..the Asia's friendliest cities

Travel website recognizes Manila, Cebu as among Asia's friendliest cities


Alec Go
Manila Bulletin
25 September 2019

Manila and Cebu ranked 4th and 15th, respectively, in Big 7 Travel’s list which was released recently.

The travel website described Manila residents as “famously welcoming,” and the city a “friendly place to spend some time in.”

Roxas Boulevard, Manila (supplied)

“It’s a place where locals have a buzzing attitude and an eagerness to show off their city to out-of-towners,” the article stated.

Cebu City, on the other hand, was recognized for its “exuberant vibe” and the presence of multiculturalism among its residents.

Ayala Center, Cebu City

Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Chiang Mai were the hailed the top three friendliest cities in Asia.

Big 7 Travel said they surveyed their “social audience of 1.5 million” for the list.

There were no specific criteria given to respondents, but factors such as where they felt the most welcome and how easy they navigated the area either with the help of locals or not were considered.

Big 7 Media is a travel website that features content on food, travel, and hotels around the world.

...the city of recycled tulips

Philippine city turns plastic trash into tulips to fight waste



Reuters
25 September 2019

MANILA (Reuters) - A southern Philippine city has turned discarded plastic bottles into flowers to fill a garden of thousands of colorful tulips, capturing tourists’ attention and building awareness about recycling. 

The tulip garden, which opened on Monday, was built from 26,877 bottles collected from 45 villages around Lamitan City in Basilan, an island province on the southwestern tip of the archipelago.

Plastic bottles were cut into the shape of tulips and painted red, yellow, pink and blue, while others were blended into sand and cement and used to make pathways in the garden.

The Philippines is a major source of ocean plastics and only a small amount of its waste is recycled.

Plastic bottles make up a large chunk of waste in Lamitan, and turning them into a tourist attraction can help combat plastic pollution, said the city’s mayor, Rose Furigay.

“Let us be mindful of how to minimize the use of plastic,” she said.

Basilan is among the country’s poorest provinces, notorious for being a stronghold of an Islamist group known for banditry and kidnapping.

Reporting by Jay Ereno; Writing by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez

...the breadshop in the Hague

Pinoy bread shop opens in The Hague

Pia Lee-Brago 

The Philippine Star

August 30, 2019 

MANILA, Philippines — The first Filipino bread and pastry shop in The Hague opened recently, offering Philippine specialties such as pan de sal, ensaymada, puto, kutsinta and kapeng barako to Dutch citizens and resident expatriates.

Café Nordrick, owned and operated by Filipino restaurateurs who are residents of The Hague, offers pan de sal, ensaymada, puto, kutsinta and kapeng barako.

Café Nordrick is owned and operated by Filipino restaurateurs Danton Lacorum and his wife Norma, who have been residents of The Hague for quite some time.

Philippine Ambassador Jaime Victor Ledda attended the café’s blessing and opening.

Norma said she is hoping to introduce on the menu other popular Filipino delicacies when the shop expands in the coming week to attract the interest of Filipinos and Dutch, including expatriates who love Filipino food.

The Hague, or Den Haag in Dutch, is where the seat of government of the Netherlands is located as well as the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which ruled in favor of the Philippines in a territorial dispute against China in 2016.

The Huffington Post described The Hague as the international city of peace and justice. Since the late 19th century, The Hague has played an integral role in diplomacy and international affairs.

The city hosts international courts that hear cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Since the 1920s, international courts have proliferated in The Hague.

The oldest among these is the World Court, officially named the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

Aside from the courts, The Hague is also home to many other international organizations and regarded as one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the Netherlands.

...the NYC human rights chair

Fil-Am named chair of New York human rights commission

 

Momar Visaya
AJPress/Inquirer.net News Partner
02December 2014


NEW YORK CITY—Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced his appointment of Carmelyn P. Malalis as the new chair of the City’s Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), acting on his commitment to promote New York City’s progressive human rights law and effective community relations in a diverse city.

New Chair of NYC Commission on Human Rights Carmelyn P. Malalis. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Malalis joins two other Filipino-Americans currently serving in key posts under de Blasio administration – Minerva Tantoco as the city’s chief technology officer and Maria Torres-Springer as the head of the Department of Small Business Services.



“I’m confident that with Carmelyn at the helm of CCHR, this agency will be a robust enforcer of our fundamental civil rights and improve community relations among New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs,” de Blasio said in a statement.



“Hailing from Brooklyn to Brazil and ranging from rabbis to pastors, today’s appointees represent a diverse, progressive and exceptionally qualified group sharing an unwavering commitment to safeguard the rights and dignity of all people in New York City.”



The appointment happened three weeks after Public Advocate Letitia James called on de Blasio to fire the current CHR Commissioner Patricia Gatling.

“New York City has some of the strongest anti-discrimination laws in the country,” James wrote in a letter published by the Observer.



“Unfortunately, due to a moribund agency culture that results in lax enforcement the citizens of this City do not fully benefit from these laws,” James added.



Malalis, most recently a partner at Outten & Golden LLP and the co-chair of the firm’s LGBT Workplace Rights and Disability and Family Responsibilities Discrimination practice groups, is a highly regarded and accomplished attorney who brings years of experience representing and advising clients in employment discrimination litigation, as well as other employment-related matters.



During her time at Outten & Golden LLP, Malalis successfully represented employees in matters involving claims of sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, disability and religious discrimination, among others.



The new chair and commissioners will be charged with leading the agency’s efforts to enforce New York City’s Human Rights Law—one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws in the nation—and with educating the public about it and encouraging positive community relations.



“I commend Mayor Bill de Blasio on his appointment of Carmelyn P. Malalis as the new chair of the City’s Commission on Human Rights and his naming of eight new commissioners to the agency. These appointments strongly reflect the Mayor’s unwavering commitment to protect the human rights and dignity of people in our great city. I congratulate all of the appointees and wish them great success in their new positions,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.



Malalis, whose parents come from the Philippines, co-chairs the Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section.



She is also a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Executive Committee. Malalis has previously served as an advisory committee member of the LGBT Rights Project at the Human Rights Watch, chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on LGBT Rights, and board member of Queers for Economic Justice.



“I am proud to say I personally know many of the Mayor’s appointees to the City’s Commission on Human Rights, and I can attest to their integrity, dedication and commitment to protecting the rights of all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm. “I commend Mayor de Blasio for revitalizing this very important commission.”



For the past decade, Malalis has worked as a partner at Outten and Golden LLP—one of the City’s premier plaintiff law firms—and its co-chair of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Workplace Rights Practice Group and the Family Responsibilities and Disability Discrimination Practice Group.



In these roles, Malalis has been tasked with a large litigation and negotiation docket, including class actions and individual client cases, and she advises clients on a broad array of employment-related matters. Malalis’s work also includes several advocacy and pro bono projects in collaboration with grassroots organizations and legal services providers advocating on behalf of low-wage and immigrant workers; LGBT employees; and women in the workplace.



Prior to Outten and Golden LLP, Malalis was a litigation associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and she has served as a judicial law clerk for the U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis.



Malalis earned her J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law and received a B.A. in women’s studies from Yale University. She and her spouse live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with their two children.



De Blasio also named eight new commissioners to the agency: Ana Oliveira, Catherine Albisa, Arnaldo Segarra, Domna Stanton, Steven Choi, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Jonathan Greenspun, and Reverend Dr. Demetrius Carolina.

 

...the Taiwan's fave reality show contender

Filipina a favorite in Taiwan’s reality show

By: Karen Boncocan
INQUIRER.net

November 23, 2011

FAVORITE Lalaine Jertrude Hablado of Las Piñas City has been making waves in the television show Fun Taiwan Challenge. Host Janet Hsieh said she is a “favorite of the whole production crew” and that she “is really loved by the audience."

MANILA, Philippines—A Filipina from Las Piñas City is a tough contender in the television reality show Fun Taiwan Challenge.

Lalaine Jertrude Hablado, 21, has been making waves in the television show, Fun Taiwan Challenge host Janet Hsieh said in a phone interview Wednesday in Makati City.

Hablado is “a favorite of the whole production crew,” Hsieh said.” She’ll get a lot of television time. She is really loved by the audience and crew.”

Hablado “surprised” the Fun Taiwan Challenge host who said that “she grew, matured (during the show although) she was shy and didn’t talk much. She became stronger, more opinionated.”

Another Filipino contestant, 28-year-old Calvin Chung, also seemed promising during the beginning of the show but was unfortunately eliminated during the second challenge, Hsieh said.

An off-shoot of Hsieh’s popular travel series Fun Taiwan aired over lifestyle channel TLC. The reality show features 15 contenders, hailing from Australia, Europe, Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States, who will battle it out through a set of daredevil challenges for NT$1,000,000.

Fun Taiwan Challenge aims to put a spotlight on the interesting sites, delicacies, and experiences unique to Taiwan as Hsieh and 15 other contestants see them.

Hsieh said that despite having seen a lot of the country in her past Fun Taiwan seasons, Taiwan keeps surprising her in many ways. “I’m surprised whenever I do a season of Fun Taiwan… but I’m always surprised with certain areas I’ve never seen…places I’ve never been to before.”

“There are plenty of places still to explore,” she told reporters.

Fun Taiwan Challenge started airing on TLC last November 14 and is scheduled to air back-to-back episodes 8 p.m. every Monday with encores on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Tune in to see Hablado go head-to-head with other competitors in challenges that will test her mentally, physically, and emotionally.

...the 2nd most liveable city in the world

Negros city is world’s 2nd ‘most livable’

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

ILOILO CITY—A Negros Occidental city is the second most livable city in the world for a population not exceeding 150,000.

During awarding rites held in South Korea on Oct. 31, San Carlos City was cited as the second most livable among cities with a population of 75,000-150,000.

The most livable city with that kind of population was Tongyeong in South Korea, where the awarding rites were held for the UN-backed International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom).

The third most livable city in that category was Namown, also in South Korea, according to the LivCom website.

The annual awards recognize cities based on their performance in several criteria, including environmental practices, healthy lifestyle of citizens, community involvement, arts and cultural heritage.

San Carlos was the only Philippine city which won in the “whole city awards.” It also won the “Special Whole City Award.”

The contest for cities has five categories based on their average daytime population  of 20,000 to those with over 400,000.

This year’s awards had 77 finalist cities from 26 countries, the largest so far in the awards’ 15-year history, according to a LivCom statement.

..the Heritage city

Dapitan City declared as ‘Heritage Zone’

By Shielo Mendoza, Yahoo! Southeast Asia

The Inbox – Wed, Jun 8, 2011

Marlo Cueto/NPPA Images

Dapitan City in northern Mindanao was declared a Heritage Zone by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in commemoration of the sesquicentennial or 150^th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal on June 19.

"Because of its ancient beginning and Rizal's four-year exile in Dapitan, the district has become historically and culturally significant," NHCP said in its resolution.

Also known as the "Shrine City of the Philippines," this historic location in Zamboanga del Norte is where the national hero spent his years of exile from 1892 to 1896. During these years, Rizal acquired a 16-hectare sanctuary now the Rizal Shrine which is considered a major historical landmark in Dapitan.

"Every generation seeks and finds new meaning in the life and example of Rizal. His vision of nationhood continues to serve as an inspiration and challenge to all Filipinos who work to fight corruption and make inroads against poverty in our society," the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson said in its press statement.

...the Bourne location

'Bourne’ in Manila

Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 28, 2011

Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Tony Gilroy has chosen Manila as location for “The Bourne Legacy” – the next installment in the popular action franchise that previously starred Matt Damon.

Film Development Council of the Philippines head Briccio Santos said the country bested other Asian countries as location for the film.

“It’s the biggest Hollywood production to shoot here since ‘Apocalypse Now,’” said Santos. Gilroy will shoot 40 percent of the film in Manila.

The latest “Bourne” caper top-bills Rachel Weisz and Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner.
Bayani San Diego Jr.

...the summit host

Manila to host global anti-corruption summit

 

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/16/2011

The Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) has chosen Manila as the venue of its next global conference in February 2013.

The Philippine Senate and the Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) will jointly host this biennial global gathering, which will be attended by over 500 members of parliament from 50 countries worldwide.

Manila was chosen as a venue in line with the Aquino administration’s current flagship program of anti-corruption.

GOPAC is the only parliamentary network with the singular focus on combating corruption. There are currently over 900 members of GOPAC, representing over 90 countries in all the regions of the world.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, the only Asian representative to GOPAC and founding president of SEAPAC, was elected vice president of GOPAC. Dr. Nasser Al Sane of Kuwait was re-elected president.

Angara was the driving force behind the establishment of SEAPAC in 2005 and is a member of the Executive Board of the Ottawa, Canada-based GOPAC.
“Achieving good governance and fighting corruption can be strengthened by building networks among institutions.  International cooperation is a key ingredient.  Just as corruption transcends borders, so too must we fight it on a transnational level,” he said.

...the queen city

Cebu wins bid to host meet of chamber groups in Asia Pacific

 

By MALOU M. MOZO

March 13, 2011

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu will take center stage again when business chambers from 27 countries in the Asia Pacific region gather here for the 27th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference in 2013.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Samuel Chioson, along with CCCI past President Francis Monera and CCCI Vice President for External Affairs Nestor Archival has announced that the chamber will spearhead the 27th CACCI Conference set to take place in Cebu on the third quarter of 1213. The conference shall also be a fitting highlight to the CCCI’s 100th year celebration that year.

The three business leaders were in Istanbul, Turkey last March 6 to 8 to represent the CCCI in the 25th CACCI conference, a regional grouping of Apex national chambers of commerce and industry, business associations and business enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific.

The conference serves as a forum for promoting the vital role of businessmen in the region, increasing regional business interaction, and enhancing regional economic growth.

Chioson said that among those who expressed similar intensions to hold the event were chamber organizations from Pakistan, Iran, Japan and Korea. But only the CCCI got the CACCI Board's nod.

No less than Webster Kiang, PhD, Director General of the Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry, wrote the acknowledgement letter addressed to the CCCI. That, Chioson said, signifies the CACCI's confidence that CCCI has the capacity to put together a global event.

Chioson voiced optimism that the CCCI, along with the rest of the province, is more than ready to host an international forum and promote Cebu's international competitiveness. “After all, we were successful in hosting the Asean Summit ( in 2007),” he said. “How much more now that we have many world class hotels to cater to a huge business conference?”

For his part, Monera enthused that “this will be an opportunity for Cebu to be introduced as a bustling metropolis ideal for tourism, business and investment.

...the high tech fisherman

IT project for fisherfolk pilots in San Pablo City The Philippine Star  February 17, 2011

Ateneo students set up the floating server which collects information on water quality in Lake Palacpacin in San Pablo City, Laguna.

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission of Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and its partner research institution Ateneo de Manila University recently launched a project that promotes growth and development for fisherfolk communities.

CICT Commissioner Francisco Perez II, students and faculty from the Electronics, Computer and Communications Engineering department of the Ateneo de Manila University and representatives of Japanese and Thai partners unveiled the first Telecenter or community e-center in Lake Palacpacin in San Pablo City, Laguna.

The Asia Pacific Telecommunity SHARE Project dubbed “A Broadband Farm to Market Ecosystem for Fisherfolk Communities” is aimed at preventing fish kill incidents using Internet communication technology that can warn fisherfolk when fish kill will occur, thus helping them harvest fish on time.

The project, with its pilot location in Lake Palacpacin aims to warn fisherfolk about the gradation of water quality to prevent fish kill.

Perez said the process starts by measuring the lake’s oxygen levels through the instruments set up around the lake.

The servers were donated by the project’s Japanese and Thai partners.

Fisherfolk also play a crucial role in data gathering by inputting information through an interactive blog such as their catch of the day, be it tilapia, prawns, shrimp or some other seafood, as well as the condition of the lake as they see it.

The data collected by the servers and the information provided by the fisherfolk are then transmitted for analysis and interpretation by experts at the Ateneo de Manila and its partners through broadband Internet connection.

After this, information is disseminated to fisherfolk in easy-to-understand language. An early warning will hopefully help them cope with the occurrence of a fish kill.

If successfully implemented in Lake Palacpacin, the project may be replicated in other parts of the country.
The challenges, according to Perez, is in helping the community understand the process and importance of the project, gathering ample resources for implementation, overcoming time constraints, and ensuring the project’s sustainability.

Ateneo School of Science and Engineering students Michael del Rosario, Gerald Mateo, Mae Villanueva and Chris Favila demonstrated to Japanese and Thai partners, fisherfolk, government representatives and other stakeholders the future website to be used by fisherfolk in providing data about the lake.

The website, a work in progress, contains photos of the project development, data from the servers about the lake, videos of interviews with the locals, and other information on the project.

The students also gave a demonstration on one of the site’s main features — an interactive blog that fisherfolk will use in providing information on the lake. Through the blog, they will be able to post their catch of the day as well as the condition of the lake.

Soon, fisherfolk will be trained on how to use computers, the Internet and the website and eventually make the website fully operational.

For Fernando Espallardo, a consultant of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council, the project is making the fisherfolk’s dream of preventing fish kill a reality.

Meanwhile, Dr. Yuji Inoue, executive adviser of the Telecommunications Technology Committee in Japan, expressed commitment to improving people’s lives by introducing IT to rural communities.

“This is just the beginning. We’re very happy to work with all of you,” he said.

The Asia Pacific Telecommunity SHARE Project is a partnership among Ateneo de Manila University, Manila Observatory, Japan Radio Co., Tokyo University, CICT, PDLT, Smart, Department of Science and Technology, Agricultural Land Reform Office, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Telecommunications Technology Committee, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

...the city landfill

SJDM touts world-class landfill

By FREDDIE C. VELEZ

Manila Bulletin

February 4, 2011

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Bulacan — Good news for the province of Bulacan.
Two years after the establishment of the Bulacan Engineered Sanitary Landfill by the VGP group of companies, this city was recently declared one of the cleanest cities in the Philippines.

San Jose del Monte (SJDM) City was listed as one of the top 10 finalists in the Nationwide Search by the Zero Waste Challenge for LGUs of the National Solid Waste Management Commission and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Mayor Reynaldo San Pedro said yesterday the city could not have been included in the list without the efforts taken by Raymond Puyat, president of the engineered landfill, who answered the call for resolving the nation’s garbage problems without harming the environment.

San Pedro said the landfill is a world-class and technically-compliant engineered sanitary landfill -- the first of its kind in the country.

He said the facility operates under specific measures and guidelines set by the DENR.
He said the VGP Bulacan Engineered Sanitary Landfill is their partner in the city's clean and green program.

“Many have been impressed by the quality of the project. This is part of the World Bank and Land Bank of the Philippines’ Mechanism Project in compliance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)," San Pedro said in Filipino.

“This seeks to address global warming and respond to the dangers posed by climate change. We trust that our engineered sanitary landfill will help greatly in protecting the health and security not only of residents in San Jose del Monte but of all people in the province as well,” the mayor added.

Meanwhile, Puyat said their landfill is different to the open and controlled dumpsites which are strictly prohibited.

...the big city

Binay shows Makati dev't

 

Manila Bulletin

February 2, 2011

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Jejomar C. Binay expressed his confidence that the Philippines can emerge as a model for sustainable urban development and management.

In his talk before World Bank (WB) staff during the Sustainable Development Network (SDN) annual meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday (United States time), Binay used Makati as an example of how to plan and implement programs and projects that are mindful of sustainable development.

“The improvement of our constituents’ quality of life is at the core of our efforts in urban renewal and development,” he said.

The Vice President also underscored the need to build a stronger partnership with local government units (LGUs) in order to stimulate economic growth and alleviate poverty.

“I envision complementation of efforts and collaboration in urban strategies where both the national government and LGUs focus on making pro-poor policies a priority,” the Vice President said.

He added that the government must act not only to foster awareness and enroll participation, but also to engage stakeholders and empower communities over the long term.

“We must ensure that the planning is people-centered so that no one is left behind. We must reach out and talk to the grass roots as well as build the capabilities of those closer to them, the LGUs,” Binay said.

The World Bank requested Binay to talk on urban development, recognizing his role as former mayor of Makati and as HUDCC chairman.

His talk was preceded by a keynote address on disaster risk management to World Bank officers and representatives during the same SDN meeting. (JC Bello Ruiz)

...the dynamic city

Metro Manila cracks top ten in Brookings' most dynamic cities

CARMELA G. LAPEÑA, GMANews.TV

12/14/2010

Metro Manila is the ninth most dynamic city in the world, according to an article in The Atlantic, citing data from Brookings' Global MetroMonitor on economic output and employment in 150 of the world's largest metropolitan economies from 1993 to 2010.

"Healthy tourism and demand for IT products helped Manila crack the top ten, in Brookings' rankings for the first time," wrote The Atlantic associate editor Derek Thompson. The list is based on income growth and employment as reported by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and London School of Economics (LSE) cities.

Istanbul topped this year's list, which is dominated by cities from Southeast Asia and Latin America. Also in the top ten are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (10th), Beijing, China (8th), Guangzhou, China (7th), Shanghai, China (6th), Santiago, Chile (5th), Singapore (4th), Lima, Peru (3rd), and Shenzhen, China (2nd).

Thompson noted there are no European cities in the top thirty, and no African cities outside Egypt in the top fifty. He also noted other trends emerging in the report, such as port cities with large trade sectors dominating, "due to their ability to put products in the hands of the world's healthier economies.

According to him, the Philippines "depends so heavily on remittances of Filipino workers that a 7-percent boost in mailed cash this year dramatically improved the country's economic projections for 2010."

Around 32.7 percent of the national GDP is from Metro Manila, with employment increasing 4.0 percent and income increasing 5.3 percent from 2009 to 2010, as shown in the Brookings report.

Metro Manila previously ranked 34th during the pre-recession period of 1993 to 2007, and 24th in the recession lasting from 2007 to 2009.

Last seen on the list of worst cities to drive in, it isn't often that the Metropolis finds itself on a positive list. However, Thompson warns that dynamism is a sword that cuts both ways.

"The key challenge for top emerging cities entering a period of global expansion is to expand to other industries. This helps them stay both dynamic and diversified – fast-growing and safe-growing," he writes.

Early this month, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to allocate a P1-billion “reintegration fund" from which OFWs may borrow to finance the start up of their own businesses.

“Una pa rin po sa ating listahan ang paglikha ng disenteng trabaho at oportunidad dito sa sarili nating bayan (Still on top of our list is the creation of decent jobs and opportunities here in our own country)," said the president in an earlier report. — LBG/TJD, GMANews.TV