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Pertussis or whooping cough: 40 child deaths so far this year – DOH
MANILA, Philippines — Assistant Health Secretary Albert Domingo reported on Wednesday that as of March 16 this year, some 40 children had died of whooping cough — a respiratory infection also called pertussis. An increase in new pertussis cases nationwide had been observed nationwide, with 28 cases reported from March 10 to 16. READ: What.....»»
What s Wrong With Secretary Kim star Park Min Young making first-ever Manila visit in May
The Korean star of "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" and "When The Weather Is Fine" Park Min Young will be having her first-ever fan meeting in the Philippines this May......»»
Mandaue drug bust: P476,000 ‘shabu’ seized from HVI
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities seized suspected shabu worth at least P476,000 from a 45-year-old man described as a high-value individual during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Mandaue City early on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024. The operation took place along Realty Road in the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. The.....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
Sulaiman leaves with Pinoys in his heart
World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman left Manila yesterday to return home to Mexico with fond memories of his five-day visit where he experienced Filipino hospitality, warmth and friendship. He said there will always be a place in his heart for the Philippines......»»
FACES OF CEBU: Maribeth Mall Ababon, 35, woman firefighter
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Womanhood does not set a boundary on what you can do to be of service to society. Over the years, this sentence has been proven to be true as women have found their place in various industries, especially those known to be historically dominated by men. Among these is the fire.....»»
Rama wants state of calamity declared in Cebu City due to El Niño
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Mayor Michael Rama wants to place Cebu City under a state of calamity or a state of emergency due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. The declaration will allow City Hall to use government funds to assist those who are badly affected by the worsening El Niño, especially the.....»»
Drug den in Punta Princesa, Cebu City shut down, three men nabbed
CEBU CITY, Philippines — With the help of concerned citizens, law enforcers arrested three newly identified drug personalities and dismantled a suspected drug den in Sitio Tres de Abril, Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City on Thursday afternoon, March 21, 2024. The drug bust took place at around 1:25 p.m. in the barangay, which was previously.....»»
Teen centers in Cebu City pushed amid rising teen pregnancy cases
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In response to the alarming rise in teenage pregnancy cases across Cebu, a local legislator penned a resolution urging the establishment of local adolescents and teen centers in Cebu. City Councilor Rey Gealon stipulated in the resolution the importance of providing essential support and education to empower young individuals in making.....»»
Humanity’s holocaust
In a war, there is no justification for protagonists to resort to slaughter and the abduction of civilians, which are acts of cowardice and unbridled evil at the same time. Using weapons to harm civilians is unacceptable in the civilized world, which makes the Hamas act on 7 October and thereafter the exact definition of terrorism. The release of hostages in batches does not improve the image of Hamas to the world, which has become aware of the ruthless character of the group supposedly fighting for the independence of Palestine. Hamas practices the same brand of terrorism as the Islamic State and the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups in the local setting, all abominations of the faith that teaches peace and coexistence. The 7 October terror attack was the worst in Israel’s 75-year history, if not the world’s, with the massacre of 1,400 individuals by a murderous horde that crossed the border from Gaza. Around 200 foreigners were confirmed dead by their national authorities, many also holding Israeli nationality. Israel estimates 222 people were abducted. The United States reported 31 dead, 13 missing, others abducted, with 13 Americans unaccounted for. Hamas released two American hostages on Friday, which was calculated to delay the imminent ground assault by Israeli troops. Another two Israeli hostages were released on Tuesday. Thailand has among the most casualties after Israel and the US, with 30 dead. Some 19 Thai hostages are in the hands of the terror organization. About 30,000 Thais work in Israel, most in the agricultural sector. France counted 30 dead, one hostage and six missing; Russia: 19 dead, two hostages, seven missing; Ukraine has 18 dead; the United Kingdom reported nine dead, seven missing; Nepal revealed 10 of its citizens killed and one missing; Argentina has nine dead and 21 missing; Canada said six citizens died while two are missing; Austria confirmed four deaths while one is missing; China’s foreign ministry said four Chinese were killed and two missing. An attack on a kibbutz and on the music festival, just kilometers from the Gaza border, killed four Filipinos, while two are missing. It does not stop there as Portugal also counted four dead and four missing; Romania reported five dead and one taken hostage; Belarus counted three dead, one missing; Brazil has three deaths; Peru has three deaths and four missing; South Africa announced two of its nationals had been killed. Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey have reported at least one of their citizens were slaughtered. The German foreign ministry said Wednesday that many of their nationals were killed without giving a precise number. Nations with unaccounted-for citizens who were likely taken hostage are Mexico, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Israel Ambassador Ilan Fluss told DAILY TRIBUNE editors that the war against Hamas is not only the fight of Israel but should be an international effort to defeat terror groups, considering the international dimension of the carnage. Fluss was also reminded of the Holocaust, which was Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s genocide of Jews in World War II, a method employed by Hamas in the plunder and murder of civilians that included burning people alive. Several of those killed were children, babies, and the elderly who could barely walk. Even the most ruthless gangs in other nations do not involve the weak in their acts of violence. Indeed, 7 October will live in infamy as the second Holocaust that has affected the whole civilized world. The post Humanity’s holocaust appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war
On 26 February 2022, while Russian tanks were barrelling towards Kyiv, Ukrainian lawyers were fighting on a different front, submitting a case against Moscow at the International Court of Justice. The gilded halls of the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the court sits, are a world away from the trenches of Donbas but Ukraine believes its legal attacks on Russia are a critical part of the fight. What cases are open in Ukraine's campaign of all-out "lawfare" against Moscow and, with little chance of Russian compliance, what's the point? Where are the legal front lines? The Hague, Strasbourg, and Hamburg. Ukraine has dragged Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which rules on disputes between nations, arguing that President Vladimir Putin abused the UN Genocide Convention when he used an alleged "genocide" in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for invasion. The final arguments in this case will be heard later Wednesday. Also in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a war crime. Neither of these courts, however, can try Russian leaders, including Putin, for the crime of "aggression", defined as an attack on one state by another in breach of the UN charter. So a special group of prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the ICC has been set up in The Hague with a view to establishing a special tribunal to bring senior Russians to trial. Ukraine also has cases open at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg over alleged Russian human rights abuses. Finally, Ukraine also brought cases to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg over what it says is Russia's disregard for international maritime law. Will Russia comply? It seems unlikely that Russia would comply with any ruling from an international court -- for example, in March 2022, the ICJ ordered Moscow to immediately halt its invasion. Russia didn't even turn up to the hearings in that case. But it's far from an academic exercise, said Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University. "There are examples of cases in which Russia has complied at least partially with an adverse ruling by an international court," Rose told AFP, citing a 2015 verdict in which Moscow reportedly stumped up half the cash it was ordered to. "It shows that non-compliance cannot be cynically assumed. Most of the time, states do comply with awards and judgments rendered by international courts and tribunals." What's the point? Even if Russia doesn't comply, Kyiv and most legal experts think the international community needs to draw a line in the sand. "Some countries do not comply with the law, including Russia. However, it is still important to call them out and to bring a case against them when they do breach the law," said Melanie O'Brien, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia Law School. "The case demonstrates that other countries do not view Russia's conduct as acceptable -- but rather, as unlawful," O'Brien told AFP. A ruling from the ICJ against Russia would be a further element in isolating Moscow and confirming it broke international law, she said. "It is also an important acknowledgment for victims of human rights abuses and international crimes such as war crimes that what happened to them and their loved ones was not lawful," she added. Proving that Russia's actions were in contravention of international law could also be key in future peace negotiations, including over potential reparations, noted Rose. How long will it take? The wheels of justice grind slowly. The ICJ "genocide" case is only about whether the court even has jurisdiction. A special tribunal is politically sensitive and will take a long time to establish. But the wheels of justice also grind exceedingly fine. "Just because Putin won't comply with a ruling now, he won't be in power forever," said O'Brien. "At some point, a change of regime will occur and may lead to compliance with international law." The post ‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Heat records topple across sweltering Asia
Temperature records are being toppled across Asia, from India's summer to Australia's winter, authorities said Friday, in fresh evidence of the impact of climate change. The sweltering temperatures match longstanding warnings from climate scientists and come as countries from Greece to Canada battle record heat and deadly wildfires. In India, the world's most populous country, officials said this August was the hottest and driest since national records began more than a century ago. The month falls in the middle of India's annual monsoon, which usually brings up to 80 percent of the country's yearly rainfall. But despite heavy downpours that caused deadly floods in the country's north earlier this month, overall rainfall has been far below average. August saw an average of just 161.7 millimeters (6.4 inches), 30.1 mm lower than the previous August record in 2005, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. That has left the country baking in unrelenting heat. "The large rainfall deficiency and weak monsoon condition is the main reason," the IMD said. Authorities in Japan also said Friday that the country had experienced its hottest summer since records began in 1898. Temperatures from June to August were "considerably higher" than average across the north, east and west of the country, the weather agency said. In many locations "not only maximum temperatures but also minimum temperatures" reached record highs, it added. And in Australia this winter was the warmest on record, with an average temperature of 16.75 degrees Celsius (62.15 Fahrenheit) for the season running from June to August. That is a hair above a record set in 1996, and the highest average winter temperature since the country's records began in 1910, the Bureau of Meteorology said. 'More intense, more frequent' Climate change has fueled searing temperatures across the globe already this year, with July the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Scientists have long warned that climate change produces heatwaves that are hotter, longer and more frequent. And the warming El Nino weather pattern could turbocharge the heat further, though its effects are likely to become more apparent later in the year as it strengthens. Heatwaves are among the deadliest natural hazards, with hundreds of thousands of people dying from preventable heat-related causes each year. In developed countries, adaptations including air conditioning can help mitigate the impact. But even in wealthy Japan, authorities said at least 53 people died of heatstroke in July, with almost 50,000 needing emergency medical attention. The effects of heat are unevenly distributed, with small children and the elderly less able to regulate their body temperatures and thus more vulnerable. Those who have to work outside are also particularly at risk. Even a healthy young person will die after enduring six hours of 35-degree-Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) warmth coupled with 100 percent humidity. But extreme heat does not need to be anywhere near that level to kill people, experts warn. John Nairn, a senior extreme heat adviser at the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said last month that heatwaves are "becoming much more dangerous". "It's the most rapidly emerging consequence of global warming that we are seeing," he told AFP in an interview. "People are far too relaxed about the signs," he lamented. "It will only get more intense and more frequent." The post Heat records topple across sweltering Asia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New twists in lethal mushroom mystery grip Australia
A mushroom mystery gripping Australia began to unravel Monday, with an amateur cook saying she accidentally put lethal fungi in a beef Wellington dish now linked to three deaths. Rumors are swirling around a close-knit community in rural Australia after a family mushroom lunch ended with three people dead and a local preacher fighting for his life. Police believe the dish was tainted with "death cap" mushrooms, which grow freely in the rolling foothills surrounding Leongatha -- a small town about two hours' drive southeast of Melbourne. The meal was cooked by community newsletter editor Erin Patterson, who has been named as a suspect because she appeared to remain in good health despite her four guests falling violently ill. The investigation has fueled intense speculation as police try to separate clumsy cooking from an alleged act of malice. Patterson stressed on Monday she had unwittingly brought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store and that the poisonings were accidental. "I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones," she reportedly said in a statement provided to Australian media. "I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved." Patterson prepared the beef Wellington for her estranged parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson on the afternoon of Saturday, July 29. She was married to Don and Gail's son Simon but the couple had been living separately for some time. Local Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather rounded out the guest list. Later that night the two couples started experiencing food poisoning symptoms and, with their health rapidly deteriorating, they sought the help of doctors at local hospitals. Heather and Gail died the following Friday, Don died the day after that, and 70-year-old Ian is still clinging to life in a critical but stable condition. "We are hopeful and continue to pray for his recovery," Ian's family said in a statement over the weekend. "We are deeply moved by the outpouring of kindness, prayers, and support from family, friends and the broader community." 'I'm devastated' Forensic experts have been testing a food dehydrator that was found at a rubbish dump nearby to see whether it contains traces of the toxic death cap mushrooms. According to Australian media, Patterson has admitted dumping the dehydrator -- saying she panicked and was worried about losing custody of her two children. She reportedly said she bought the mushrooms from a local grocery store in Melbourne and that she too had fallen ill after eating them alongside her guests. Patterson has forcefully protested her innocence, tearfully telling reporters last week that "I didn't do anything, I love them and I'm devastated they are gone". She has not been charged and police have provided no evidence of wrongdoing. Death cap mushrooms sprout freely throughout wet, warm parts of Australia and are easily mistaken for edible varieties. They reportedly taste sweeter than other types of mushrooms but possess potent toxins that slowly poison the liver and kidneys. The post New twists in lethal mushroom mystery grip Australia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message
Jailed Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei has described the bleak conditions she faces in detention in a rare public message released on Thursday ahead of the third anniversary of her imprisonment by Beijing. "I miss the sun," reads the message, described as a "love letter" to Australia dictated to officials on a consular visit. "In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year." The message was shared with Australian news outlets and on the social media platform X by Cheng's partner, Nick Coyle, on Thursday evening. Cheng, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, is formally charged with "supplying state secrets overseas", though no further details have been supplied. Her detention came as relations between Australia and China cratered, raising speculation it was politically motivated. Last year Coyle said he had serious concerns about a "range of health issues" Cheng faced behind bars. In Thursday's poignant message, the mother of two said she hadn't seen a tree in three years and spoke of her longing for Australia and the outside world. She said her bedding in jail was only taken out to air once a year. "When it came back last time, I wrapped myself in the doona (quilt) and pretended I was being hugged by family under the sun," the message read. "Most of all I miss my children," it ended. Cheng has been detained since August 2020 but was only formally arrested in February 2021. She was tried last March behind closed doors, with even Australia's ambassador to China blocked from entering the court to observe proceedings. The court deferred the verdict and Cheng's sentence, which could extend to life in prison. "She has missed her daughter going to high school. Her parents aren't getting any younger and Lei is their only child. So time is getting more and more precious," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Coyle as saying on Thursday. Last month Australia's foreign minister said she had again raised Cheng's case when she met China's top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Jakarta. Ties between the two sides have been improving since the election of Australia's center-left Labor government in May last year. Last week, China announced it was removing extra tariffs on Australian barley imposed in 2020 at the height of the dispute. The post ‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cyber education, a must
“Digitalization is the call of today, not the call of the future, but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted in his second SoNA his administration’s agenda for all government agencies and local government units to digitalize all their services. He called for the digitalization of payments, business registrations, issuances of permits and licenses, loan applications and revenue collections. The digitalization efforts, he stated, should be made to streamline processes for ease of doing business, combat corruption and make decisions in a data-driven and science-based manner. I commend this push for e-governance and e-commerce by the President. He is right. The digital age is upon us and we must invest in digital technology and infrastructure for our economy to be globally competitive. Cyber Education Law However, the very basic foundation needed for the government’s digitalization efforts should be the investment in human capital. We know that our labor is the country’s biggest asset and the factor that keeps our economy afloat. We export labor, remittances flow, and these in turn fund local consumption. That is why there is an urgent need for us to legislate the incorporation of cyber-education among our population and we must start with our basic education. Investing in cyber-education is not a novel idea. It is a model of development in many advanced countries. As the World Economic Forum or WEF found out in a study, countries like Israel (which currently ranks 8th in the Cyber Risk Literacy and Education Index) show that cyber-risk education and connected institutions can contribute significantly to the national economy by producing more jobs and greater innovation. It concluded that cyber-investment in human resources, i.e., prioritizing cybersecurity education earlier than most and regular assessment of cyber-risk literacy of children and youth at key points in their development and education, is an investment for the future and has been found to have led to a wealth of cyber-related innovation and economic growth among top-ranking countries. The UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Germany, France, and, recently, China, are also investing heavily in cybersecurity education. These countries recognize that cybersecurity education is essential to protecting the digital economy and both public and private digital infrastructure from cybercrimes and cyberattacks. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the need for cybersecurity education will only grow. Digitalization will positively impact Filipinos’ lives but concomitant negative issues have emerged related to Internet use. Some of the most common cybersecurity crimes and offenses in the world today continue to emerge and develop, some of which President Marcos Jr. mentioned in his speech, such as identity theft, phishing and other online scams. Current statistics also show the vulnerability of Filipino children in the digital space. A recent study claimed the Philippines is a global hotspot for Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children or OSAEC. A sharp increase in possible OSAEC cases has been recorded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from 1.34 million in 2020 to 3.19 million in 2021, the second highest in the world behind India. In 2018, the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime received 579,006 cyber tips on the online sharing, re-sharing, and selling of child sexual abuse images and videos. According to the study, sexual exploitation negatively impacts cognitive functioning, as well as mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression; and across the life course, it can negatively impact the physical, psychological, social, educative and economic well-being of children victims. The foregoing examples are just among the many important reasons to introduce cybersecurity education in the K-12 system. We must educate users of technology, especially children, on the potential risks they face when using internet communication tools, such as social media, chat, online gaming, email and instant messaging, to cultivate cybersecurity awareness at the primary school level. Verily, investing in cybersecurity awareness among the young population will have several positive impacts on the Philippine economy and quality of life. The post Cyber education, a must appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australian man charged with sex crimes against 91 young girls
An Australian former childcare worker sexually abused 91 young girls in a "chilling" spate of crimes across 15 years, police said Tuesday after charging him with 1,623 separate offenses, including rape. Seasoned detectives have described it as one of Australia's "most horrific" child sex abuse cases, with a scale of offenses "beyond the realms of anyone's imagination". "I know this news will seem unfathomable, and I know there will be many questions," said Assistant Federal Police Commissioner Justine Gough. "There is not much solace I can give to the parents and children who have been identified," she added. Included within the 1,623 charges are 136 counts of rape, 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child younger than 10 -- a charge used instead of rape in some Australian jurisdictions -- and 613 counts of making child pornography. Investigators have been hunting for the 45-year-old man since discovering a cache of child pornography photos and videos being shared on the dark web in 2014. But their efforts had been mostly fruitless until they made an unexpected breakthrough in August last year -- matching visual clues in the background of the material to a childcare center in the city of Brisbane. While the man was initially charged with just three offenses, Gough said the gravity of his "heinous" alleged crimes emerged as police sifted further through his computer and phone. Police believe the man filmed or took pictures of "all" his alleged crimes -- and eventually cataloged more than 4,000 photos and videos of abuse. New South Wales Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said it was one of the most horrific cases he had ever seen. "It's beyond the realms of anyone's imagination what this person did to these children," he said. "I can only say, you try not to be shocked after a long period of time in the police, but this is a horrific case." Young girls targeted Police said the abuse happened at 10 different childcare centers between 2007 and 2022 and exclusively targeted "prepubescent girls" -- some as young as one year old. While 87 of the 91 victims were from the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales, police believed four other unidentified children were abused while the man worked overseas for a brief spell between 2013 and 2014. Police said they were now working with international crime agencies to find those children, without revealing which country they were targeting. "We have been working tirelessly since August last year to identify the children in the alleged child abuse material," Gough said. Police said the man had passed the stringent series of background checks needed to work at childcare centers in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Queensland's Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Col Briggs said detectives had first been tipped off in 2021, but had been hamstrung by a lack of evidence. "There was insufficient evidence to take action against any person based on evidence available at the time," he said. Given the sheer volume of child abuse material that needed to be documented, a dedicated task force of about 35 staff was called in to work on the investigation. The man, who has not been named by police, is scheduled to face court in Queensland on August 21. Once those proceedings are finished, he will be extradited to New South Wales to face further charges. The post Australian man charged with sex crimes against 91 young girls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australia, Unicef launch facility for survivors of abuse, violence
Expanding access to facilities for women and child victims and survivors of violence and abuse, the Australian government and the United Nations Children’s Fund Philippines launched new tele-Women and Child Protection Units in Kapalong and Nabunturan, Davao del Norte......»»
Momshie Jolens excited for daughter Vika’s first appearance on show
“Momshie” Jolina Magdangal-Escueta excitedly shared on Instagram a clip of daughter Vika, butterfly crown adorning her head, on her first appearance on “Magandang Buhay”. Vika is the second child of Jolina and Mark Escueta, the drummer of Rivermaya. The couple’s eldest, 9-year-old Pele, accompanied his sister on the show. It also marked for the first time all the momshie hosts’ children on the show. Mela and Stela, Melai’s kids with Jason Franciso, and Nate Alcasid, Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid’s son, were all on hand to greet Vika on her 5th birthday. Jolina shared that for Vika’s birthday, the whole family went to Japan because Vika herself had requested it. Asked what she had enjoyed about the trip, Vika answered Nintendo World. Even the cold weather couldn’t put a dampener on her excitement, “It was basically raining, but soon it stopped.” Asked what fun things she enjoys doing, her brother Pele answered, “She likes putting stickers on… scrapbooks.” The show revealed the children’s appetite for travel as Nate revealed he wanted to go to Australia. Regine explained that because of the pandemic, they hadn’t been able to, but that it would be a good time to visit soon as Nate hadn’t seen his half-sister Sara in a long time. Sara is the daughter of Michelle Van Eimeren and Ogie Alcasid. Their other daughter Leila lives in Manila. Mela and Stela, who went viral with their over-the-top chicken nuggets convo, were their old intrepid selves regaling the audience with their hilarious antics. Stela even told a story about when she was in church, ”Nakita ko crush ko, pero pagkita ko…” she gestured that her crush gave her the thumbs down. Mela said she wanted to travel to Gensan, HK, Japan and Korea, while Stela wanted to go to Disneyland. The post Momshie Jolens excited for daughter Vika’s first appearance on show appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Special waiter serves VIP visitors
To most people, persons with Down Syndrome are perceived as having a hard time adjusting to their place in society, which is something of an inconvenient truth. Although some people see them as harbingers of good luck to a family, still they suffer discrimination as they are cruelly referred to in stereotypical insults. It is, however, different for 21-year-old Kim Laniva who is a waiter at the posh Pearl Farm Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte. Kim works four hours a day, five days a week, serving local and foreign guests at the resort owned by the Floirendo family. A native of Peñaplata, Samal City, Kim doesn’t speak English or Filipino fluently. His speech is also affected by speech defects associated with Down Syndrome. So for this interview, Juvy Estrera, the head cashier, took charge of answering the questions for Kim. “We have three employees with Down Syndrome but Kim is the only one assigned here at the resort. The other two are at the jump-off point. They were sent here by a foundation to help experience a normal life,” Estrera said. Kim has been working at Pearl Farm for a year now, and Estrera said he is dependable when it comes to serving drinks and doing minimal chores. “He only works four hours a day because he easily gets tired. But Kim’s parents are supportive and take him to work and pick him up every day,” Estrera said. She said Kim receives a salary, which is a great help toward his medical needs. The Philippines, through Proclamation 157 of then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, upholds the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, declaring the month of February as National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month. The country recognizes that disabled children have the right to special care, education, and training to help them enjoy full and decent lives. The proclamation states that there are now hundreds of thousands of Filipino children with Down Syndrome, who are invariably suffering from genetic mental, physiological, and physical disabilities, and who deserve dignity and respect from everyone. They also need the State’s mantle of protection against abuse, violence, and public indifference. Lady luck smiles Meanwhile, Estrera said the resort is now earning twice what it did before with the number of guest arrivals, particularly balikbayans, and foreigners. She said the island resort was forced to close during the Covid 19 pandemic. “Since we are ‘no work, no pay’ here, we didn’t earn anything during the pandemic. But the company did not forget us. Even the government as we received ayuda (aid). Now I can say that tourist arrivals have doubled. Revenge travel it is,” she said. The Department of Tourism said the number of international tourists is surpassing targets for this year, as it logged 2.67 million international visitor arrivals as of 29 June 2023, 2.44 million of them foreigners. The DoT is targeting a baseline of 4.8 million international tourist arrivals. South Koreans remain the top source of tourists with 665,757 traveling to the Philippines, followed by the United States (509,526), Australia (128,232), Japan (127,139), and Canada (123,439). In 2022, the tourism industry contributed 6.2 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, churning up P1.87 trillion in tourism revenues. According to its website, Pearl Farm Beach Resort was once the site of a pearl farm, where precious pearls were nurtured and cultivated as the ocean’s most beautiful gems. Today, Pearl Farm serves as Samal Island’s jewel, an exceptional destination just off the coast of bustling Davao City. The post Special waiter serves VIP visitors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»