4 missing as dive boat sinks off reef

By Charles Dantes

RESCUERS were searching for four people Sunday after a boat carrying more than a dozen scuba divers sank at a World Heritage-listed marine sanctuary in the Philippines, authorities said.

The Philippine Coast Guard said 28 people were rescued after "Dream Keeper" went down on Sunday morning in the pristine waters at Tubbataha Reef off the western province of Palawan. Four Chinese nationals were among those on board the dive boat.

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Islands was the latest in a long string of maritime incidents between China and the Philippines.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis and finding for the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China.

The Agence France-Presse was one of several media outlets that witnessed the incident after journalists were invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.

The Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, known in the Philippines as Ayungin and in China as Ren'ai Jiao, in the Spratly archipelago.

As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipinojournalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path.

AFP journalists watched the incident from the other Philippine Coast Guard boat, which was less than a kilometer away.

The Malapascua's commanding officer said the Chinese ship came within 45 meters of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Friday that the Philippine boats had"intruded" without China's permission and called it a "premeditated and provocative action."

But Manila hit back, saying that "routine patrols in our own waters can be neither premeditated nor provocative" and insisting they will continue to conduct the patrols.

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In his departure speech at the Villamor Airbase, the President said his visit to the US would reinforce Manila and Washington's "already strong bonds" by "bringing our alliance into the 21st century."

President Marcos said his visit builds on the "active exchanges" between the two countries, which include the chief executive's meetingwith US President

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The President acknowledged the hardships confronting the workers, such as unemployment, rising price of commodities, and having no access togovernment benefits.

But he promised that his administration would give priority to the protection of workers.

The EO noted concerns of various groups on the Philippines’ implementation of ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention No. 87, “in view of reported incidents of acts of violence, extra-judicial killings, harassment, suppression of trade union rights and red-tagging allegedly perpetrated by state agents, targeting in particular, certain trade unions and workers’ organizations.”

“At the 108th session of the International Labor Conference (ILC) in June 2019, a high-level tripartite mission (HLTM) was created to inquire into the aforementioned reported incidents in the purpose of assisting the Philippine government in taking immediate and effective action on the following specific areas: (i) measures to preventviolence in relation to the exercise of legitimate activities by workers’ organizations;

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The only way for us to know where they are, would be if they communicate with our honorary consulate and, of course, with the Embassy in Cairo,” Cortes said.

“This is the way for us to know if they have money, how they are, if they are injured, or if they want to evacuate. If and when they decide to really evacuate or if

The owner of the vessel, a dive master and two guests were still missing, coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said. A coast guard vessel and about 10 dive boats were searching the waters.

"It's full of diving enthusiasts now and

The near-miss came just a day after Marcos hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila aimed at defusing tensions in the waterway.

Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines' rights in the sea and has gravitated toward the United States as he seeks to strengthen defense ties. This was in stark contrast to his predecessor, President Rodrigo Duterte, who appeased the Chinese and shunned the Americans.

Early this month, the Philippines identified four additional military bases —in addition to five existing sites— to which US forces will have access, including one near the Spratly Islands. The two countries also carried out their biggest-ever military maneuvers in recent weeks.

This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.

US-Philippine ties were badly frayed under Marcos's predecessor, Duterte.

Marcos has sought to allay public fears that the reviving alliance with the US could bring the Philippines into the conflict if China were to invade Taiwan.

He has said that with Biden he will discuss the "need to tone down the rhetoric" over the South China Sea, Taiwan, and North Korea.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier in the month that Biden intended, in the meeting with Marcos, to "reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines."

On Sunday, Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said complications arising from a possible China-US conflict cannot be avoided.

“The implications to the Philippines of the China-US dispute over Taiwan are unavoidable if something happens, even if we say we are not directly involved,

Joseph Biden in New York last September, the visit to Manila of US Vice President Kamala Harris in November, as well as the numerous visits by senior officials on both sides.

Manila and Washington are also expected to bolster partnerships in the semiconductor industry, critical minerals, renewable and clean energy, including nuclear, and infrastructure projects "that will improve ourdigital and telecommunication systems and facilitate sustainability efforts to address climate change," President said.

The President is also expected to meet with American business leaders to

“(ii) investigation of allegations of violence against members of workers’ organizations with a view of establishing the facts, determining culpability and punishing the perpetrators; (iii) operationalization of monitoring bodies; and (iv) measures to ensure that all workers, without distinction, are able to form and join organizations of their choosing, in accordance to ILO Convention No. 87,” the EO added.

The EO said the Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of theFreedom of Association and Right to Organize of Workers will bechaired by the executive secretary while the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be its vice chair.

The members of the Inter-Agency panel will be the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Department of Trade and Industry, National Security Council and the Philippine National Police.

“When necessary, the InterAgency Committee may request the attendanceor participation of other relevant agencies, such as the Civil Service Commission and the Commission of Human Rights,” the EO said. With Vince Lopez (See full story online at manilastandard.net) their employers will evacuate... at least we know where they are,” he added.

The first batch of evacuees from Sudan consisted of 17 Filipinos arrived in Manila on Saturday.

There were also 340 Filipinos who had made it to Egypt after escaping from the violence in Sudan, according to the DFA on Saturday.

There were also 100 more Filipinos who have yet to travel from Khartoum to the border, while 14 others were waiting it's on their bucket list.

It's a dream dive," said Balilo, referring to Tubbataha.

The 97,000-hectare (240,000-acre) Tubbataha Reef is one of the country's largest marine protected areas and was listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1993.

Despite its protected status, the marine sanctuary is under constant threat from illegal fishing and poaching, according to authorities.

The PCG immediately launched a search and rescue effort after receiving information at 6:49 a.m. from their Command Center in Palawan for the and it will also affect the entire ASEAN region,” Romualdez said in Filipino in an interview on radio dzBB.

“We can't avoid getting dragged into it somehow. That's what we are discussing with our friends in the ASEAN. They know the importance of the China-US tension not erupting into serious conflict,” he added.

In the case of the Philippines, Romualdez said, the country is only strengthening its defense.

Romualdez said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be ready to defend the country with full force against threats in the next three to five years with the assistance being provided by the United States.

Filipino soldiers are now better trained and better equipped than before, he said, in the wake of the recently concluded 2023 BalikatanExercise between the armed forces of the Philippines and the US.

“I think, and many also think about it here in America, that within the next three to five years, our Armed Forces will be better. They [will be] ready to defend our country with full force.”

This year’s Balikatan was the biggest iteration of the joint military exercises, with more than 17,600 participants, including 12,200 US troops and 5,400 Philippine soldiers.

Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who heads the Senate defensecommittee, said the Philippines must work with regional allies andform an alliance with them to deal with Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Estrada said Chinese bullying such as the latest near-collision has happened over a hundred times.

"We file diplomatic protests. We have filed hundreds of diplomatic protests, but nothing has happened," Estrada said.

Senator JV Ejercito also lamented further promote trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines. In these roundtable meetings, President Marcos will be joined by his economic team as well as key Filipino private sector leaders to explore business opportunities that seek to grow the economy even more. While in Washington, the President will also meet the Filipino community "who continue to contribute towards the country's economic prosperity." House of Representatives Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan on Sunday wished the President “all the success” on his five-day official visit to the United States.

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“We are all for the immediate return to the old school calendar with the least possible disruption to classes,” he said. “Many childrenfrom poor households, including 4Ps beneficiaries in the provinces, tend to walk long distances to or from school.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the government wasstudying the return to the pre-pandemic school calendar when vacation time starts from March to April and classes resume in June, due to the “unbearable” summer heat, making learning difficult.

As temperatures rise and power outages become a recurring issue in some parts of the country, Go believes modular learning is a way to keep students safe.

The senator stressed the importance of prioritizing the safety and health of students, especially during extreme weather conditions.

"What is important, is that the studies of students will continue, and the school year will not be delayed. That should be our priority, the health and safety of our students," he said. Go said that in extreme heat conditions, “face-to-face learning can be stopped, and we can shift back to online or modular learning."

With temperatures soaring, there are to cross the border into Egypt, she added. DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega earlier said there could be around 700 Filipinos in Sudan, most of them undocumented.

In related developments:

--Sen. Grace Poe expressed hope that support systems are in place to assist returning Filipinos from Sudan. She said Filipino displaced workers from Sudan should find alternative jobs or livelihood in the Philippines or undergo sunken yacht. In a report by the Coast Guard, the yacht departed San Remegio, Cebu City on late afternoon last April 27 and arrived at Tubbataha Reef at around 10 PM on April 29.

PCG dispatched BRP Melchora to aid the divers in conducting SAR operations.

Coast Guard Sub-Station Tubbataha also sent other dive boats to the area to expand the search and rescue operations.

As of press time, the joint SAR team from different agencies, units, and organizations said that 28 people have been rescued, while four remain missing. With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net

China’s bullying tactics, despite their insistence that they are an “ally and a friend” to the Philippines.

He acknowledged that the Philippines cannot match China militarily, “so they are really bullying us and slowly taking over our territory.”

Estrada said this was why the country must form an alliance with “rightthinking nations” -- countries who are allies and who are also being bullied, like Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

This alliance can then work with Australia and the United States, he said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, a member of the Senate defense panel, also called on the Philippines to "actively and boldly" pursue larger alliances.

A broader alliance is a better alliance, she said.

"Let us urgently work on building this bigger coalition of countries who are against China’s misbehavior, who uphold our victory at The Hague, and who want to preserve peace and stability in the region,” she said.

"We must also seriously look into reviewing our national policy towards China," she further stated.

In the House, Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto said China’s acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea must be met with indignation atevery turn because not doing so would play into Beijing’s game plan that the Philippines would eventually tire out from protesting.

“Even if we have to wallpaper the Great Wall with diplomatic protests, we should continue because once we show any sign of wavering, it normalizes China’s misbehavior inside our territory,” he said.

“Even if they are deaf, we have to blow our whistle again and again.

At least, the whole world would hear,” he added. With AFP and Vince Lopez

“We are all counting on the President’s trip to pave the way for additional American direct investment inflows that we need to support our economic recovery and generate new employment,” Libanan said.

“If we look at the latest surveys, the creation of new jobs remains among the top concerns of Filipinos,” Libanan said.

At present, American multinational corporations in the Philippines are invested mostly in manufacturing, wholesale trade, and professional,scientific, and technical services, including highly labor-intensive business process outsourcing (BPO) activities. AFP with Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja growing concerns about the safety of students who may be forced to attend faceto-face classes in extreme heat or during power outages.

The Department of Education has reminded school heads that they have the authority to suspend face-to-face classes and shift to alternativedelivery modes such as modular distance learning due to these concerns.

On April 20, the DepEd issued a memorandum stating that schools can utilize modular distance learning, as outlined in DepEd Order No. 37, released in 2022.

The order empowers school heads to assess if unfavorable circumstances, such as extreme heat or power outages, maysignificantly impact in-person classroom learning and jeopardize the health and safety of students.

Go said he understands these concerns and believes that modularlearning is a viable solution to ensure that students can continue to learn without risking their health and safety.

An advocate for the well-being of students, the senator emphasized the importance of mental health in addressing mental health disorders, which are often overlooked and undetected.

Go has also been pushing for the passage of his proposed Senate Bill No. 1786, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions to establish Mental Health Offices on their respective campuses. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) skills retooling or training if they wish to.

While jobs are important, she emphasized there's no replacement for life and safety.

She commended the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers for acting quickly and working tirelessly in facilitating the passage of our OFWs to secure borders on their way home. With a report from Agence France-Presse (See full story online at manilastandard.net)