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UK queen honors 2 Filipinos By Vito Barcelo TWO Filipino women were honored by Queen Elizabeth II of England for the exemplary work they rendered in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, (international name “Haiyan”). The Queen conferred the honor on Vice Consul Victoria Buenaventura and Pro-Consul Joanna Teh, staff members of the Consular Section at the British Embassy in Manila. The Order of the British Empire recognizes distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services and work with charitable and welfare organizations of all kinds. British Ambassador Asif Ahmad congratulated the two, who he said immediately went to Samar and Leyte “to account for all those who were reported as missing and those who need help.” “In their daily work, both of them continue to meet the needs of British citizens who live, work or travel to the Philippines. The demands can range from dealing with bereavement to help with lost documents. Victoria and Hannah’s work has been recognized by Her Majesty the Queen and it is a source of great pride to us all,” the ambassador said. “In the midst of the aftermath and difficulty, our two staff members from the British Embassy went to Leyte and Samar. Their own courage and resilience and professionalism meant that we were able to account for all those who were reported as missing and those who needed help.
Japan visit. President Benigno Aquino arrives at the Tokyo international airport on June 2, 2015. Aquino is on a four-day visit to Tokyo as a state guest. AFP
PH gets 10 patrol boats from Japan amid sea row By Sara D. Fabunan and Sandy Araneta
With the confirmation that the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will take up the dispute over the West Philippine Sea, Tokyo will formally start carrying out a two-year-old agreement covering the donation of 10 Japanese patrol vessels to the Philippines. Japan Minister for Economic Affairs Hiroyuki Uchida said that Aquino, who left for Japan on Tuesday for an official visit will be witnessing the official signing of the agreement with the Philippine Department of Transportation and Communication and Japan Marine United on Thursday as signatories. Uchida said that Tokyo will start
delivering the 10 patrol boats from 2016 to 2018 to support the Philippine Coast Guard’s monitoring capabilities and disaster response and relief efforts. “The 10 patrol vessels that are provided by Japan over the years through an Official Development Assistance facility, will start constructing the boats and it will be scheduled to be delivered next
year... but it will take two years to deliver all kinds of vessels,” Uchida told the reporters in a press conference at the Japanese embassy in Manila yesterday. In 2014, the Japanese government earmarked P29-billion in soft loan to provide new multirole response vessel to the Philippines. The patrol vessels costs around $10-million, each vessel measuring 40 meters. Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said some parts of the vessels would be manufactured in the Philippines while the rest would be made in Japan. Uchida said that the signing on Thursday afternoon is a partnership of Japanese and Philippine government contracting a certain Japanese private company who is tasked to create or construct the 10
patrol boats. The Philippines and Japan’s exchanges of equipment and military knowledge are taking place amid China’s reclamation activities in the disputed areas in the South China Sea. Uchida confirmed that during Aquino’s Summit meeting with Abe on Thursday, both leaders will discuss the maritime issue and tension in the disputed waters. “The key points of the State Visit, both leaders will discuss their new stage of Japan and Philippines Strategic Partnership particularly strengthening the relationship in the political and security sea; enhancing economic exchanges; enhancing people to people exchanges; and improving cooperation in regional and global community,” he said.
House okays rural aid bill By Maricel V. Cruz
One-way lane is what has become of a street in Quezon City as a result of the excessive
number of vehicles parked on either side of the road. House bill 5098 requires motorist to first own a parking space or garage in their residences before they are allowed to buy a motor vehicle. LINO SANTOS
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THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a proposal mandating the government to provide employment assistance to qualified heads of families or unmarried, single adult members of qualified poor households in rural areas. House Bill 5672 or the proposed “Rural Employment Assistance Act” of Rep. Christopher Co of Ako-Bicol party list, provides for the program that
would be similar to the dole program of the Aquino administration dubbed as the cash for work program” of the Social Welfare and Development department. “The bill is envisioned to arrest the growing unemployment rate in the country which is highest in the ASEAN region. But above anything else, it is designed to make our rural poor productive in order to uplift their lives and their families as well as to spur economic growth in their commu-
nities,” said Co, a vice chair of the House Committee on Globalization and WTO. The measure acknowleged the declared policy of the State to promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.