Senator Richard Gordon is saddened by the death of business icon Washington SyCip who he remembered as a visionary leader contributing to the country’s economic development.

photo by: @senate

SyCip, founder of SGV & Company and the Asian Institute of Management, passed away at the age of 96.

“It’s with great sorrow that I learned this morning of the death of Washington SyCip , a visionary leader who influenced many generations,” the senator tweeted.

Gordon expressed gratitude to Sycip for giving him “valuable” advice on the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority several years ago, including developing and attracting investors.

“Rest in peace, Wash, & thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. Your contribution to the PH is historic & benchmarking. A legacy indeed!” he said.

Source: politics.com.ph

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A four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee has called on developed countries to ban paedophiles and suspected sex offenders from foreign travel in the same way as suspected terrorists.Fr Shay Cullen, an Irish missionary who has been rescuing street children in the Philippines since 1974, said hundreds of thousands of sex tourists travel to the country from Europe, including the UK and Ireland, the US and Australia.

The Columban priest missed out on the Nobel prize last week, but praised the decision to award it to a campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

“The whole moral fabric of society and protection of human rights and the dignity of women and children is breaking down,” Fr Cullen said.

“One thing right now I would say to any government is to pass a law that would ban all convicted sex offenders from travelling abroad. That would be a very good thing they could do.”

“Why not? The international and Irish sex tourists, why are they coming here raping our children?”

Fr Cullen revealed that on Friday his team had rescued a 12-year-old girl who was pregnant after being raped by a neighbour. On Thursday, a five-year-old girl was also rescued after being raped by her father.

The missionary’s Preda Foundation (People’s Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance) has helped vulnerable children in the Philippines for more than 40 years.

Independent TD in Ireland Maureen O’Sullivan is examining if there are constitutional blocks to revoking passports of known or suspected sex offenders.

The UK has official counter-terror orders which can force restrictions on overseas travel.

In the last year Fr Cullen has been an outspoken critic of Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs which has left about 8,000 people dead, about half of whom are characterised as “drugs personalities”, while the deaths of others are unexplained.

“I hope the nomination of the Nobel Peace Prize will highlight our work on human rights and protecting children and protecting young people from the death squads,” Fr Cullen said.

Based in Olongapo city, the missionary also rescues children detained illegally in jails and victims of human trafficking.

Speaking from the Preda Foundation offices, he described life in the Philippines.

“It’s dire. It’s very sad. We have thousands, hundreds of thousands of sex tourists coming here to abuse women and children,” Fr Cullen said.

“The abuse of children at this extent is terrible – incest is growing here because of the sex tourism.”
Fr Cullen welcomed his own Nobel nomination, put forward by a committee in the German Bundestag, but he heralded the decision to award it to the International Campaign To Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

“My God, it brings up the debate of weapons of all kinds, and war and killing and murders that’s going on in Yemen, Syria and the threats, including from North Korea,” he said.

“It’s amazing. It’s good that they got it and not some big politicians.”

There were 318 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, of which 215 are individuals and 103 are organisations. The identities are traditionally kept secret.

Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel used his will to establish five Nobel Prizes after his death in 1896 with many believing he wanted a legacy beyond “inventor of dynamite”.

Source: remier.org.uk

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Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV) from Amphibious Assault Company, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps have conducted amphibious maneuvers with Philippine Navy’s Tarlac-class landing platform dock BRP Tarlac (LD 601), the Philippines’ largest warship, in Subic Bay.

The maneuvers were conducted as part of US-Philippines KAMANDAG exercise which stands for “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat” or “Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea.”

KAMANDAG 2017 was launched October 2 and will end on October 11.

It focuses on enhancing counter terrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capabilities and conducting humanitarian and civic assistance projects.

“Some of the activities that service members will be able to practice together include combat lifesaving, shipboard mass casualty response, live fire training, urban operations, movement ashore, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” the US Embassy in Manila said.

Source:

• update.ph
• youtube.com

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IBA, ZAMBALES- The Sangguniaang Panlalawigan of Zambales heard the appeal of the residents of the Candelaria and Santa Cruz municipalities to finally cancel the permits of the 4 mining companies operating there.

STOPPING MINING OPERATIONS. Residents of Santa Cruz town in Zambales stop hauling trucks from getting out of a mining site. File photo by Randy Datu/ Rappler

The appeal was submitted by the group Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz, Zambales (CCOS) and other Peoples’ Organizations in the area who are protesting against the mining companies for allegedly causing harm to the environment and their livelihood.

In the “Ulat Sa Bayan,” where community members are given an opportunity to present their grievances during the hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, CCOS representatives showed how the destructions of their environment: roads, and the contamination of nickel to rivers, farmlands, fishponds, creeks and part of the shoreline, affects their livelihood.

CCOS identified the mining companies as Benguet Nickel Mines Inc. (BNMI), Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. (ZDMC), LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. (LAMI), and Eramen Minerals Inc. (EMI) which operated in the areas in Santa Cruz and Candelaria despite some controversy regarding the companies’ permits.

In the hearing, representatives of the mining companies denied knowledge of any destruction caused by their alleged operations on the area. They instead told the Sangguniang Panlalawigan they only performed hauling operations, for which they do have permits.

The companies also denied having opened new extraction activities or expansions.

It was revealed, however, that only BNMI has the Ore Transport Permit. EMI, LAMI and ZDMC-DCMI are still waiting for their permits to haul.

For these, Zambales Vice-Gov. Angel Magsaysay warned the mining operators that the provincial government of Zambales has the obligation to protect its citizens and its environment before anything else, especially mining.

“Mining should not only give destruction to the livelihood of the residents, they should be responsible for the environment and bring economic development, instead,” she said.

Magsaysay’s statement was supported by Zambales Governor Amor Deloso. Deloso reminded them that during his first state of the province address, he warned he would penalize or cancel the permits of mining operators found violating their permits’ stipulations.

“What we need are investors, like mining operators, to be responsible to the communities where their operations are based,” Deloso said.

“Mining is a very lucrative business, but what we need are those who will practice responsible mining who takes care of the environment, gives livelihood to the residents, and sponsor development projects for the community,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members expressed disappointment over the non-action and seeming blindness of officials of the affected barangays and municipalities who remain deaf to the plight of their constituents.

The officials assured that those who are responsible for the destruction of the environment and livelihood of the people will face the consequences.

SP members urged the CCOS to wait until the recommendations are submitted by the fact finding committee – composed by various government agencies tasked to conduct assessment of the effect of nickel mining here.

Source: www.rappler.com

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Subic Bay Freeport — “Together Brethen, Act as one” The San Marcelino Masonic lodge no. 380 and Teodoro R. Yangco Masonic lodge 351 in cooperation with the Bereau of Customs port of Subic conducted a Medical Mission, Mobile Chest Xray, and Feeding Program for the Pastulan Aetas in Hermosa Bataan. More than 200 aeta patients benefited the medical mission. The annual activity of the BOC employees is to share their blessings to the community. BOC Port of Subic District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan said. ” this is our way of giving back to the community of Subic Bay Freeport.”

Doctor Laceda examines a 90 year old woman during the medical mission conducted by the BOC port of Subic in Pastulan Village, Hermosa Bataan led by District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan, Deputy Collector for Assessment Duckie Ugay.

BOC port of Subic District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan enjoyed to take selfie with the aeta children.

Aeta patients wait for their turn for the mobile Chest Xray examination.

Source: iorbitnews.com

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