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‘Ondoy’ death toll rises to 240; new cyclone to enter RP
GMANews.TV – 2 hours 44 minutes ago
Even as the death toll from tropical storm “Ondoy” (international name Ketsana) rose to 240 as of Tuesday morning, the Philippines should brace itself for a new tropical depression heading towards it as early as Tuesday night.
“(It is) expected to enter Philippine area of responsibility either tonight or tomorrow morning,” said Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) head Prisco Nilo during the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting presided by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday.
AT A GLANCEIn its Tuesday 6 a.m. advisory, the NDCC reported the extent of damages that tropical storm “Ondoy” has so far inflicted on the country.
Reported dead: 240
NCR: 101 CAR: 3 Region III: 37 Region IV-A: 99
Missing: 37
CAR: 1 Region II: 9 Region III: 7 Region IV:-A: 20 Region IX: 1
Affected Filipinos:
319,881 families 1,872,036 persons
Damaged houses: 3,272
Totally damaged: 2,223 Partially damages: 1,049
Cost of damages: P2,339,620,884
Infrastructure: P1,517,096 Agriculture: P882,524,884
- GMANews.TV Nilo said the tropical depression will be named “Pepeng” once it enters Philippine territory.
He said their “worst-case” scenarios show Pepeng making a landfall in Northern or Central Luzon early next week.
“The general direction is toward north Luzon but it will be [heading] toward Taiwan. (It is) possible to make landfall early next week (but there is) also a chance (it will) move (toward) Taiwan,” he said.
The Pagasa chief said they are monitoring a second weather disturbance following the tropical depression. He described it as a “developing” low-pressure area.
Earlier, Pagasa forecaster Elvie Enriquez said at least one of the new weather disturbances approaching the country has winds of 55 kph at the center.
“Ang pasok ay Huwebes pa … Pag patuloy ang west northwest na direction, eastern Luzon (It is expected to enter Philippine territory Thursday [and] it may affect eastern Luzon),” she said.
She said it may affect some areas in eastern Luzon, including Aurora, Quezon, and Isabela provinces. It may affect Metro Manila, as the cyclone may enhance the southwest monsoon and bring more rains, he said.
This early, Defense Secretary and NDCC chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Tuesday that the government is already preparing for the approaching cyclone. He said the NDCC will meet with regional disaster management units to make the proper preparations.
“Yan ay kailangan pagusapan nang masusi ngayon, lalo sa pulong bayan at lungsod ng hardest hit areas (We will have to discuss it in detail especially with officials of areas hardest hit by ‘Ondoy’),” Teodoro said in an interview on dzBB radio.
On Saturday, Ondoy battered Metro Manila and several provinces in the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions with its total rainfall accounting for the most in recorded history, surpassing the previous record for the metropolis in 1967. – with Kim Tan, GMANews.TV
‘Ondoy’ deaths now 140 says NDCC, toll expected to climb
AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV
09/28/2009 | 01:10 PM
//
(UPDATE 4 as of 5:40 p.m.) The total number of fatalities from “Ondoy” that submerged some areas in Central Luzon and Calabarzon in mud and water may already be more than 200. But the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has placed the death toll at 140 as of 5:30 p.m. Monday, pending reports from local government units.
Ninety-six were killed in Region IV-A or the Calabarzon area; 36 died in Region III or in Central Luzon; seven in National Capital Region and one in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The number of missing individuals remained at 32. Five people were injured during the height of the storm.
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More deaths
But reports from local government units (LGUs) and volunteer groups showed that the number of fatalities, injuries, and missing persons could be higher as more flooded areas are reached by rescuers and relatives of victims.
In Rizal province alone, 82 deaths were recorded, according to radio reports quoting Gov. Casimiro Ynares, Sunday evening. A separate counting by the Parish Pastoral Council claimed that 36 people died in Brgy. Silangan in Quezon City. In Marikina City, 58 were killed, according to reports reaching Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
In Antipolo City, 22 people died, while four went missing. City mayor Danilo Leyble told radio dzBB Monday afternoon that he received the report about the casualties at 10 a.m., adding that eight of the 22 fatalities were from Barangay (village) San Jose, while the rest were from barangays Dela Paz, Sta. Cruz, and Cupang.
In Bulacan province, at east 23 people died and two others went missing, Liz Mungcal, executive officer of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Management Council, told GMANews.TV at 3 p.m., Monday.
She said only the towns of Pandi and San Ildefonso were spared by the storm. The rest – 19 municipalities and three cities covering 209 barangays (villages) – were badly hit by Ondoy, affecting 63,962 families or 252,979 people.
In Laguna province, Ernesto Montencillo, provincial social welfare officer told GMANews.TV that eight had died as of 1 p.m., Monday. There were 72,170 families or 310,593 people affected by the storm in 19 municipalities covering 150 barangays (villages).
Anomalous
Ondoy brought rains that weather specialists described as “anomalous.” While it did not develop into a typhoon, Ondoy brought rains of 341 millimeters (mm) in the first six hours that it struck Metropolitan Manila on Saturday, breaking the highest 24-hour rainfall of 334 mm in Metropolitan Manila in June 1967, according to the Philippines’ weather forecasting bureau.
The Philippines’ maximum annual rainfall is only 4,064 mm or 338.6 per month or 11.3 mm per day. Ondoy’s 341-mm of rain in six hours was equivalent to more than 30 days of rainfall.
In its latest report, the NDCC also said that damage in property caused by Ondoy was worth P1.4 billion, including 204 houses totally destroyed, and 354 houses partially destroyed.
Two more weather disturbances?
Still reeling from Ondoy’s wrath, state weather forecasters said on Monday that the country could be hit by two other tropical depressions later this week.
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)’s forecaster Connie Dadivas said the two weather disturbances might enter Philippine territory late Wednesday or Thursday.
But another Pagasa forecaster Joel Jesusa, said the two low pressure areas (LPA) were still far away to affect any part of the country for now.
“Malayo pa po, sobrang layo pa ang binabanggit nating dalawang LPA, 1,000 km pa ito (The two LPAs are still too far away, they are about 1,000 km away),” he said on dzXL radio. He added that the two LPAs were moving west-northwest as of Monday.
Earlier in the day, Pagasa said Ondoy continued to move farther away from the country, moving toward Vietnam. – GMANews.TV
RP ‘overwhelmed’ by disaster
Mynardo Macaraig, AFP | 09/28/2009 10:26 AM
Send to friendMANILA – The Philippine government said Monday it could not cope with massive flooding that has displaced nearly half a million people, amid fears the death toll could soar well past the official tally of 86.
Reaching people still stranded after Saturday’s disaster in the national capital of Manila and surrounding areas, possible disease outbreaks, looting and providing survivors with aid were all big concerns, authorities said.
“We are concentrating on massive relief operations. (But) the system is overwhelmed, local government units are overwhelmed,” the head of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Anthony Golez, told reporters.
“We were used to helping one city, one or two provinces but now, they are following one after another. Our assets and people are spread too thinly.”
Saturday’s disaster saw tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) drop the heaviest rain in more than 40 years on Manila and neighbouring areas of Luzon island.
The nine-hour deluge left some areas of Metro Manila, a sprawling city of 12 million people, under six metres (20 feet) of water, with poor drainage systems and other failed infrastructure exacerbating the problem.
Eighty percent of the city was submerged and some areas remained more than knee-deep in water on Monday. Local television reported that some people remained stranded on the second floors of their homes.
Adding to the chaos, telephone and power services in some parts of the city remained cut, while local government officials said survivors in makeshift evacuation camps were desperately short of food, water and clothes.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the official death toll stood at 86, with another 32 people missing. He said more than 435,000 people had been displaced.
However, a radio station quoted local officials as saying that 58 more bodies had been recovered from a flooded area in the Manila suburb of Marikina, and that they had not yet been included in the official tally.
Teodoro, who is heading the government’s rescue operation, said the government was looking into that report.
The chief of a riverside village in Quezon city, part of Metro Manila, also told AFP that 29 bodies had been recovered and 108 people remained missing from his community.
Armando Endaya, captain of Bagong Silangan village, said those deaths had not been reported to national government officials.
Endaya was overseeing a makeshift evacuation camp set up at a gymnasium, where more than 3,000 people were sheltering on the concrete floor alongside 11 white coffins containing the bodies of their neighbours.
“We are overwhelmed. We are waiting for more aid to arrive. We are trying to mobilise our own relief operations here. But we need more help,” Endaya told AFP from the gymnasium, which had a roof but no walls.
The home of Edgar Halog, 44, a jeepney driver, was destroyed in the floods and he was sheltering at the centre with his wife and seven children aged between three and 12.
“We do not have any money, we do not know what to do. We don’t have any other relatives. We are waiting for food rations,” Halog told AFP.
With sanitation services across the city in disarray, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said authorities were working to prevent disease outbreaks.
“Our surveillance is continuing in evacuation centres for possible outbreaks and epidemics,” he said.
Our health teams are bringing in water and (products for) sanitation and hygiene at evacuation centres to make sure that disease does not spread.”
Looting was also a concern.
Many people were refusing to leave their flooded homes because they wanted to protect their belongings from looters, Teodoro and other officials said.
Initial frantic rescue efforts saw military helicopters and rubber boats fan out across the city to pluck people off houses and car roofs.
The government said more than 7,900 people had been rescued.
(UPDATE 7) ‘Ondoy’ toll rise to more than 100 – reports
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/27/2009 2:37 AM
Send to friendGovernor reports 82 fatalities in Rizal province
Aerial view of a flooded portion of Marcos Highway in Marikina City, September 27, 2009. ABS-CBN News/Jeff Canoy
MANILA – The death toll from the onslaught of Tropical Storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) continued to rise and has reached more than 100 as rescuers reach submerged areas, according to various reports Sunday evening.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), in its latest report at 6 p.m., said the number of fatalities has reached 73.
This however did not include the additional 40 casualties reported by Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III in a radio dzMM interview later Sunday evening. He said the death toll in the province, which was one of the hardest hit by “Ondok” has reached 82. NDCC in its 6 p.m. report has only reported 42 casualties in the province.
Ynares also said that 45 persons were still missing in the province which would increase the NDCC count to 48.
27 were also reported to have drowned in Quezon City, according to a report by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6. NDCC, in its 6 p.m. report accounted for only 2 casualties in the city.
18 bodies have also been recovered in Provident Village in Marikina City. In the NDCC report, only 1 casualty has been reported in the city.
The bodies of 6 soldiers and militiamen meanhwile were recovered while another was still missing after they were swept by raging currents while conducting rescue operations in Laguna province.
The NDCC also said that 5,594 people have been rescued in areas hit by the storm that has affected 337,216 persons.
Nearly 60,000 people were already evacuated to at least 118 centers.
The NDCC said that 4 other persons (aside from the 2 in QC and 1 in Marikina) died in NCR, 1 from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 2 more from Region IV-A (aside from the casualties in Rizal), and 21 from Region III.
Among those reported dead in Central Luzon were 12 who were found dead after a landslide hit Arayat town in Pampanga.
Calaca town in Batangas, Calauag town in Quezon, and Kabugao town in Apayao, meanwhile, reported one dead each in the NDCC report.
Meanwhile, 4 have been reported injured in the NDCC bulletin.
The NDCC said 337,216 people were affected by the storm in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, batangas, Laguna, Rizal, and Camarines Sur, or a total of 69, 513 families. The partial total of evacuees has reached 11,967 families, or 59,521 people, located in 118 evacuation centers.
State of National Calamity
A state of national calamity has been declared over 27 provinces in 7 regions, as well as in the NCR.
The provinces included are Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Benguet (CAR); Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur (Region I); Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya (Region II); Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Bataan (Region III); Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Region IV-A); Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, and Marinduque (Region IV-B); and Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur (Region V).
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has issued an NDCC Circular to chairpersons of Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils in Regions I, II, III, and CAR, directing them to “undertake necessary response measures” to avoid loss of lives and destruction of property.
Slideshow: Aftermath of tropical storm Ondoy |
For larger slideshow, click here |
‘One month’s worth of rain’
Ondoy, with winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of 100 kph, hit the provinces of Aurora and Quezon at around 11 a.m. Saturday, then moved through Central Luzon at 19 kph, the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) said.
PAGASA weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month’s worth of rain fell on Metro Manila in less than a day.
“We knew there would be rain but not like this,” Quitlong said.
About 34.1 centimeters of rain fell on Metro Manila in just six hours, close to the 39.2-centimeter average for the entire month of September.
The previous record was 33.4 centimeters recorded during a 24-hour period in June 1967, according to PAGASA chief Nathaniel Cruz.
“However good your drainage system is, it will be overwhelmed by that amount of rainfall,” he said.
The deluge left some areas of the sprawling city of 12 million people under up to six meters (20 feet) of water, forcing the government to declare a “state of calamity” that allowed authorities to use emergency funds.
As of Sunday morning, the floods have subsided in many areas, but a number of areas, particularly in Marikina, Pasig, the Camanava area, and parts of Manila and Quezon City, are still under water.
As of 11 a.m., the tropical storm has moved on to the South China Sea.
Roads turn to raging rivers
Desperate residents were stranded on rooftops after the nine-hour deluge on Saturday turned Manila’s highways into raging rivers that swept away shanties and cars.
“This is the worst (flooding) that I have seen,” Teodoro said.
More than 4,000 people have been rescued, either plucked by army helicopters from their homes or by rubber boats but many remained stranded on Sunday afternoon.
“If you are on the roof, don’t try to leave. Just remain there and we will do everything to rescue you,” Teodoro said in a radio broadcast.
In suburban Pasig city however, panicked residents were seen wading dangerously through neck-deep waters hoisting their children and belongings above their heads.
Amid the chaos, hospitals in the eastern part of the city were evacuated, while telephone and power lines were cut, officials said.
Slideshow: Aftermath of Ondoy |
For larger slideshow, click here |
One of Manila’s three airport terminals was also closed on Saturday, affecting several flights and stranding hundreds of passengers.
‘Stay calm’
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, speaking on dzMM on Sunday morning, advised the public to stay calm and obey the instructions of local government executives and civil defense authorities.
“We shall manage our way out of this latest natural calamity. Let us band together and look out for each other in the finest Filipino tradition of caring and sharing,” she said.
On Saturday, Arroyo visited Marikina City, one of the badly-flooded areas in Metro Manila, where at least 1,000 people were reported trapped on rooftops.
Arroyo also visited the rescue operations in Pasig City, Cainta as well as visited Arayat, Pampanga where 12 died due to a landslide.
‘80% under water’
Teodoro said the floodwaters and the large numbers of stranded vehicles blocking roads gave rescuers “a hard time” as they sought to reach those affected.
While the rains had temporarily ceased Sunday, he said more flooding may hit northern provinces if reservoirs burst their banks.
Philippine Red Cross chairwoman Gwendolyn Pang said rescuers were struggling to reach many areas, with many highways rendered impassable.
“This has never happened before. Almost 80 percent of metropolitan Manila is underwater,” Pang told AFP.
In the district of Marikina, one of the worst-hit areas, rescuers waded in muddy floodwaters to reach the stranded, Red Cross official Dave Barnuevo said.
“The water is taking a long time to go down. The water is muddy and thick, and we have had to push our rubber boats in neck-deep flood (waters) in some areas,” Barnuevo told AFP.
“We have rescued entire families marooned in their homes. They have not eaten and begged for food and water.”
Flights resume, schools closed
The government appealed for international aid to help tens of thousands marooned by flashfloods, and apologized for the delays in rescue efforts to avoid potential political fallout from the crisis.
“We’re doing our best to get to all those people still trapped by the flashflood,” Anthony Golez, spokesman for NDCC, told reporters, adding soldiers in rubber boats would evacuate them to safety.
“We’re sorry for the delays. We’re encountering difficulty in reaching flooded areas.
Hundreds remained on rooftops, waving and shouting for food, water and warm clothes as floodwaters began to subside in and around Manila on Sunday.
Television images showed several houses and cars being swept by swollen rivers and clusters of people on the roofs of their homes. Army and civilian helicopters were seen dropping food and relief goods.
The government has been criticized for its handling of the crisis and dozens of angry people called radio stations to appeal for help and blame state agencies for lack of preparation.
“This will have a big political impact on the government,” Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, told Reuters, adding it could further sink the popularity of the administration.
“People are wondering how the government spent its budget for flood control projects. The government was caught unprepared by the heavy rain brought by the typhoon.”
“We’re appealing for more donations of food, water and warm clothes,” Teodoro said, adding the United States and U.N. agencies had responded with boats, food, water and relief goods.
Schools will be closed on Monday because most of them are being used as temporary shelters for more than 5,000 displaced families.
Airport operations returned to normal and power supply was slowly being restored. With reports from the Agence France-Presse, The Philippine Star, dzMM, and ABS-CBN News
as of 09/28/2009 3:09 AM
(UPDATE 5) ‘Ondoy toll’ now 73
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/27/2009 2:37 AM
State of calamity in 27 provinces, NCR
Aerial view of a flooded portion of Marcos Highway in Marikina City, September 27, 2009. ABS-CBN News/Jeff Canoy
MANILA – The death toll from the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) rose to 73 as of Sunday evening, reports from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said, as the number of affected people rise to more than 300,000.
In the latest report on the effects of Ondoy, the NDCC said the number of people dead rose to 73. At least 23 were still reported missing.
The NDCC also said that 5,146 people have been rescued in areas hit by the storm that has affected 337,216 persons.
Over 60,000 people were already evacuated to at least 118 centers.
In its 12 noon report, the NDCC said that seven people died in the NCR, one from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and 44 from Region IV-A, the NDCC report stated.
Rizal province reported the most number of casualties, with 23 dead reported in Tanay, 10 in Angono, 5 in Baras, 3 in Montalban, and one in Teresa.
In Metro Manila, the 7 dead were from Muntinlupa (3), Quezon City (2), and Marikina City and San Juan (1 each).
Calaca town in Batangas, Calauag town in Quezon, and Kabugao town in Apayao, meanwhile, reported one dead each.
Meanwhile, 23 people are reported missing, and 4 have been reported injured.
A separate report meanwhile from ABS-CBN Pampanga said that 12 people were found dead by rescuers in a landslide in Arayat town in Pampanga province while 8 others were reported missing.
The NDCC said 294,555 people are affected by the storm in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, batangas, Laguna, Rizal, and Camarines Sur, or a total of 59,241 families. The partial total of evacuees has reached 9,601 families, or 47,261 people, located in 101 evacuation centers.
State of National Calamity
A state of national calamity has been declared over 27 provinces in 7 regions, as well as in the NCR.
The provinces included are Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Benguet (CAR); Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur (Region I); Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya (Region II); Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Bataan (Region III); Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Region IV-A); Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, and Marinduque (Region IV-B); and Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur (Region V).
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has issued an NDCC Circular to chairpersons of Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils in Regions I, II, III, and CAR, directing them to “undertake necessary response measures” to avoid loss of lives and destruction of property.
Slideshow: Aftermath of tropical storm Ondoy |
For larger slideshow, click here |
‘One month’s worth of rain’
Ondoy, with winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of 100 kph, hit the provinces of Aurora and Quezon at around 11 a.m. yesterday, then moved through Central Luzon at 19 kph, the state weather bureau said.
Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month’s worth of rain fell on Metro Manila in less than a day.
“We knew there would be rain but not like this,” Quitlong said.
About 34.1 centimeters of rain fell on Metro Manila in just six hours, close to the 39.2-centimeter average for the entire month of September.
The previous record was 33.4 centimeters recorded during a 24-hour period in June 1967, according to chief government weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz.
“However good your drainage system is, it will be overwhelmed by that amount of rainfall,” he said.
The deluge left some areas of the sprawling city of 12 million people under up to six metres (20 feet) of water, forcing the government to declare a “state of calamity” that allowed authorities to use emergency funds.
As of Sunday morning, the floods have subsided in many areas, but a number of areas, particularly in Marikina, Pasig, the Camanava area, and parts of Manila and Quezon City, are still under water.
As of 11 a.m., the tropical storm has moved on to the South China Sea.
Roads turn to raging rivers
Desperate residents were stranded on rooftops after the nine-hour deluge on Saturday turned Manila’s highways into raging rivers that swept away shanties and cars.
“This is the worst (flooding) that I have seen,” Teodoro said.
More than 4,000 people have been rescued, either plucked by army helicopters from their homes or by rubber boats but many remained stranded on Sunday afternoon.
“If you are on the roof, don’t try to leave. Just remain there and we will do everything to rescue you,” Teodoro said in a radio broadcast.
In suburban Pasig city however, panicked residents were seen wading dangerously through neck-deep waters hoisting their children and belongings above their heads.
Amid the chaos, hospitals in the eastern part of the city were evacuated, while telephone and power lines were cut, officials said.
Slideshow: Aftermath of Ondoy |
For larger slideshow, click here |
One of Manila’s three airport terminals was also closed on Saturday, affecting several flights and stranding hundreds of passengers.
‘Stay calm’
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, speaking on dzMM on Sunday morning, advised the public to stay calm and obey the instructions of local government executives and civil defense authorities.
“We shall manage our way out of this latest natural calamity. Let us band together and look out for each other in the finest Filipino tradition of caring and sharing,” she said.
On Saturday, Arroyo visited Marikina City, one of the badly-flooded areas in Metro Manila, where at least 1,000 people were reported trapped on rooftops.
In an interview with dzMM on Sunday at around 1:40 am, Marikina Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando said they began the rescue operations at 10 am on Saturday, and by early Sunday, she said the number of people still on rooftops had already fallen to around 100.
Fernando said floods in the city were subsiding as she advised residents still on rooftops to stay put and wait for the rubber boats that have been sent to rescue those stranded.
‘80% under water’
Teodoro said the floodwaters and the large numbers of stranded vehicles blocking roads were giving rescuers “a hard time” as they sought to reach those affected.
While the rains had temporarily ceased Sunday, he said more flooding may hit northern provinces if reservoirs burst their banks.
Philippine Red Cross chairwoman Gwendolyn Pang said rescuers were struggling to reach many areas, with many highways rendered impassable.
“This has never happened before. Almost 80 percent of metropolitan Manila is underwater,” Pang told AFP.
In the district of Marikina, one of the worst-hit areas, rescuers waded in muddy floodwaters to reach the stranded, Red Cross official Dave Barnuevo said.
“The water is taking a long time to go down. The water is muddy and thick, and we have had to push our rubber boats in neck-deep flood (waters) in some areas,” Barnuevo told AFP.
“We have rescued entire families marooned in their homes. They have not eaten and begged for food and water.” — With reports from the Agence France-Presse, The Philippine Star, dzMM, and ABS-CBN News
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See slide show of calamity caused by Typhoon Ondoy (aka tropical Storm Ketsana) here
(UPDATE) ‘Ondoy’ lashes Central Luzon; 30 areas affected
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/26/2009 8:35 AM
MANILA – More than 30 areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, were placed under storm alerts as tropical storm “Ondoy” accelerated further and moved closer to Central Luzon on Saturday morning.
Weather bureau PAGASA said Ondoy was cruising west northwest at 19 kilometers per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kph and gustiness of up to 100 kph.
It was located 130 kilometers southeast of Baler town, Aurora province or 90 kilometers east northeast of Infanta, Quezon as of 5 a.m.
Public storm warning signal No. 2 was hoisted over La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bulacan, northern part of Quezon, Polillo Island, Camarines Norte and Rizal.
Signal No. 1 was raised over Isabela, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Ilocos Sur, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Mindoro provinces, Lubang Island, southern part of Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Burias Island, and Metro Manila.
PAGASA said the storm is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over the central and southern parts of Luzon, as well as the Visayas regions.
Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA’s chief weather forecaster, said they expect Ondoy to cross Luzon while on its way to South China Sea.
Cruz said Ondoy may make landfall in Aurora province on Saturday morning and touch Pangasinan at night time before heading back to the sea.
“Inaasahan ho nating dumaan ito sa Luzon sa buong maghapon,” the weather forecaster told radio dzMM.
The weather bureau has also advised the Philippine Coast Guard to stop fishing boats and other small seacrafts from sailing in the affected areas.
The advisory has left more than 1,000 passengers stranded in southern Luzon and Bicol ports.
PAGASA has also alerted the National Disaster Coordinating Council for possible flashfloods and landslides in the affected areas, partcularly in Laguna, Quezon, Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan provinces.
Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority said 13 flights of Zest Air SeaAir and PAL Express to Caticlan, Basco town in Batanes, San Jose town in Mindoro and Tablas in Romblon have been cancelled due to bad weather.
as of 09/26/2009 3:38 PM
(Update) 42 killed, 20 missing in Rizal
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/27/2009 2:37 AM
Around 280,000 affected by ‘Ondoy’
MANILA – At least 50 people were reported dead as tropical storm Ondoy lashed the Philippines, bringing massive flooding.
In an interview with dzMM at 3:15 am on Sunday, National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman Gilbert Teodoro said 280,00 people were affected by the storm.
In Rizal province, Teodoro said 23 died in Tanay, 10 in Angono, 5 in Baras, 3 in Montalban, 1 in Teresa. Twenty people are still missing in Tanay, Rizal, he added.
In Metro Manila, 5 were killed: 3 in Muntinlupa City, and 2 in Quezon City.
One died in Calaca, Batangas, and another died in Palawan, Quezon.
One person was also killed and one missing in the Cordillera region.
Teodoro said over 41,200 people are in 92 evacuation centers.
Various government agencies and civic groups have rescued 3,688 people from rooftops.
Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares earlier said 42 were killed in Rizal province as entire towns were inundated.
Appeals for calm
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, speaking on dzMM on Sunday morning, advised the public to stay calm and obey the instructions of local government executives and civil defense authorities.
“We shall manage our way out of this latest natural calamity. Let us band together and look out for each other in the finest Filipino tradition of caring and sharing,” she said.
On Saturday, Arroyo visited Marikina City, one of the badly-flooded areas in Metro Manila, where at least 1,000 people were reported trapped on rooftops.
In an interview with dzMM on Sunday at around 1:40 am, Marikina Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando said they began the rescue operations at 10 am on Saturday, and by early Sunday, she said the number of people still on rooftops had already fallen to around 100.
Fernando said floods in the city were subsiding as she advised residents still on rooftops to stay put and wait for the rubber boats that have been sent to rescue those stranded.
No classes in Marikina
She said there will likely be no classes on Monday in Marikina City due to the big damage caused by tropical storm Ondoy. She said everyone’s help will be needed in the clean-up.
Fernando said the city only had 7 rubber boats for its rescue operation in Marikina City. To help in the effort, President Arroyo had sent 8 amphibious vehicles to Marikina.
Asked about those stranded in SSS Village, Fernando said there was still no rescue operation there since it was not beside overflowing rivers. She said there was no danger to life in SSS Village, especially since the floods were subsiding already.
She said the affected area of Malanday in Marikina had not been accessed yet.
Fernando said those affected in Provident Village would be evacuated to Barangka Elementary School.
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Chairman Richard Gordon told radio dzMM on Sunday morning it had sent out 19 rubber boats to Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan. Seven were sent to Marikina, 2 to Cainta, and 2 to Pasig.
Gordon said around 200 people have been rescued by the PNRC. He said it took hours to reach the affected areas due to the flooded roads.
Open mall parking
Meanwhile, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the president ordered Teodoro to compel mall owners to open their parking spaces to “accommodate for free” stranded vehicles along EDSA and other major roads in the metropolis, including the drivers and passengers
“NDCC is asserting this under its calamity powers. So we are calling on mall owners to allow the use of their parking spaces,” Remonde said.
He said Teodoro is contacting the mall owners so that the order can be implemented.
Remonde said the order was given after President Arroyo saw the thousands of stranded vehicles along major roads. Clearing the roads will help in the rescue operations in badly-affected areas.
Annie Garcia, speaking for the SM Malls, said they had already opened their parking spaces to stranded vehicles.
Teodoro had ordered that rescue efforts be focused in Marikina City, Cainta in Rizal, and Pasig City.
The government also ordered the MRT and LRTA to operate the metro trains for 24 hours to help stranded citizens get to their homes and work places.
A temporary command post was put up by the MMDA and the NDCC at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Katipunan Avenue which will serve as nerve center for the rescue operations in Marikina and Cainta. — reports from Agence France-Presse, dzMM, ABS-CBN News
DFA’s Romulo backs Noynoy
By Danny Buenafe, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau | 09/21/2009 10:21 AM
LONDON – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo is supporting the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, making him the first Arroyo Cabinet member to openly declare his support for the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer.
In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Europe News Bureau, Romulo cited his deep ties with the family of former President Corazon Aquino, saying Aquino supported him since his early days as a congressman until he became a senator for 12 years.
Romulo also served as Aquino’s budget secretary.
The foreign affairs secretary said he sided with Aquino during the first People Power revolt in 1986 and again in the 2001 “EDSA Dos” revolt. He said he also backed Noynoy Aquino’s senatorial bid in 2007.
Romulo refused to comment on the presidential bid of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who is being touted as the administration Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) standard-bearer.
He said he has no plans of embarking again into politics after his term ends since he has spent a long time in government service. Aside from the DFA, Romulo also served as finance and executive secretary under President Arroyo.
His term as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs ends on June 30, 2010.
No Climate Change Leader as Nations Meet
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
Published: September 19, 2009
UNITED NATIONS — Economists point to powerhouse countries like India to illustrate the hurdles facing some 100 world leaders due to gather in New York this Tuesday for the highest level summit meeting on climate change ever convened.
The Indian government has announced a major commitment to solar power as a renewable means of bringing electricity to more than 400 million people now living without it. Yet the government was pilloried at home last summer for accepting the international goal of preventing a global temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit above present temperatures by limiting emissions. Opposition parties accused it of selling out the country’s future development.
While virtually all of the largest developed and developing nations have made domestic commitments toward creating more efficient, renewable sources of energy to cut emissions, none want to take the lead in fighting for significant international emissions reduction targets, lest they be accused at home of selling out future jobs and economic growth.
The negotiations for a new climate change agreement to be signed in Copenhagen in December are badly stalled. With the agreement running more than 200 pages — including what negotiators estimate are a couple of thousand brackets denoting points of differences — diplomats and negotiators fear that the document is too unwieldy to garner a consensus in the coming months.
In convening the meeting, the United Nations is hoping that collectively the leaders can summon the will to overcome narrow national interests and give the negotiators the marching orders needed to cut at least the outline of a deal.
“I have been urging them to speak and to act as global leaders; just go beyond their national boundaries,” Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, said Thursday.
On Tuesday, the leaders, including the heads of state or government of most economic powers, are to engage in a series of round-table discussions on outstanding climate change issues that will be less like negotiations than a series of college seminars designed to forge political momentum.
“They won’t do it one by one,” said Robert Orr, the United Nations assistant secretary general for policy planning. “Politically, they all have to jump together, and this is the essence of this summit. We will see if any governments are ready to say, ‘I am stepping through the door now; are you going to come with me?’ That would be a huge break.”
Senior organizers said they had never been involved in such a high-level summit meeting where the outcome was not predetermined. Fundamentally, although limiting the temperature rise to 2 degrees Fahrenheit is an accepted goal, there is no consensus on how to get there.
This 2-degree Fahrenheit rise is the equivalent of the original goal of 2 degrees Celsius above the planet’s temperature just before the Industrial Revolution.
The industrialized nations have not agreed on midterm targets. They have made pledges of roughly half the target set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a 25 percent to 40 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2020.
Developing countries have agreed on the need to mitigate their emissions, but have rejected any mandatory limit, and they demand financial and technical support in exchange.
The issue of aid for the poorest countries to adapt to the impact of climate change has been shunted aside. Finally, there is no agreement on what institutions would verify that targets are being met and supervise the finances.
“The mood in the negotiations has been that I should do as little as possible as late as possible and let the other person go first,” said Kim Carstensen, the director of the Global Climate Initiative of the World Wildlife Fund.
In recent weeks, sharp divisions have emerged between the United States and the European Union. The Europeans said that they would donate $2 billion to $15 billion a year for the next decade to help less developed nations adapt to climate change. The Obama administration has not offered anything close.
The Europeans also want binding, near-term targets for developed nations, a legacy of the last significant global climate accord, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which the Bush administration rejected because it did not set limits on emissions from China and other major developing nations.
The European target is a 20 percent reduction of 1990 levels by 2020, still less than the 25 percent recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel, although the Europeans said they would accept 30 percent if everyone agreed.
The American position is that any targets be enforced by domestic laws rather than international treaties, that they be verifiable and distributed equally. A House bill approaches the European target, but the Senate is expected to dilute it.
But the chances of a final bill’s clearing Congress by December are increasingly unlikely, so experts are eagerly waiting to hear what President Obama, who made climate change a key issue in his administration, proposes in his speech on Tuesday.
A speech by President Hu Jintao of China is also widely anticipated, with experts hoping he will announce a significant commitment to renewable energy and emissions reductions in China’s next five-year plan. Mr. Hu is the first Chinese president to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly, where leaders will convene Wednesday.
Between them, the United States and China account for about 40 percent of world emissions, split almost evenly, so if the two reach a consensus it will also provide significant impetus for a global agreement.
The United States also suffers from the “after you” syndrome, with some Congressional leaders demanding that China agree to reductions before the United States agrees to an overall framework, a formula that experts warn will kill progress.
“We don’t want to get hung up on trying to say that the U.S. and China will reduce the same percentage or the same amount,” said Timothy E. Wirth, the president of the United Nations Foundation and a former Colorado senator who has long been involved in climate negotiations.
Blocs of smaller, poorer nations have their own agendas. The island countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean will be pushing for an even lower temperature ceiling because they fear that the rising seas caused by even a 2-degree rise would drown or severely damage them. The Africans are threatening to walk out of the negotiations if they are not promised $300 billion in aid.
New Zealand objects to the fact that the negotiations have basically ignored agriculture, which accounts for 13 percent to 14 percent of greenhouse gases. Developing nations fear that any regulation of agriculture could deepen the severe problems in feeding their populations.
Such issues, while parochial, may be no less important in building an agreement that works across political borders.
“The instinct is a kind of nationalist response that can get it exactly backwards,” said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. “We should be viewing this as global problem solving, not as global negotiation.”
SOURCE: The NY Times, 20nations.html?hpw
(UPDATE) It’s official: SC OKs poll automation
by Purple Romero, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 09/10/2009 4:38 PM
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) officially announced Thursday it has junked the petition seeking to stop the automation of the May 2010 polls.
SC spokesman Midas Marquez confirmed that the High Tribunal voted 11-3-1 to junk the petition filed by Concerned Citizens Movement led by UP law professor Harry Roque that asked the court to stop the full nationwide automation of the elections.
He said the majority of justices concurred with the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) argument that the pilot-test requirement, as stated in the poll automation law, does not apply for the May 2010 polls.
Roque had argued that the law specifically compels Comelec to pilot-test the automation system first before its nationwide implementation.
But the Solicitor-General and the Comelec argued that the requirement for the pilot-test was not mandatory. They said the elections referred to in the law for the pilot-test was the mid-term elections in 2007.
Marquez confirmed earlier reports by abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak that Justices Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio-Morales and Arturo Brion dissented, while Justice Leonardo Quisumbing did not participate since he is on official leave.
The ruling was penned by Justice Presbitero Velasco.
“Barred forever”
Roque’s petition sought to have the P7.3-billion automation contract between Comelec and Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) Consortium nullified based on the following grounds:
- Comelec did not conduct a pilot-testing of Smartmatic-TIM’s precinct count optical scan machines (PCOS), in violation of Republic Act 8346 or the poll automation law
- Smartmatic-TIM did not enter into a joint venture agreement (JVA) during the bidding for the contract
- The PCOS machines do not meet the minimum system capabilities outlined in RA 8346
- The Comelec does have not control over the automated election system (AES)
The petitioners argued that Comelec overlooked Sec. 6 of RA 8346, which stated that the AES should be utilized in regular elections immediately after the law was enacted in 2007. Given this condition, the AES should have been used in the May 2007 elections – the “pilot test” for the full automation in 2010.
The Comelec failed to deploy the AES in the said elections, however, because of funding problems.
But the SC pointed out that if the non-implementation of AES in the 2007 elections would prevent the Comelec from venturing into full automation in succeeding polls, the country would be stuck perpetually with manual elections.
“To argue that pilot testing is a condition precedent to a full automation in 2010 would doubtless undermine the purpose of RA 9369…If there was no political exercise in May 2007, the country would be theoretically be barred forever from having full automation,” the SC said.
Speculative
The SC also said that nowhere in the Comelec’s rules is the incorporation of the consortium required during the bidding.
They added that the petitioners also erred in saying that the Smartmatic-TIM joint venture agreement—just like the case of Mega Pacific consortium—is dubious. Mega Pacific bagged the P1.2- billion automation contract in 2003, but it was later revealed that it did not form a joint venture.
The Court said that the Smartmatic-TIM JVA clearly conveyed to Comelec the structure of joint venture and the 60-40 financing arrangement, in favor of TIM.
The SC also noted that Comelec will not be devoid of any control over the AES even if only Smartmatic will have the access to the public and private keys of the PCOS machines.
“The speculative nature of petitioners’ position as to who would have possession and control of the keys became apparent,” the SC stated in reference to Roque’s admission during the oral arguments that they have not clarified, in any way, this issue with Comelec.
The High Tribunal added that the poll automation contract does not show any hint of the alleged “abdication” of Comelec’s mandate. It noted that the petitioners have a weak grasp of the contract’s content and substance.
“The petitioners, to stress, are strangers to the automation contract. Not one participated in the bidding conference or the bidding proper or even perhaps examined the bidding documents,” they said.
Stringent criteria
As to the petitioners’ allegations that the PCOS machines failed to meet the 99.9% accuracy requirement in counting votes because, according to one website, it has a margin of error from 2% to 10%, the SC suggested that they first check Smartmatic’s own website where the accuracy rating is posted at 99.9 percent.
Also, the SC said that they were “satisfied” with the 26-item criteria set by the Comelec for the PCOS machines. The criteria included the capability of the equipment to detect fake ballots, recognize partial shade marks and produce reports.
The machines passed the criteria during the trial conducted in the Comelec building. The SC noted, however, that the credibility of the PCOS machines could be ascertained some more after they undergo the tests listed in Comelec’s terms of reference for the automation.
The tests include laboratory tests and mock elections.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, its-official-sc-oks-poll-automation
Citizens present 2010 reform agenda
by Maria Althea Teves, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 09/06/2009 5:02 AM
MANILA – Is it possible for the Philippines to have issue-based elections in 2010, rather then the usual popularity contest?
“Yes, it is possible,” said Dr. Antonio La Viña, dean of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG).
Klaus Preschle, Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) country representative, said that his first impression of Philippine politics when he first arrived in the country in 2003 was that “it does not have an agenda, it is based on personalities.”
KAS is a non-profit German political foundation guided by the principles of the Christian Democratic Movement.
Preschle said the ASoG’s move to organize more than 100 civil society groups to discuss which issues should be addressed in the 2010 elections is a sign that Philippine politics is changing.
The civil society groups consolidated themselves under the Citizens Reform Agenda 2010 (CReforms 2010).
“I never thought issue-based politics would be possible in the Philippines,” said Preschle. “But I would love to be proven wrong.”
La Viña said previous efforts toward issue-based politics were a not successful effort as they were too late coming together.
“When we presented our issues, it was already too late. It was already voting time,” La Viña said.
CReforms 2010 has been meeting and conducting focus group discussions (FGDs) since mid-2008 to discuss the issues candidates in the 2010 elections should tackle.
La Viña hopes that the early start of a group such as CReforms 2010 this time around would lead to a thorough discussion of key issues. These topics should also be addressed in upcoming debates with future candidates.
The 2010 issues and agenda
After a series of meetings, CReforms 2010’s key issues were presented at the “Elections 2010: A Presentation of Citizen Reform Agenda,” at the Edsa Shangri-la Hotel last Wednesday.
Prior to the public presentation of the key issues, CReforms 2010 drafted a Covenant for Reforms. Included in the covenant are the issues to be discussed and a promise to make the 2010 elections issue-based.
CReforms 2010 shall engage the candidates and political parties in the 2010 elections by having them commit to the covenant they prepared, and respond to the key agenda and issues in the CReforms 2010 papers, said Joy Aceron, CReforms coordinator.
These key issues which must be addressed by 2010 candidates are: 1) corruption, 2) political and electoral reform, 3) environment and sustainable development, 4) local government reforms, and 5) human development.
Corruption
“The first issue that needs to be addressed is corruption,” said Vicent Lazatin, co- convener of CReforms 2010 and executive director of Transparency and Accountability Network.
To address corruption, the CReforms 2010 agenda paper suggests that citizens should have more access to information. There should also be reforms in the justice system that would help reduce corruption.
Efforts to strengthen institutions and to professionalize the bureaucratic system are also needed to increase efficiency. Lazatin said local government autonomy is also a must.
Citing the Human Development Report of the Philippines 2009, he said corruption in government results in disservice to the public.
The highly politicized “incentive system” benefits those who are loyal to the administration, not those who are efficient workers, Lazatin said.
An Asian Development Bank (ADB) report published in December 2007, “Philippines: Critical Development Constraints,” concluded that the worsening perception of corruption outside the country partly explains the low level of investments in the Philippines, he said.
In the executive summary of the agenda it presented, CReforms 2010 wrote: “Corruption has never been this worse. We must end it. It is time to repair the damaged institutions.”
Political and electoral reforms
CReforms 2010 is also pushing for a political process that is inclusive, empowering, and pro-poor.
“Institutional reform is an imperative [now] more than ever,” Lazatin said.
He said CReforms 2010 feels that the current government is not answering the needs of the poor.
He added that a more accountable political party system should be practiced. People should take note of what candidates say during the election campaign period, and they should hold them accountable once they are elected.
Accountability must also be be applied to party-list groups who are supposed to represent and fight for the rights of the marginalized, Lazatin said.
The constitutional provision on political dynasties should also be implemented, he said. This is an almost impossible undertaking in the lower House since most of them represent political dynasties.
Lazatin also dwelt on the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).
The SK should not be a breeding ground for corrupt, traditional politicians who use their SK position as a stepping stone to higher public offices.
The SK must “be a vehicle for participation in electoral and democratic governance,” he said.
Environment and sustainable development
“The present leadership’s lack of an environmental agenda continues to pose a serious threat to the country’s dwindling natural resources,” CReforms 2010 said.
Lazatin said the present situation is aggravated by economic policies, like fiscal and tax regimes which are largely biased towards extractive industries.
“This leaves government coffers shortchanged and ecosystems downgraded,” he said.
He said that people should also ask whether the candidate is willing to support the enabling policies in Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21).
PA 21 is the nation’s blueprint for sustainable development. Its vision is for families, households and communities to actively care for the ecosystem, and to empower social groups to manage the economy and participate in good governance.
In January 1999, Memorandum Order No. 47 was issued by the Office of the President to strengthen the operations of PA 21 and monitor its implementation.
Lazatin said the government should revisit PA 21 and use it as a framework for sustainable development.
People should also ask whether their candidate is willing to support the enabling policies for PA 21’s implementation, Lazatin said.
There should be additional funding for environmental protection as well as its prudent use, CReforms 2010 said.
CReforms also wants clear and separate definition of protection and utilization functions of different Department of Environment and Natural Resources personnel.
Local government units (LGUs) should also be more active stewards of the environment, Lazatin said.
Local government reforms
Since the local government is the closest agency to the people, it should be more empowered.
Power to LGUs must include being able to formulate and implement policies that best cater to their people, Lazatin said.
CReforms is calling for a review of the Local Government Code of 1991 and amendments that would strengthen decentralization and autonomy.
It also wants a more equitable system of local finance management that effectively equips LGUs with the resources they need for their quick service delivery and administrative needs, said Lazatin.
He said “inadequate local finance compromises social services delivery.”
CReforms 2010 also supports constitutional reform that would explore federalism as a viable political framework.
“The decentralization (of power) is possible through federalism,” Lazatin said.
Each LGU should also establish a check and balance system applicable to their community that would minimize corruption.
The system should take into consideration the circumstances in the local community since corruption problems are unique to every local government, Lazatin said.
Human development
CReforms 2010’s agenda is centered on human development.
“Employment, education, health and housing development should be addressed,” Lazatin said.
The number of quality jobs should increase. There should be more favorable working conditions in the country to discourage skilled Filipinos from leaving, he said.
In addition, strengthened labor rights should be enforced to secure Filipino employees from mass layoffs and unemployment in times of crisis.
Lower school fees and expenses are needed. At the same time, there should be an increase in salaries of teachers, Lazatin said.
Curriculum revision is also needed to cater to the jobs-skills mismatch that results in unemployment, he added.
Health care services, with emphasis on reproductive health, should be accessible to everyone, Lazatin said.
This, and the improvement of the local medical industry, are needed to reduce mortality rates and to control population increase, he said.
Candidates should also take a stand against violence in the demolition of houses of illegal settlers, Lazatin said. “This should not be tolerated,” he said.
He added that house relocation sites should be accessible to transportation as well as employment opportunities.
The housing structures should be built for long term use, and should not require costly maintenance for relocated families, Lazatin said.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, citizens-present-2010-reform-agenda
Will tribes gain from climate change talks?
by Purple S. Romero, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 09/06/2009 3:17 AM
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MANILA – Indigenous peoples (IPs) have gained ground in their fight to have their rights recognized in a new mechanism against climate change, as backed strongly by the Philippine delegation in the ongoing climate change negotiations.
Experts said, however, that it will be a huge test whether the Philippine government can translate its pledges in the international arena to effective actions in local communities.
Antonio La Viña, chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, told abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak that there are already references to IP rights in the negotiating text of the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD).
REDD emerged as a viable instrument for limiting carbon discharge in the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia.
Under this scheme, developing countries would be paid by first-tier nations to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that around 15-20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation.
Tribal communities have been lobbying to be recognized as stakeholders in REDD because forests essentially form part of their ancestral domain. With REDD entering the picture, however, their claims could be challenged.
Since incentives are a central point in the REDD, questions on whether the national government can distribute such rewards to the local IP groups have arisen.
A step closer
Inserting IP rights in the text has been an upscale battle for IP groups.
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak that US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand had the references removed in 2008, much to their dismay.
It was only in June 2009, during the meeting in Bonn, Germany, when the references were included, although placed in “brackets,” which means these still need to be finalized.
Corpuz said what changed the tone of the negotiations was the support provided by the Norwegian government.
“The Norwegian government is giving a lot of resources to REDD, and it strongly supported our request for IP rights,” she said in a phone interview.
Aside from Norway, Bolivia also pushed for the inclusion of the references, she said.
When negotiations resume in Bangkok on September 28, the debate would be the scope of the provision on IP rights, and on “how strong will the language be,” La Viña said.
He explained that the US and Canada have opposed any references to the United Nations Declaration on Right of Indigenous Peoples, a position they made clear in 2008. Corpuz said that the two countries are also against the recognition of free and prior informed consent.
A telling past
While the Philippine delegation played a key role in adding IP rights in the text on REDD, Corpuz said having the Philippine government observe this to the letter is a different thing altogether, given its conflict-ridden history with local IP groups.
The controversy over ancestral domain, in particular, has been a ticklish point, as the government revitalizes the mining industry and identifies protected areas.
In Caraga, Mindanao, for example, the Manobo-Mamanwa Joint Tribal Council Conference Association has sought a congressional inquiry on the alleged failure of the mining firm S.R. Metals Inc. to pay the tribes royalty fees. S.R. Metals is a nickel mining company operating in Tubay, Agusan del Norte.
Under the Mining Act of 1995, indigenous people are entitled to royalty fees of at least one percent of the mining company’s gross revenues.
NIPAS difficulties
Indigenous people have also had problems regarding the government’s implementation of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
NIPAS was enacted in 1992 with the end goal of determining and preserving the protected areas in the Philippines. NIPAS was supposed to have set in place the participation of indigenous people in the administration of these areas by having them represented in the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
Maurizio Farhan Ferrari, biodiversity policy advisor for the UK-based Forest Peoples Programme, and Dave de Vera, executive director of the Philippine Association for Inter-Cultural Development reported in 2004 (“A Choice for Indigenous Communities of the Philippines”) on the loopholes in the implementation of NIPAS.
For instance, they cited how the Calamian Tagbanwa tribe in Palawan opted out of NIPAS because of the intimidating environment in the board caused by having local government officials as PAMB chair. Ferrari and De Vera also said most indigenous communities are not considered legitimate local government units.
Likewise, Delia Magaña wrote in “The Agta Foragers in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park: Ancestral Domains in Theory and Practice” that the Agta communities in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMP) encountered “inconsistencies” in the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC) awarded to them.
The areas in the CADC do not match the actual scope of the Agtas’ ancestral domain, and some of the CADC holders are not really members of the tribe.
Threats to IPs
If REDD would be implemented in the country, “there is always that danger” that these scenarios could happen, said Dr. Rex Cruz, dean of the Forestry and Natural Resources College of UP Los Baños.
He explained that the areas in the country where the potential for REDD could be explored are situated in the very same lush, forested areas – Northern Sierra Madre, Caraga and Palawan.
He added that to resolve similar issues arising from the adoption of REDD, “the government should learn to address the apparent lack of coordination between the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.”
Jean Marie Ferraris of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, said the government should clarify what REDD’s legal implications would be on NIPAS, the Mining Act, and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
International obligation
The head of the Philippine delegation, Heherson Alvarez, is all too familiar with NIPAS and the mining industry. He concurrently sits as a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation. He authored NIPAS when he was still a senator.
He disagreed that tension with local IP groups would surface when the Philippine government implements REDD. “It could be done,” he said, as the government would be obliged to distribute the benefits to the IPs.
On the other hand, Marlo Mendoza, director of the Forest Management Bureau, said the REDD would be a “country-wide” program. Hence, the government would have a clear-cut strategy to implement it. The foremost priority would be “to have the incentives ploughed back to them.”
La Viña also pointed out that unlike mining, where the land is used by corporations, only the tribal communities would be managing their soil and resources.
Corpuz said that if the results show otherwise, the “international community, indigenous people should put more pressure on them (governments).”
She added that it would be inevitable for the Philippine government to recognize indigenous peoples as vital stakeholders in implementing REDD, since “the last forests in the country are already being protected by no one else but IP communities.”
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, ip-rights-climate-change-talks
WHO: Funding lack, climate change grave threats to public health
by DAVID DIZON, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/23/2008 2:20 PM
The outgoing head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Western Pacific Region identified health care financing and climate change as the two gravest threats facing countries in the Asia Pacific region.
In his final address to the Regional Committee Tuesday, Dr. Shigeru Omi said more work needs to be done to strengthen regional health systems including financing and human resources development. “We have not been as successful in this area as with communicable diseases. More work needs to be done,” he said at the WHO regional headquarters on United Nations Avenue in Manila.
Dr. Omi said WHO has tackled the health worker crisis in a variety of ways including providing Internet-based training for health professionals in remote areas. He said the drafting of a WHO Strategic Plan for Strengthening Health Systems in the Western Pacific Region would provide solid foundation for progress in this area.
He said climate change would also affect global health security by increasing health risks in various parts of the region.
He said global warming would lead to an increase in malaria and dengue-carrying mosquitoes in areas other than their natural Southeast Asia habitat. He said climate change could also lead to a rise in sea level, which would threaten low-lying island states and areas in the Pacific.
“A warmer planet has contributed to some diseases, such as dengue, now occurring in areas where it was never seen before. Heat waves and drought are among the many factors contributing to the current food crisis,” he said.
Dr. Omi said global health security, particularly in the area of communicable diseases, became more significant after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002. He said the prevalence of the disease led WHO to declare a series of travel advisories against a number of countries and areas at the height of the SARS threat in 2003.
“SARS awakened the global public health community from a kind of slumber. Before the outbreak, interest in communicable diseases had been slipping. Then suddenly public health had entered a new era demanding constant vigilance against threats from emerging and re-emerging diseases,” he said.
He said regional vigilance against communicable diseases was accelerated by the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus less than six months after the transmission of SARS had been halted. Recognizing that the root cause of the problem was coming from animals, he said WHO partnered with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health to combat the health threat.
War against tobacco, TB deaths
Dr. Omi also outlined several areas where the WHO Regional Office had made significant progress including reducing prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Western Pacific countries. He said at least 1,000 people were dying daily from TB in 1999.
“As a result of our intense battle against TB, we are saving 400 lives every day with the number of daily TB deaths in our region having dropped from nearly 1,000 to less than 600 over that period,” he said.
In the field of tobacco control, Dr. Omi said all countries in the Western Pacific have signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which calls for a war on smoking through such measures as high taxes on cigarettes, a ban on tobacco advertising and more effective education campaigns.
He said WHO has made significant strides in providing universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care to those people living with HIV/AIDS and to groups at risk of infection.
He said WHO’s regional office has launched an Internet-based reporting system for tracking the movement of fake drugs. “This regional rapid alert system developed in our region has now been replicated around the world,” he said.
He said the region is also on track to achieve elimination of measles by 2012, with a 97 percent fall in cases recorded between 2000 and 2007.
Finally, he said that child health and maternal mortality is back on the public health agenda with the development of the joint Regional Child Survival Strategy with UNICEF.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, who-funding-lack-climate-change-grave-threats-public-health
Climate change could devastate RP: NASA scientist
Agence France-Presse | 09/12/2008 6:53 PM
MANILA – Climate change could have a devastating impact on the Philippines, leading to widespread destruction of the country’s flora and fauna and flooding the capital Manila, a NASA scientist warned here Friday.
The continued melting of Arctic ice caps, brought on by climate change, could cause sea levels to rise by seven metres (23 feet), said National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) physicist Josefino Comiso.
He said the country’s fish stocks would be depleted and many species of plant and animal life would die because of the change in ocean temperatures caused by climate change.
“The Philippines is a country that is among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” Comiso said.
A senior research scientist at a NASA centre that monitors the effects of global warming, he made the warning after attending a conference of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration.
Comiso said he was working on a project, to be funded by the Manila government weather station, to monitor the effects of global warming in the Philippines.
The project, which will be based in a state university outside Manila, will coordinate its research efforts with NASA.
Comiso was part of the United States Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change which shared with former US vice president Al Gore the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, climate-change-could-devastate-rp-nasa-scientist
Study: Metro Manila 7th ‘most vulnerable’ to climate change
By KATHARINE ADRANEDA, The Philippine Star | 03/07/2009 1:14 AM
MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila was ranked seventh “most vulnerable” to climate change among provinces and districts in Southeast Asia.
This is based on a study made by an organization that supports training and research in environmental and resource economics.
Dr. Herminia Francisco, director of the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA), and Dr. Arief Yusuf Anshory conducted the study.
“To assess the level of vulnerability of an area or a province, we compared each province or area to the others through a composite index,” Francisco said.
“We determined their ability to be resilient to climate change adaptation. We based our study on their exposure to climate hazards using information from historical records based on the assumption that past exposure is the best available proxy for future climatic risks.”
The study aims to help policy-makers and external donors in resource-allocation decisions on climate change initiatives in the region.
“We also based the study on their adaptive capacity, which include existing infrastructures, poverty situation, people’s income, literacy, inequality, life expectancy, as well as available technology,” Francisco said.
During the Philippine launch of the New Regional Climate Change Vulnerability Map for Southeast Asia in Makati yesterday, Francisco identified 13 other provinces in the Philippines as “climate hot spots.”
“This may not be a perfect map but we hope this would bring people together to come up with effective adaptation programs to climate change,” Francisco said.
“Climate change is here, it’s been happening. We just have to perhaps correct some adaptation behavior and teach communities on what must be done, as well as help policy-makers and donors in determining the direction of programs and funding efforts.”
The study covered 530 sub-national areas in seven countries.
It specifically covered 341 districts in Indonesia, 19 provinces in Cambodia, 17 provinces in Laos, 14 areas in Malaysia, 14 provinces in the Philippines, 72 provinces in Thailand, and 53 provinces in Vietnam.
A majority of provinces or areas in the study’s 10 most vulnerable to climate change are found in Indonesia, with Central Jakarta ranked as 1st; North Jakarta, 2nd; West Jakarta, 3rd; East Jakarta, 5th; South Jakarta, 8th; Kota Bandung, 9th; and Kota Surabaya, 10th.
Mondol Kiri and Rotanokiri in Cambodia were ranked 4th and 6th, respectively; while Metro Manila in the Philippines was ranked 7th.
The 13 other “climate hot spots” in the Philippines are the Cordillera Administrative Region, ranked 27th; Central Luzon, 30th; Cagayan Valley, 34th; Bicol, 36th; Ilocos, 40th; Southern Tagalog, 44th; Eastern Visayas, 60th; Northern Mindanao, 74th; Central Visayas, 86th; Western Mindanao, 87th; Western Visayas, 96th; Southern Mindanao, 103rd; and Central Mindanao, 105th.
The study, which includes a map showing all climate hot spots in Southeast Asia, was funded by the International Development Research Center (IRDC) of Canada.
14 areas ‘overfished’
At least 14 areas in nine regions nationwide are “overfished,” resulting in economic losses of about P6.25 billion a year, a recent government study revealed.
The National Stock Assessment of Marine Fisheries Resources was done by experts from the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) and Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) between 1998 and 2008.
The 10-year study showed that the most overfished areas were the Lingayen Gulf in the Ilocos Region, Davao Gulf, and Lagonoy Gulf in the Bicol Region.
Overfishing occurs when the ability of fish stocks to replenish is impaired because of massive commercial and local fishing.
“The marine fisheries of the Philippines are in a critical state because of overfishing,” the study said.
A fishing area is measured by experts through a ratio of fish caught and the number of fish killed due to natural causes.
The ideal values of such ratio are between 0.3 to 0.5, said Geronimo Silvestre of the FISH Project.
“A ratio that is higher than 0.5 indicates overfishing,” he said.
The study was conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture.
“Unless regulatory measures such as fishing gear restriction and fish size limit, closed seasons and law enforcement are effectively carried out, the country’s marine fisheries could be depleted,” the study said.
Results of the study were provided to The STAR by the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.
The total catch of commercial and municipal fishers was estimated at l.74 million metric tons and valued at more than P65 billion, according to the study.
The NFRDI, an agency under the DA, was created under Republic Act 8550.
On the other hand, FISH is a project of the government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
It aims to support the efforts of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and local government units to conserve biological biodiversity in the target areas.
The primary purpose of FISH is to conserve biological diversity in at least four biologically and economically important marine ecosystems in the Philippines, namely: the Calamianes Islands in Palawan, Danajon Reef in Bohol, and Tawi-Tawi and Surigao del Sur in Mindanao. – With Helen Flores
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, study-metro-manila-7th-most-vulnerable-climate-change
RP, 3 other Asian countries face costly climate change risks
By Purple S. Romero, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 04/29/2009 12:52 AM
The Philippines is one of 4 Southeast Asian countries likely to experience wider economic contraction of 6 percent by 2100 because of environmental risks, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Tuesday.
Without these risks, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam would just experience an economic decline of 2.2 percent, the ADB said in its report, “The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review.”
The multilateral lender said the 4 Asian countries are most vulnerable to the “catastrophic risks” brought by climate change that the 6 percent projected decline exceeds the global mean’s decrease of 2.6 percent.
The ADB also monetized the annual losses of the entire Southeast Asian region due to climate change. It said this environmental phenomenon would shave off $230 billion from, or 6.7 percent of, the region’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The economic backslide of climate change is worse for the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam because they have dense population in coastal areas, are agriculture-driven, and have a frail adaptation backbone, the lender stressed.
The 4 countries are expected to suffer from a decline in rice yield by 50 percent due to climate change. By 2020, the Philippines is forecasted to receive the biggest blow with a 75 percent plunge. Indonesia would dip 34 percent.
Flooding would also increase due to sea level rise. The monthly flow of the Mekong River in Vietnam would climb to 41 percent in the basin and by 19 percent in the delta.
Currently, however, the Philippines is the most vulnerable country among the four when it comes to floods and storms. From 2000-2008, the Philippines was hit by over 100 storms, affecting 35 million people. The situation is expected to get worse as climate change looms due to increased precipitation.
What to do?
ADB vice president Ursula Scahefer-Preuss said in a statement that Asian countries could hit two birds with one stone by implementing stimulus budgets with environment-friendly investments in them.
She cited investments on efficient energy, and low-carbon technology and infrastructure. She said governments could transform these climate change triggers into revenue boosters.
“Southeast Asian nations should address the dual threats of the financial crisis and climate change by introducing effective green stimulus programs – as part of larger financial stimulus packages – that can simultaneously shore up their economies, create jobs, reduce poverty, lower carbon emissions and make them more prepared for the worse effects of climate change,” she said.
The Philippines could take the lead of the region’s main economic partners – China and the United States. Their governments have already put in place “green” stimulus plans.
Out of its $584 billion-economic recovery package, China reportedly allotted around $200 billion to the development of waterways infrastructure, energy efficient buildings and low carbon vehicles.
The United States, on the other hand, allocated $78 billion, nine percent of its $787 billion-stimulus package to greening public buildings, transportation and buttressing research and development for renewable energy.
In the Philippines, the P330 billion stimulus package called Economic Resiliency Plan provides for over 100,000 “green” jobs. These include 50,000 upland farmers for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) reforestation and agroforestry program, and 59,111 forest guards earning P3,000 a month also from the DENR.
What is being done?
The ADB noted that countries have already implemented different adaptation measures for particular sectors to survive the impact of climate change. But it noted that these measures are “mostly reactive rather than proactive.”
The report added that “their implementation is scattered rather than systematic, isolated rather than integrated, and measures often offer short-term benefits, rather than long-term solutions.”
The Philippines had 2 adaptation projects that were criticized as reactive:
• Metering and pricing of water use under the water resources sector
• Use of silvicultural practices in the forestry sector
On the other hand, 5 were deemed proactive:
• construction of multi-purpose reservoirs, dams and water-impounding systems under the water resources sector
• development of early warning systems or network for the agriculture and forestry sectors
• increasing awareness on forest fire prevention in local communities under the forestry sector
• preparation of hazard and vulnerability maps under the coastal and marine resources sector
• raising information on programs under the coastal and marine resources sector
To improve their adaptive capacity in the agriculture and coastal zones, the ADB said the 4 countries should be willing to spend $5 billion annually by 2020 to build sea walls and cultivate drought and heat-resistant crops.
Dr. Juzhong Zhuang, chief economist of the ADB said that the benefits would “outweigh” the costs in the long run.
He estimated that while these costs would eat 0.2 percent of the GDP, the benefits would add 1.9 percent in the economic output of the four countries by 2100.
Mitigate, too
While adaptation measures are important, ADB also called on the Asian countries to reduce their carbon discharges. These discharges are now popularly measured as the carbon footprint, or the estimate of how much carbon dioxide and other toxic greenhouse gases are produced to support the population’s lifestyle.
Indonesia was recorded to have produced 59 percent of—the highest in—the entire region’s greenhouse gas emission (GHG). Thailand followed with 6 percent, the Philippines with 4, and Vietnam with 2.
In 2000, Southeast Asia contributed 12 percent to the world’s total GHG emission
Land use change and forestry sector was the main culprit for the region’s GHG emission, supplying 75 percent of the region’s total carbon discharge. The energy and agriculture sectors came in second and third, with 15 percent and 8 percent GHG emissions, respectively.
The ADB said that mitigation is feasible in the region, following its huge potential for carbon trading. For a carbon price of $20 per ton of carbon dioxide, Southeast Asia is foreseen to lessen carbon emission by 300 million tons.
Efficient transport systems could also help cut carbon discharges. This would reduce Philippines’ carbon discharge by 40 metric tones by 2020, and Thailand by 30 metric tons. Vietnam’s use of natural gas by 2010 could diminish GHG emission by four metric tons.
The four countries were pushed to also switch from coal to renewable energy for power generation.
However, Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan, undersecretary of the Philippines energy department, said that the closure of local coal power plants particularly located in Visayas could presently do more harm than good.
“Coal powerplants are something we really have to contend with, but there are areas that have very little sources for renewable energy, such as in Visayas,” he explained.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN News, rp-3-other-asian-countries-face-costly-climate-change-risks
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