Filipinos in Paris

Overseas Filipinos are hailed as modern day heroes. They sacrifice the happiness of relationship and the comforts of home to venture abroad to work, live and provide for the family’s future.

Now, they are even directly contributing to the cause of education and nation-building.

According to Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus, the leaders of the Filipino community in Paris have announced their school-building project in the Philippines. They have chosen the Anungan Elementary School in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte with 390 students as the school site.

“We in government are humbled by this collective effort of our fellow Filipinos who are literally donating their blood and sweat money because they believe in the Philippines. ‘Para sa bayan’ (for the country’s sake) is a theme that binds us,” said Lapus.

During a recent visit to the project site, the Education chief also gave a briefing on the country’s stimulus package implementation and assured the community that the economy is relatively well in the midst of the global economic slowdown.

This latest school under the DepEd’s “Adopt-A-School” program was initiated by Philippine Ambassador to France Rora Navarro-Tolentino who expressed her gratitude to the Filipinos in attendance and to Secretary Lapus for his leadership in education.

The leaders of over 30 Filipino organizations in Paris have given various statements of support to the project and noted that it will not be the last. They cited the care and concern shown by Ambassador Tolentino, who is on her second stint in the French capital.

The event, with Ambassador Preciosa Soliven as witness, was highlighted by the signing of the deed of donation and the turnover of the ceremonial check.

Kawal na Pilipino

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today presided over the ceremonies marking the change of command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the AFP’s headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Wearing a cream barong outfit, the President was given full military honors, including a 21-gun salute, upon her arrival at 11:15 a.m. at the Camp Aguinaldo Grandstand where the change of command ceremonies were held.

Before delivering her speech, the President witnessed the testimonial parade in honor of outgoing AFP chief of staff Gen. Alexander Yano whom she later awarded with the Philippine Legion of Honor medal.

Submitting his Tour of Duty Report to President Arroyo, Yano, the country’s 38th AFP chief of staff, thanked the President for the honor and opportunity to have served as a “Kawal na Pilipino.”

“Your Excellency, I am proud to have served this country alongside my fellow Kawal Pilipino. I am grateful to the AFP and to you, our commander-in-chief, for this honor and opportunity.

“Your Excellency, you also gave this Mindanaoan the undeserved privilege of serving the Kawal Pilipino (as) chief of staff,” Yano told the President in his remarks.

In her speech, the President extolled Yano for his various accomplishments as AFP chief of staff.

“…I applaud our recently retired Gen. Alexander Yano. As fiercely as he fought the enemies of the State, he has worked just as passionately to secure the wellbeing of the ordinary soldier and to give former rebels a second chance to live in peace, a second chance to be part of the great Filipino workforce,” the President said.

“To modernize and strengthen his revered institution, Alex Yano focused on improving the life of the ordinary soldier. He was the one who proposed to me the issuance of sleeping bags and prepaid cellular phone cards to the soldiers fighting in the wilderness of the Lanao and Cotabato provinces.

“These benefits, funded by the Katas ng VAT program, were soon followed by scholarships for soldiers’ children and financial assistance for parents of military men assigned to the field,” the President added.

She pointed out that “as the only son of Mindanao to be named chief of staff, Gen. Yano applied his knowledge of the intricacies of the conflict there and went all out in support of the peace process through the various development and cultural integration programs.”

The President then announced Yano’s new assignment: “Gen. Yano will now continue to pursue peace in Mindanao as Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. Upon recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Secretary, his retirement from the military has been advanced by a few weeks in order to have sufficient time for his confirmation — hopefully before Congress adjourns in early June. Congratulations, Alex, and thank you.”

Filipino Worker Best in the World

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today honored the Filipino worker on the occasion of Labor Day.

In her speech during the turnover ceremony for the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) this morning (May 1, Friday) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, the President said:

“We honor the Filipino worker today. A grateful government pledges its unwavering support to the great Filipino worker and the bright future that our workers are building for our country.”

The Chief Executive kicked off her speech by pointing out that “Labor Day this year is a timely occasion for the nation to celebrate the resiliency of our economy that has so far protected us from the worst of the global recession and allowed us to continue to grow.”

“The skills and talents of our workers at home and abroad are confounding the gloomy forecasts of pessimists, as they continue to seek out ever more jobs, remit more funds to our shores, and sustain the hopes of our country and the dreams of their families,” the President said.

“This year today, we honor a particular sector of the working class — the great Filipino soldier -– the men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who continuously demonstrate their devotion to duty and our Constitution.

“Our military men and women are good, upstanding and loyal patriots, fighting to protect our country everyday,” the President said, adding, “We honor the great Filipino soldier for being ready to make the supreme sacrifice in war, as well as exemplifying the spirit of sacrifice that uplifts people in times of need and succor.”

“In honor of the great Filipino soldier, our administration has invested heavily in new and better equipment, more training and more cooperation with our allies to professionalize our military. We have invested in higher pay, more housing, better healthcare, and better force protection,” the President pointed out.

The Arroyo administration is celebrating Labor Day by holding a Jobs Fair for the country’s unemployed workers and those looking for better job opportunities here and abroad.

Philippine Recession Is Over

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said today the Arroyo administration celebrates Labor Day today, Friday, May 1 “with profound optimism and a deep sense of gratitude to our workers for bringing us this far.”

Other countries may approach the mid-year with trepidation over their economic prospects, but in the Philippines hopes remain high that the worst may already have passed by, and the best is yet to come, Remonde said in his opening statement at his regular Friday briefing in Malacanang.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has provided various types of skills and jobs training to almost eight million workers, including near-hire training for call center agents, Remonde said.

The President has doubled the budget of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) this year to reach out to displaced members of the workforce. Today, Labor Day, our own Department of Labor and Employment is holding a job fair for 80,000 employment opportunities waiting to be filled, Remonde said.

He said the country relies on the skills and talents of its workers to carry the day and preserve the legendary resilience of the economy. In the Middle East alone, over 200,000 job openings are waiting for Filipino construction workers.

“Here at home, offshoring and outsourcing employers continue to set up call centers, software development houses and backroom offices,” he noted.

Remonde said the slowdown of the major export markets abroad was the cue for the Philippines to press forward with all available strategies not only to sustain its unbroken record of economic growth, but also to ensure the availability of jobs.

Remonde said that “it is no longer within the powers of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to dictate wage increases as it could be done during martial rule.”

The law in place mandates the Regional Tripartite Wages Productivity Board to set wage standards and for the mechanism of collective bargaining negotiations to move employers and employees, he said.

Swine Flu Update

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially confirmed 331 cases of influenza A/H1N1, the technical name for the virus commonly known as swine flu, in 11 countries.

The United States has reported over 120 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 312 human cases of infection, including 12 deaths. The difference in some reported figures and those of the WHO may be down to the fact that not all countries have had all their cases confirmed by the global body.

Laboratory confirmed cases with no fatalities were reported in Austria (1), Canada (34), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

The WHO raised its alert level for a swine flu pandemic from 4 to 5, one step short of a full-scale pandemic on Thursday.

Although the illness has so far claimed few lives, the outbreak has sparked a number of dramatic media reports suggesting future death tolls “could” be in the tens of thousands or even millions.

The global health body also said well-cooked pork and pork products carry no risk of infection from the virus.