanga threw their support for him against his two rivals, Lilia Pineda, wife of suspected jueteng (numbers game) lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, and former governor Mark Lapid, son of former senator Lito Lapid who ran and lost to Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati. Both Pineda and Lapid are known allies of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Weeks before the election, he announced that he would be taking a leave from priesthood since he has to focus on campaigning. After the last election return was canvassed, Panlilio won by a slim margin over Lilia Pineda

Now on its 17th year, the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year honors a living Filipino who made the most positive impact the past year. Eligible to vote were Inquirer editors and assistant editors. There were 44 voters this year. Fr. Ed Panlilio topped the nominees with 20 followed closely by Chief Justice Reynato Puno with 15 votes. Other nominees were Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta and Francisco Villaruz Jr. of the Sandiganbayan special division that tried and found ex-President Joseph Estrada guilty on two counts of plunder. (4); Sumilao farmers (2); Filipinas who made it to the summit of Mt. Everest.

Read complete piece here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080113-111988/Gov-Ed-Panlilio-is-Inquirers-Filipino-of-the-Year-2007

2,941 Pinoys left Philippines daily in 2007

2008-01-07T19:08:00.000+08:00

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=104672

An average of 2,941 Filipinos left the Philippines every day to work abroad last year, preliminary data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration revealed Monday. A report from POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz to Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion showed that total deployment registered a one percent increase from 1,062,567 in 2006 to 1,073,402 last year. The increase was largely seen in landbased workers as the number rose 2.7 percent, from 788,070 to 809,740 for a daily average of 2,218. Baldoz said the number of Filipinos rehired by foreign employers surged 5.9 percent, from 470,390 in 2006 to 498,142 last year. She said the POEA sent out an average of 1,365 new overseas Filipino workers a day in 2007.The increase in landbased workers was, however, offset by a decrease in seabased workers, from 274,497 in 2006 to 263,662 in 2007. On a per day basis, 722 seafarers were leaving the country every day in 2007.The POEA clarified that the deployment figure was still lower than the number of contracts processed, perhaps owing to the large number of rehires who already had existing employers and existing contracts.Although the total figures showed that the POEA surpassed their target by 20 percent, Baldoz said they processed 1.1 percent less contracts in 2007. In 2007, they prepared 1,208,220 new contracts as compared to 1,221,417 in 2007.Total contracts processed for landbased workers actually decreased 10.4 percent from 866,090 in 2006 to 775,659 in 2007. In contrast, total contracts processed for seabased workers rose 21.7 percent in 2007 to 432,561 from 355,327 in 2006. This was not enough, however, to offset the decrease in contracts of landbased workers processed by the POEA.

Myanmar issue must remain a priority -- EU envoy

2008-01-05T21:36:00.000+08:00

Source: Agence France-Presse/PDI

UNITED NATIONS -- Efforts to promote democracy in Myanmar must remain a priority for the international community, European Union special envoy for Myanmar Piero Fassino said here Friday.
After talks with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and his envoy on Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, Fassino said they found common ground, particularly on the need to enlist the support of all key Asian countries for diplomatic pressure to secure a political dialogue between the Myanmar regime and the opposition.
The Italian diplomat also highlighted the risk of having the Myanmar crisis eclipsed by emerging crises elsewhere, a reference to Pakistan and Kenya.
"This is a situation we want to avoid," he said. "We want to keep Myanmar at the top of the international community’s agenda ... Our common goal is unblocking a situation which today appears stalled."
Fassino, a former Italian justice minister who was appointed the EU special envoy on Myanmar last November, said he was coordinating his action with Ban and Gambari.
He added that one of the key objectives remained the release of Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as well as of all leading other political prisoners.
He said he planned to visit India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam over the next two months following a trip to China in December to drum up support for coordinated pressure on the ruling junta.
Meanwhile Gambari said he also planned to travel to New Delhi and Beijing shortly, ahead of a planned third visit to Myanmar since the bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September and October.
During an Asian tour last month, Ban said the world body was losing patience in the face of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar.

Militant Bishop Takes Control of Church’s Social Arm

2008-01-03T20:24:00.000+08:00

The term of President Arroyo’s fierce ally in the Catholic Church ends. Replacing him is a bishop who has marched with peasants and activists in street protests.

Read complete piece here: http://www.newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4055&Itemid=88889066

Inside Pakistan

2007-12-31T13:22:00.000+08:00

Here's an email i received from my friend Farooq Tariq of the Labor Party Pakistan (LPP) re: the assasination of former PM Benazir Bhutto. Ms. Bhutto died for Pakistan and democracy. World leaders strongly condemned this murderous act of Bhutto, calling it a threat to Pakistan's democracy and an attack on stability in the region. Some Pakistanis do not believe that extremists killed her. God help Pakistan - Alvin

-----------------------------------------

Benazir assassination:
The unprecedented mass reaction

By: Farooq Tariq
Secretary General, Labor Party Pakistan

Pakistan has never seen so many people protesting in streets all over as been the case during the last two days. They were all united across Pakistan to condemn the brutal murder of Benazir Bhutto. The news was heard with a great shock and there was an immediate mass anger erupted in all parts of Pakistan. 28th December was the first day of general strike called by many groups ranging from political parties to various professional groups.

Most of elections posters, banners, flags and bill boards of Pakistan Muslim League (PMLQ) were the first victim of the mass anger. PMLQ is a General Musharaf creation after 1999; a major split of Pakistan Muslim League, The rest is headed by Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister. PMLQ has been sharing power with General Musharaf after 2002 and is comprised of the most corrupt feudal, capitalists, former army generals and black marketers.

PMLQ had spent billions of these advertising material and all that was gone within few hours of mass reaction. It was very proudly claiming that it has done the home work. The work to remove all these anti people election material was done with utmost sophistication. None of Pakistan Peoples Party or Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz election material was removed.

Then it was the banks mainly in Sind. They were attacked and the buildings were burned in many cities of Sind. Most of ATM machines were destroyed. In some places, people were lucky to bring some money home. Banks had made unprecedented profits during the last few years. There was no free banking any more that was the case earlier from sixties.

Hundreds of private buses were burned in all parts of the country. The fares had gone too high during the Musharaf eight years of rule. There were no more public buses. Most of PMLQ government ministers had their own bus companies and were making huge gains out of mass poverty.

There were also incidents of burning of railway trains in Sind. According to Daily Jang 28 railway stations, 13 railway engines, and seven trains have been burnt resulting over three billion Rupees loss. The rail fares were increased by many folds by Musharaf regime in a bid to reduce the railway losses. It has been partly privatized as well. The whole rail system has collapsed since 27th December night. Thousands of passengers are on the railway stations waiting for restoration. There is no sign of restoration for some days. Pakistan International Airlines PIA and two private airlines, Air Blue and Shaheen Air have cancelled all their domestic flights on the name of “rescheduling”. The staff did not turn up.

Thousands of private cars have been damaged all over Pakistan by the angry mob mainly youth. They were showing their anger on the car companies (mainly Toyota, Suzuki and Honda) unprecedented profits during the last few years. Many leasing companies have robbed the growing middle classes by offering cars with abnormal prices. While the massive majority of population have no more ant subsidized public transport.

The houses and offices of PMLQ politicians, local government’s mayors and administration are the other victims of the mass reaction. They have either been burnt or damaged.

Over 100 people have so far died in the incidents relation to mass protest either by police or by cross firing of different groups during the last 40 hours.

Thousands and thousands have raised slogans against Musharaf regime and American imperialism after the death of Benazir Bhutto. The anger was accumulated during the last eight years and was manifested after this unthinkable incident. This was a response of the masses to the strict implementation of neo liberal agenda which resulted in unprecedented price hike, unemployment and poverty. The anger that was to be shown in boycotting or participating in the elections has come out early after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

There is a great anti Musharaf consciousness all over. It is been shown in different ways in different part of the country in different degree. The so-called capitalist economical growth under Musharaf has left millions in absolute poverty. There was no Pakistan shining as was propagated by the dictatorship all the times.

The 2007 has been a year of mass awakening. It started with advocate movement after the removal of chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan. The chief justice Iftikhar Choudry said a big “No” to resign under pressure by the Generals. He was removed only to be reinstated on 20th July after a massive movement of 80,000 lawyer’s community. They were joined by political activists from almost all political parties but not by the masses. Masses only welcomed the chief justice from the side roads and did not participate in the movement in real terms.

Musharaf got himself elected as president for the second five year term in a “democratic manner” by a parliament elected for one five year term. He was still wearing military uniform when elected as “civilian” president. His theme was “elect me president for the second term and I will take off uniform after taking oath as civilian president”.

The November imposition of martial law on the name of emergency was used to remove the rather independent top judges of Pakistan. It put restrictions on the media and over 10,000 were arrested. Musharaf got himself duly “elected president” and took off uniform after removing the top judges. His hand picked judges gave him all the necessary backing. He was helped in this process by Benazir Bhutto who was forced into in Tariq Ali,s word “forced arranged marriage” by US and British imperialism. In this unholy alliance, every one was cheating everyone with utmost honestly.

The general elections were announced for January 8th and emergency lifted after the large scale repression and removal of independent judiciary. The regime was happy that everything is going according to “plan”. The Pakistan Peoples Party of Benazir Bhutto and Muslim League Nawaz and Quid Azam (PMLQ), the three major parties had agreed to participate in these fraudulent elections. The religious fundamentalist political alliance MMA had split on the question of participation in elections. One major part of MMA had gone to contest elections.

The campaign for and boycott the election had started when the religious fundamentalist stuck and killed Benazir Bhutto on 27th December evening. The “plan” was shattered into pieces. It was big blow to agreed terms and conditions of various participating parties in the elections. It was not a bumper on the road but a total destruction of the road of conciliations and compromises.

The murder of Benazir Bhutto is a double edge sword. While it is big blow to the plans of British and American imperialism, it will also be no celebration for the religious fundamentalist forces. The initial anger has gone against the military regime and its crony politicians. It can go against the both. No party will be able to celebrate the shocking killings.

But Musharaf regime has understood this clearly and now is trying consciously to put the direction of the movement against the religious fundamentalists. Last night on 28th December, in a two hour press conference, a military brigadier, representing the government named Baitullah Mehsud, an Al-Qaeda associate in tribal areas of Pakistan as the one who carried out the attack.

Foolishly he tried his best to prove that Benazir Bhutto is not killed by a bullet but by the lever of sun roof of the bullet proof car while Benazir Bhutto was waving to crowds outside after the bomb blast. What difference it makes, if it is proved that Benazir Bhutto is killed not by the bullet but by another way? Not much.

The military Brigadier explanation did not satisfied the angry journalists who asked him again and again about the connections of secret intelligence agencies of Pakistan with Abdullah Mahsood. The question, that why Mahsood released quietly over 200 Pakistan army men on the day of imposition of emergency, who were kidnapped by his group a week earlier, went unanswered. The military Inter Services Intelligence ISI has long time relationship with the religious fundamentalists groups dating back to Eighties when Imperialists and fundamentalists were close friends.

It is very volatile, unstable, unpredictable, explosive, dangerous, impulsive, fickle and capricious political situation. It never happened before in many years that mass reaction has erupted to this degree.

The general strike was a total success. All roads were empty. No traffic at all. All shops were closed. All industrial and other institutions were completely shut down.

After the initial inhibition to curb the strike, the regime has now issued strict orders to kill anyone on the spot if it is “looting” any thing. It has called the regular army in 16 districts of Sind and paramilitary forces elsewhere in Pakistan.

The regime has so for not postponed the scheduled elections but it is very difficult to hold elections in this situation. Nawaz Muslim League Nawaz and several other political parties have already announced to boycott the fraudulent elections.

Labour Party Pakistan is demanding an immediate resignation of Musharaf dictatorship and forming of an interim government comprising of civil society organizations, trade unions and peasant organizations. This is to hold free and fair general elections under an independent election commission. It is demanding an immediate restoration of top judges and investigations of Benazir and others murder in this and previous bomb blast by these top judges. As part of All Parties Democratic Movement, LPP is supporting a three day general strike and linking it to the overthrow of the military dictatorship. It is asking all parties to reject the general elections fraud on 8th January and not to participate in these elections.

Debt Servicing vs Social Services

2007-12-28T09:57:00.000+08:00

Savings from strong peso should be used for services

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has urged the government to divert or add to the existing budget allocated for social services the savings from the strong peso. The strong showing of peso against the dollar has given government bigger elbowroom in the budget, with some P12 billion in savings, and still counting from over-allocation of debt service which was computed on a higher dollar exchange rate. In a study, the budgetary watchdog Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) reveals an average difference of P12.15 billion between programmed and actual interest payment expenses from 2002 to 2007. The FDC study also shows that P204.62 billion was earmarked for interest payments in 2002, but actual payment reached only P185.861 billion.The same trend for debt service payments was shown in subsequent years: P271.53 billion earmarked in 2004 against actual payments of P260.9 billion; P301.69 billion in 2005 against actual payment of P299.8 billion, and P339.99 billion in 2006 against actual payment or P310.1 billion.FDC data revealed that the reduction of interest payments by adjusting the exchange rate to a more realistic level, and by suspending payments for proposed program project loans "would already account for as much as P18.85-billion debt service reduction, about a billion pesos more than the P17.8-billion reduction by the House of Representatives.""Surely, this is more than enough to cover for interest payments for illegitimate debts should negotiation and/or debt condonation fail," the FDC said. The FDC has estimated that actual interest payment will decline by as much as P18.85 billion in 2008 if a more realistic exchange rate will be adopted.Pimentel noted that for 2006, the excess in programmed interest payment expenses even reached as high as P28.9 billion.This year, the government has originally set aside P318.18 billion for interest payment, but budget authorities have scaled down the amount to P303.3 billion due to the peso appreciation.The senator said the government should exercise restraint in appropriating funds for debt service so as not to sacrifice economic and social services which are always short of funding support. Civil society organizations belonging to Alternative Budget Initiative recently serenaded the bicameral conference committee on Finance to seriously consider in their deliberations of the 2008 budget the proposal to allocate P20 billion more for social expenditures and reduce debt payments. The group, who were wearing Santa hats, sang their demands to the tune of Filipino Christmas songs demanding more funds for education, health, environment and agriculture while appealing for transparency on the deliberation of the General Appropriations Act of 2008. For 2008, Pimentel noted that the government has projected debt-service interest payments at P295.75 billion, of which P109.1 billion will go to foreign lenders and P186.7 billion to domestic lenders.However, Pimentel said the amount allotted for interest payment this year has been computed between P46 up to P48 to the US dollar exchange rate, which was the rate several months ago. The current exchange rate is now below P41.51 to the dollar.

The Manila Times http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/24/yehey/metro/20071224met5.html

World Hunger Is a Staggering Problem

2007-12-27T09:13:00.000+08:00

Over a billion people have to live on $1 a day or less (Freedom form hunger)

25,000 lives are lost every day from hunger and poverty; even a bad case of diarrhea can lead to death because of weakness caused by hunger. (United Nations)

More than 800 million people know what it feels like to go to bed hungry; most of them women and children. (United Nations)

Malnutrition causes more than half of all child deaths. (United Nations)

Poor families spend over 70% of their income on food. (An average American family spends just over 10%). (United Nations)

More than 100 million children are stunted physically and mentally from malnutrition, wrecking their chances for a good education and productive future. (United Nations)

To get involved, please click here: http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/landing/endhunger.php?origin=gppoverty

PCIJ Bog

2007-12-22T21:19:00.000+08:00

The president’s perennially plunging popularity

If the president’s popularity were a business, Malacañang would have filed for bankruptcy years ago. Since 1986, no president has languished on the red side of the popularity graph longer than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has, according to data from the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Alvin M. Dizon

Speech: Welcome Dinner hosted by Kortrijk City officials, Belgium

One-Year Report of City Councilor Alvin M. Dizon

Youth needs to relate to Edsa’s lessons | Sun.Star Network Online

Two City Council committees support margot on marker | The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

Gawad Kalinga breaks ground for socialized housing in old Lorega cemetery | Sun.Star Network Online

Important Rituals for the New Year

Lorega graves to be removed | Sun.Star Network Online

CITY TO REWORK HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM FOR THE POORhttp://cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=8098

Homeless rescued from streets | The Freeman The Freeman Sections Cebu News

Live coverage gains support | Sun.Star Network Online

Self-help gets P3M from City | Sun.Star Network Online

Councilor wants boxing clinics to search for 'the next Manny' | Sun.Star Network Online

Lorega families prepare to bid graves goodbye

First 100 Days Report of Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon

First 100 Days Report of Cebu City Councilor Alvin M. Dizon Chairperson, Committee on Housing

How you can help the flood victims of Metro Manila

How to help

Metro Manila flooded by typhoon

Relief donations drop in centers in Manila:

1) Balay Expo across Farmers Market contact: Jana Vicente: +63 9285205499

2) Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no. 5639298/5639308)

3) Radio Veritas at Verit...as To...wer West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40)

How you can help, pls click here: http://helpondoyvictims.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/how-you-can-help-from-twitter-as-of-sept-26-1005pm/

More photos on the Manila flood: http://www.calvinshub.com/2009/09/photos-of-metro-manila-flooding-due-to-typhoon-ondoy/

Noynoy Aquino to run for President in 2010

4TH AKBAYAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Remembering Cory Aquino

Walden Bello, now a member of Philippine Congress

Gaza conflict: War is stupid!

2008's Worst Soundbytes

The universal declaration of human rights

Burma Bulletin-November 2008 issue

AKBAYAN VOTES NO TO THE 2009 NATIONAL BUDGET

Statement of the Peoples Global Action (PGA)

2nd Sweden-Asia Forum

Aung San Suu Kyi to reach 13 years in detention ­

War and Democracy

Saffron Revolution a year later: It’s not over

Haarlemmermeer

The Stockholm Archipelago

23 million Filipinos living below Asia-Pacific poverty line

888 Campaign: Burma Democracy

SONA 2008

Junket

Bigger Storms

The world’s 10 worst maritime disasters—in the last 20 years

Burma's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi's 63rd birthday

UN report: Poor suffer as Asia beset by petty corruption

Part Two: Complaints about Cebu Pacific

Complaints About Cebu Pacfic

The Current Situation in Burma

Jobs and Justice, Food and Freedom

Saying No to JPEPA !

Decent Work, Decent Life

Bill vs discrimination to be pushed anew

Arroyo dared to revoke EO on Hanjin

Olympic Torch protest London

All About Rice

Photos of Tibet demonstrations, March 2008

Beijing 2008 olympics

The Old Churches of Cebu

4.2M Filipinos jobless, 10M want more work

Cardinal Vidal: Lozada not Welcome in Cebu?

Southrail memo also missing

A letter to CBCP

Bishops: Call for Arroyo ouster likely if EO 464 stays

The CBCP Leading Us Nowhere

CBCP Pastoral Statement

People Power not DEAD

An Open Letter to our Church Leaders

A Call to OFWs: Make a Stand for our Country's Future

Conservatives Now Control CBCP

A government that has betrayed its people

Update on Akbayan's Ombudsman Complaint against Abalos

Letter from Geneva

The Days of Apathy and Indifference are Over

Quest for Justice and Truth

Ibon Survey

MBC: A Call for Accountability and the Pursuit of Truth

Aung San Suu Kyi to reach 13 years in detention