Page 12 - Hello Philippines November 2015 'B' issue

12 www.hello-philippines.com
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Some Filipinos gave their accounts
of the Paris bombing and shooting
incidents at restaurants, bars, and
at a concert venue early Saturday
(Philippine time).
GMA News stringer Dick Villanueva
told “Balitanghali” anchor Mariz Umali
that two consecutive blasts rocked his
house near the national stadium where
France and Germany were holding a
friendly football match.
“Ang tinitirahan ko ... yung bintana
ay nayanig ng konti dahil sa sobrang
lakas nung impact ng pagsabog.
Magkasunod lang, anim na minuto lang
ang pagitan,” Villanueva said.
Uno Rodriguez, another Filipino
who lived near the attack sites, said
in another interview on Balitanghali
that residents and tourists practically
abandoned the streets, following
instructions from President Francois
Hollande.
“Normally yung area ko ay marami
dapat ang tourists pero wala nang
masyadong tao.... Medyo creepy and
scary,” Rodriguez said.
He added that posts on social media
PHL post in UAE registers over
55,000 new overseas voters
FROM just over 5,000 in the previous
registration period in the United Arab
Emirates, the recently concluded
registration period for overseas absentee
voters for the 2016 elections recorded
over 55,000 new registrants.
In a statement Monday, the Philippine
Embassy in Abu Dhabi said the 55,586
total number of new overseas voters has
exceeded its target of 40,500.
“This is a significant increase in the
number of new registrants considering
that during the 2011 to 2012 overseas
voters registration period, the Embassy
was able to register only 5,374 new
registrants,” it said.
The Embassy said in addition to the
55,586 new overseas voter registrants,
it also received 895 requests for transfer
of registration records, 69 applications
for correction or change of names/
other entries in the records, and
609 applications for re-activation of
registration records.
While registration of new overseas
voter registrants ended on October 31,
applications for re-activation of voting
about on-site reports caused further
disquiet in affected communities.
“While it’s happening, you can
see some social media posts galing
dun mismo sa theater kung saan sila
pinapatay and they are asking for
help. May nag-post dun na sinasabing
nakatakbo siya sa first floor and may
tama siya pero buhay siya and sana
pumunta yung mga rescuer,” Rodriguez
said.
While no group has claimed
responsibility for the attacks so far,
Villanueva cited a report from the
Ministry of Interior stating that the
attacks were coordinated.
“Itong pag-atake ng mga ‘to, parang
meron silang command na sabay-sabay
nilang ginawa para malito yung mga
awtoridad,” he said.
Villanueva pointed out that the
attack during the “Eagles of Death
Metal” concert at the Bataclan hall in
Central Paris may indicate an extremist
intent.
“Nung pumasok dun sa loob yung
mga suspect, bago sila namaril,
sumigaw sila ng ‘God is great’. Kumbaga
records had been extended by Commission
on Elections until December 9.
The embassy credited the assistance
given by Filipino organizations in Abu
Dhabi, Al Ain and Ruwais for the high
number of new registered overseas voters.
Media and church organizations,
hospitals, factories, Lulu Hypermarket,
Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society and
individual volunteers also helped make the
registration period a successful campaign,
the embassy added.
In return, the Embassy vowed to
conduct outreach activities to enable as
many Filipinos to vote in the month-long
Philippine elections from April 10 to May 9, “Especially sa Canada. Kahit who need to gain more experience to “Nakakatrabaho ka, but you cannot
2016, according to Philippine Ambassador
to the UAE Constancio R. Vingno,
Meanwhile, the Embassy also
announced that in partnership with the
Bayanihan Council, the umbrella federation
of the Filipino organizations in Abu Dhabi,
it is set to launch a voters education
program to “enhance the awareness of the
Filipinos on the programs and issues being
advanced by the candidates back home.” n
KBK, GMA News / November 9, 2015 / 1:04 pm
IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS November 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
sabi nila sa Arabic ay ‘Allahu akhbar’,
saka sila namaril,” he said. sumunod sa mga awtoridad. Ito po so Meanwhile, police continue their
far ang naibigay naming instructions sa street rounds both as precautionary
“Ngayong araw na ito, naganap rin mga kababayan natin,” she said. measure and to track down the
yung pambobomba dun sa Syria, na remaining suspects after eight of the
pinapaniwalaang ikinasawi na rin nung Hollande has declared a state of attackers were reported killed. n Rie
isa sa mga jihadist na Briton. Parang emergency and all security forces in
pinalalabas nila ngayon na retaliation the city were on full alert status. Takumi / LBG, GMA News / November 14, 2015 / 4:14 pm
yan. ‘Di naman nila masabi, wala pa
kasing umaako ... na Islamist group,”
Villanueva added.
Philippine Ambassador to France
H.E. Ma. Theresa Lazaro said that so
far, none of the 10 to 12,000 Filipinos
in Paris were reported hurt in the
attacks.
“Hinihingi pa lang namin yung
nationalities nung mga nasawi at meron
pa raw 200 na mga nasaktan o wounded
... Sa totoo lang ho, wala pa ho silang
maibibigay sa aming impormasyon,”
Lazaro told Balitanghali in a separate
interview.
Lazaro advised Filipinos in Paris to
stay put and keep in touch with the
Embassy through +33-620-5925-15
and +33144145700.
“Stay at home, avoid unnecessary
movement, stay vigilant, at tayo po’y
OFW Ortinez’s ‘laglag-bala’ case dismissed–Pasay City prosecutor
THE Pasay City prosecutor has intent to use” the bullet allegedly found Chan said the bullet presented
“dismissed for lack of probable cause” in her baggage at the Ninoy Aquino during the inquest of Ortinez was
the illegal possession of ammunition International Airport. “distinctively different” from the
charge against Overseas Filipino Ortinez denied she owned the bullet ammunition photographed which
worker Gloria D. Ortinez whom NAIA NAIA security said they found. was presented as evidence against
Aviation Security implicated in a Images of Chan’s resolution Ortinez.
“laglag bala” incident. dismissing the case was posted late The prosecutor said this “cast
Senior assistant city prosecutor Wednesday evening on the Facebook reasonable doubt as to the identity
Willy Chan said Ortinez had “not account of Atty. Spocky Farolan, legal of the subject ammunition.” n ELR, GMA
intent to possess with malevolent counsel of Ortinez. News / November 12, 2015 / 1:02 am
Pinoy skilled workers bank on APEC for better jobs abroad
FILIPINO skilled workers who a service crew in Canada despite work na kailangan niya, lalo na sa
want to make it abroad stand to benefit being an accountancy graduate and engineering, pumapasok pa yung
should the Asia-Pacific Economic manager of a fastfood company in the statistics, mathematics,” said Bryan
Cooperation (APEC) pass a cooperation Philippines. Baguian, a technical specialist in a
agreement for trade in services, a Other skilled workers, especially semiconductor company.
report on “24 Oras” said Wednesday. engineers, face the same dilemma, the The report said the government is
In her report, GMA News’ Kara report said. aware of this problem.
David said at present, Filipino skilled It said because the country’s “We can follow the demand in the
workers find it difficult to land a job previous educational system lacked two market, but normally underskilled kasi
abroad that befits their college courses years, foreign employers see Filipino yung license hindi recognized,” said
and work experience in the Philippines. professionals as underskilled workers Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
nakapag-aral ka dito ng 10 years, or qualify for high positions. practice your profession.”
kung doktor ka dito, pagdating doon “Sa trabaho marami pang ina- All this will be addressed, the “24
hindi ka magiging doctor agad,” said adjust, marami pang tinuturo sa Oras” report said, once the cooperation
Aileen Gaitan, who had to work as empleyado para maka-adapt dun sa agreement for trade in services is
approved.
It said the agreement would
standardize the qualifications for all
professionals and will make skills
the focus of employment more than
education.
The services sector will be part of
this year’s APEC Leaders’ Meeting to be
held in the Philippines on November 18
and 19, the report said.
The report noted that 50 percent of
the country’s gross domestic product
come from the services sector. n KBK, GMA
News / November 11, 2015 / 8:11 pm