Anything Pinoy

Despite taking a major hit from a down check issued by the European Commission on Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) early this year due to alleged deficiencies in their training curriculum, the number of Filipino seafarers serving aboard the international merchant marine fleet has climbed to 400,000 this 2011 or significantly higher than the projected 347,000 by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

POEA administrator Carlos Cao, Jr. attributed this positive trend to the excellent reputation developed by the Filipino seamen through the years and that the Philippine government did its best to rectify the deficiencies detected by the EMSA in the country’s maritime training and education.

The government and other maritime industry stakeholders have shown their unity in correcting the problems and that the Philippines submission of the measures to correct the deficiency to the EMSA, well before June deadline, gave the country much credibility in the international seafaring community, he said. Read the rest of this entry »

Preparations are underway for the Philippines’ hosting of the two major events of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in 2012: the PATA Travel Mart on 25-28 September at the SMX Convention Center; and the PATA Executive Board and Board Meeting on 28-30 September 2012 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

The PATA Events Team from Bangkok, Thailand recently visited Manila to conduct site inspection and coordination meetings with the Department of Tourism (DOT) / Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and PATA Philippine Chapter Officers.

PATA is a membership association that provides leadership and advocacy to the collective efforts of nearly 100 government, state and city tourism bodies, more than 55 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies.

When it comes to knowing who are the best companies in the travel industry Holiday Extras are really the best people for the job.

Not only does their website specialise in helping travellers to find the best holiday bolt on deals but for the past three years they have been running an awards ceremony that helps them to differentiate the best companies in the travel world and the companies who are performing at their best.

The winners are all decided by the customers of Holiday Extras and thy vote in their thousands, to give their views on who they think should be given the top award for each category.

The awards are in their third year now and each year the numbers of people who are voting are getting more and more. Read the rest of this entry »

An Ilongga who is currently based at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was chosen as one of the 2011 Bagong Bayani Awardees for Community and Social Service by the Bagong Bayani Foundation in partnership with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Marilyn Lasquite Roscales, who acquired the name Wafa Kasimieh upon embracing the Islam faith, has been extending charitable works not only to her fellow Filipinos in Dubai but back here in the Philippines, including her hometown Iloilo.

Labor Attaché Amilbahar Amilasan announced the result of the annual search upon receipt of information from the organizer and was consequently featured in a news website www.kabayanweekly.com, which is based in Dubai. Read the rest of this entry »

Leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is encouraging people to send help to those affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel by making donations to Baha Fund.

The two typhoons that consecutively pounded most of Luzon left several towns flooded and without electricity, food, water and shelter. Proceeds of the Baha Fund will be forwarded to the TV5 Foundation to help augment and speed up its relief operations in hard-hit places in Metro Manila and the provinces.

“We are once again appealing to Filipinos all over the country to unite in helping our kababayans in need,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs. “We did it before when Ondoy struck. We can do it again. People need our help.”

To make it easy for anyone in the country to donate to the Baha Fund, Smart is opening an emergency Smart Money account and making it available to the public. Smart Money users can instantly send their donation by transferring funds from their bank accounts and/ or own Smart Money accounts to the official Baha Fund account number 5577 5130 6822 1104. Read the rest of this entry »

The Philippines, a home to beautiful beaches surely compels most of its travelers to spend ample of his time in exploring the magnificent coastline.

Unspoiled Beach in El Nido Palawan

A country with diverse culture, history and more than 7100 islands are gifted with perfect white sands surrounded by radiant blue waters and some of the best diving spots in Asia! You can easily find reasonable accommodations, shopping outlets, medical help, internet facilities to make PC to phone calls etc around the place. Read the rest of this entry »

The hunt for second giant crocodile, which is believed to be bigger, longer than ‘Lolong,’ has started.

Local and foreign groups of crocodile hunters are in town, offering the municipal government of Bunawan some forms of technical assistance in capturing ‘Lolong’s companion in beheading a carabao days before the giant croc was captured on Sept. 3.

Bunawan Mayor Edwin “Cox” Elorde on Saturday afternoon admitted groups of experts in crocodile hunting had offered help in capturing “the second one.

“But who is now more expert — them or us? When they have not yet catch a 21 feet long, 1,075 kilos, 3. 5 feet in width giant crocodile in their entire life. Eh kami nakahuli sila wala pa” Elorde jokingly said.

Elorde has no idea yet what will be name of the still to be captured second giant crocodile suspected to be companion of captured ‘Lolong’ in slaughtering a carabao in Barangay Nueva Era this town. Read the rest of this entry »

On September 10, 1763, the famed Gabriela Silang or Maria Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang in real life, fought valiantly against the Spaniards in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Gabriela took over the battle of her husband, Diego Silang, leader of the Filipino rebels in the Ilocos, who was betrayed by his close friend and was assassinated on May 28, 1763 by order of royal and church authorities in Manila.

Diego Silang and his group’s goal was to free the Ilocos from the cruel Spanish rule.

After her husband’s death, Gabriela fled on horseback to the mountains of Abra to establish her headquarters and reassemble her troops. Read the rest of this entry »

It is said that just as the 19th century belonged to England and the 20th century was the United States’ time, so does the 21st century belong to China. If this is correct, then the Philippines and Filipino companies are well-positioned in the new millennium, having established a firm foothold in the economic powerhouse that is China.

These Philippine champions bring Pinoy-style world-class corporate leadership in one of the world’s most competitive markets. Their journey and accomplishments draw attention to ways that the economic relationship between Beijing and Manila has evolved in the past three decades.

Since the 1980s, Philippine companies that have boldly ventured in the Chinese market have steadily reaped rewards. Their performance and contributions to the transforming process of the creation of wealth in China anchor the foundations for bigger and more vigorous trade and investment ties between the two neighbors. Read the rest of this entry »

The provincial tourism office here has recognized the well-known Kalingkingan Dance as the popular among the people of Cagayan province in the North.

Kalingkingan is a folk dance in any social gathering and is usually performed through the accompaniment of ‘sinco-sinco’, a five-stringed guitar found here in Cagayan.

Kalingkingan is a small bat that flies swiftly. It lives in caves where millions of them are found in Callao Caves, among them bat caves as one of the most famous in Penablanca located at Aggugaddan Penablanca, Cagayan along the Mororan.

Kalingkingan also depicts the Kalingkingan flies which produces a queer sound, especially at night, resembling that of bamboo castanota struck together.