RP Contributes Funds to Support Somali Security Institutions
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Committed to help restore peace and security in Somalia, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has approved
the Philippines’ US$20,000.00 contribution to a United Nations trust fund in support of Somali security
institutions.
The funds will used by Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government to beef up its security forces which will play
a critical role in combating piracy on the sea and their principals on land.
Filipino seafarers continue to be victims of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
To date, 44 Filipino seafarers remain in the custody of Somali pirates.
Somali security forces and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) are presently reliant mainly on
international support in the form of funding, logistics and equipment for continued operations.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1863 (16 January 2009) provided for the establishment of a United
Nations trust fund that will raise funds to provide financial support for AMISOM until a UN peacekeeping
operation is deployed to Somalia.
The world body has established two separate trust funds – Trust Fund in Support for AMISOM and Trust Fund
in Support of the Somali Transitional Security Institutions. The latter, where the Philippines will be making a
contribution, will be managed by the UN Political Office for Somalia.
During the International Conference in Support of the Somali Security Institutions and AMISOM held in
Brussels on April 23, 30 countries and organizations expressed their statement of support during the pledging
session.
The donor conference was convened by the UN Secretary-General under the joint auspices of the African
Union, European Union, and the UN in line with UNSC Resolution1863.
The Philippines has been active in calling for more international cooperation to fight the scourge of piracy. It
supports all efforts by the international community, particularly at the UN Security Council, the UN General
Assembly and the International Maritime Organization in London.
The Philippine Government has imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers in the Gulf of Aden
and surrounding areas. It recently designated a Philippine navy officer to act as naval liaison to the Combined
Maritime Forces in Manama, Bahrain. The Combined Maritime Forces is a multinational task force conducting
maritime security operations throughout the region.
In her recent trip to Japan, President Arroyo also obtained the assurance of Japan that it will help secure
Filipino and other seafarers against pirates in the Gulf of Aden through the dispatch of vessels and maritime
patrol aircrafts. END
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Reports from Philippine Embassies and Consulates (As of 24 July 2009)
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Macau PCG
* Macau has set its Pandemic Alert Level at Level VI - Color Code Blue - indicating that the situation is
moderate.
* There is a total of 90 recorded cases of A(H1N1), no deaths and no report of any Filipino contracting the virus.
Shanghai PCG
* The reported first Filipino A(H1N1) case has been released from the hospital.
Ottawa PE
* Post reported that there are 10,156 laboratory-confirmed cases of A(H1N1) and 45 deaths in Canada.
* A public health officer announced that Canada is the first country in the world to sign an agreement with a
drug company which obligates it to provide vaccine to every Canadian who wants it in the event of a pandemic
in exchange of the company’s plant expansion.
Beirut PE
* The Ministry of Health of Lebanon announced that there are 70 A(H1N1) confirmed cases in the country.
* It has implemented tight measures to prevent further spread of the virus which might affect the economy.
* To date Post has not received any report on Filipinos contracting the virus.
Hong Kong SAR PCG
* Post reported that a Filipino who died of complications and positive of A(H1N1) virus will be repatriated to the
Philippines. Assistance for the victim had been extended by Post.
Amman PE
* Jordan has a total of 41 confirmed A(H1N1) cases.
Beijing PE
* The Filipino confirmed with A(H1N1) and his close contact had been released from the hospital.
* There are four (4) more under quarantine.
Brunei PE
* Post has instituted and implemented a number of practical measures in the Embassy to decrease the
chance of its personnel contracting the virus.
Sydney PCG
* The Ministry of Health of South Wales confirmed that there are 13,178 confirmed A(H1N1) cases and 32
deaths in Australia.
Vancouver PCG
* To date, Post has not receive any report on any Filipino contracting A(H1N1) virus. Post is continuously
monitoring the situation under its jurisdiction.
Buenos Aires
* There are 3,056 laboratory confirmed cases (although the Argentine Minister of Health stated that there may
be as high as 110,000 people stuck with the virus) and 147 deaths.
* Under Post’s jurisdiction, the following countries has the following number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases:
Bolivia - 592 cases and 2 deaths; Paraguay -15 cases and 6 deaths; Uruguay - 550 cases and 15 deaths
Xiamen PCG
* The second case of Filipino confirmed with A(H1N1) had been released from the hospital.
Doha PE
* There are currently 42 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) in Lebanon. Health authorities have stepped up its efforts
to prevent large-scale spread of the disease in the country.
Vientiane PE
* There are now a total of 22 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) in Lao PDR and 1 death.
Oslo PE
* Post reported the following updates: in Norway, there are currently 133 individuals which have been tested
positive of A(H1N1) virus; Denmark has 98 known cases of A(H1N1); and 11 people in Iceland are recorded
with the flu. No deaths have been reported.
* Post has not received any Filipinos contracting the virus.
Honolulu PCG
* Hawaii registered 1,000 cases of A(H1N1) flu infection. Its Department of Health issued a bulletin that it
would no longer issue updates on the number of swine flu cases and would concentrate instead on
investigating clusters of cases, sever cases in health care workers and those who have traveled recently.
Riyadh PE
* Post reported that there is an increase in the number of students affected by the A(H1N1) virus among the
Philippine International Schools (PIS) operating under its jurisdiction. A total of 36 cases have been recorded
and 2 suspected cases.
* Post also conducted a seminar on A(H1N1) virus among the Filipino community organizations and the PIS
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Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo Congratulates US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
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24 July 2009—Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo congratulates US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
on the accession by the US to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia on 22 July 2009 in
Phuket, Thailand. The Treaty aims to promote peace, amity and cooperation among ASEAN member states
and the countries acceding to the treaty.
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Belgium Approves Regularization for Illegal Migrants
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Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy (Flemish Christian Democrat) announced in a press conference
held on 19 July 2009 the details of the Federal Government agreement on regularization of undocumented
migrants.
Under the new regularization policy, illegal migrants who lived in Belgium for at least five years and had filed
their initial applications for regularization on or before 18 March 2009 can re-submit their applications with the
Office for Foreigners of the Ministry of Interior starting on 15 September 2009 up to 15 December 2009.
Applications shall then be assessed by the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration vis-à-vis the
implementing guidelines on regularization. If approved, the undocumented migrant will be granted with the
necessary papers that will allow them to stay in Belgium legally.
Meanwhile, people who have been working in Belgium for at least two and a half years can apply for a
residence permit. They are required to submit a labor contract and a regional labor card.
Applicants for both categories must prove that they are well-integrated into the Belgian community for their
applications to be successful. Other factors, among others, that can count in the applicants’ favor include
knowledge of the local language, employment status, families with children at school, earlier credible
attempts to obtain a legal residence in Belgium, and sustainable social local ties.
“I am glad about this development. The Belgian Government is consistent with its policy on migration that
promotes family reunification. With the approval of regularization in Belgium and subject to the conditions set
in the agreement, undocumented Filipinos now have the opportunity to avail of the program instead of being
subjected to deportation procedures as prescribed in the EU Return Directive. The Belgian Government is still
undecided as to the number of beneficiaries to the program, however, I hope that a number of our
undocumented Filipinos can avail of the new migration policy in Belgium,” Philippine Ambassador Cristina G.
Ortega remarked. END
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10 Filipino Fatalities in Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan Flown to Delaware for DNA
Testing
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The Philippine Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the remains
of the 10 Filipinos who perished in the helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan were flown by US military
authorities to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, USA on July 23 for proper identification through DNA testing.
The DNA testing procedures may take about a week. Once the bodies are positively identified, they will be
prepared for their repatriation to the Philippines.
The Philippine Embassy officials in Washington DC and the Philippine Consulate General in New York will
coordinate on the repatriation with Remote Medical Solutions Inc. (RMSI), a private contractor tasked by their
employer AIM Group Incorporated, a US-based construction company, to repatriate the remains of the victims.
In compliance with the instructions of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, the Philippine Embassy in
Islamabad, Pakistan, sent a team to Afghanistan to look after the remains and coordinate with local authorities.
According to the AIM Group Incorporated, the 16 fatalities of the helicopter crash were composed of 10
Filipinos, four Nepalese and 2 Americans.
Two other Nepalese survived the crash by jumping off the helicopter before it hit the ground. They are currently
being treated in a military hospital inside the Kandahar base. END
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Number of 2009 OAV Registrants Surpasses that of 2005/6
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The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (OAVS) has announced that the
number of 2009 Overseas Absentee Voter registrants has surpassed the combined number of registrants for
2005/6.
DFA Undersecretary and OAVS Chairman Rafael E. Seguis said that as of 23 July 2009, a total of 143,846 new
OAV registrants have been recorded since the start of the 2009 OAV registration on 01 February 2009.
The figure of OAV registrants for 2005/6 is 142,667.
Undersecretary Seguis also said that “during the final stretch of the 2009 OAV registration period, which will
end on 31 August 2009, all the Philippine foreign service establishments and offices have been more pro-
active in their campaign. With the assistance and support of the Filipino community organizations under their
jurisdictions, more field (COMELEC-funded) and mobile (OAVS-funded) registrations are being conducted
worldwide.”
He added that, as of today, the OAVS has sent letters to 1,574 leaders of Filipino community organizations
abroad (541 in Asia-Pacific, 504 in the Americas, 388 in the Middle East and Africa and 141 in Europe). The
sending of letters of appeal for the cooperation, assistance and support of these Filipino community
organizations is still on-going.
As for the field and mobile OAV registration, a total of one hundred seventy-eight (178) sites/venues have been
serviced by such activities. A big number of said field/mobile registrations have also been scheduled for the
month of August 2009.
As of 23 July 2009, Hong Kong still leads in the OAV registration drive with 14,259 new registrants. The rest of
the top ten posts in terms of OAV registrants are as follows: Los Angeles with 8,406, Dubai - 7,998, Singapore
- 6,300, London - 4,734, Riyadh - 4,588, Toronto - 4,254, New York - 4,130, Tokyo - 3,414, and Washington -
3,241. END
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Philippine Team Garners Bronze at the International Mathematical Olympiad in
Bremen, Germany
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The Philippine Embassy in Berlin reported to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo that Carmela
Antoinette LaO, a high school student at the St. Jude Catholic School at San Miguel, Manila, won the bronze
medal at the 50th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) which was held on 10-22 July 2009 in Bremen,
Germany. 565 participants from 104 countries participated in this year´s IMO competition.
The Philippine Team was composed of student participants Carmela LaO from St. Jude Catholic School,
Carlo Francisco Adajar from PAREF Southridge School, Earl John Chua and Jonathan Wong from Grace
Christian High School, team leader Dr. Ian June Garces, Associate Professor, Mathematics Department at the
Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola, and Deputy Team Leader Dr. Julius Basilla, Associate Professor at the
Institute for Mathematics at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. The four student contestants were the
finalists in a selection process of an original 2,000 applicants who participated in several elimination rounds
to qualify for the IMO competition. The selection process was conducted by the Department of Science and
Technology and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines.
The IMO is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students not older than 20
years and who have not started any post-secondary school education. The size of an official delegation to the
IMO is a maximum of six student contestants, a team leader, and a deputy team leader. A student contestant
solves 3 mathematical problems per day. Each question is worth seven (7) points. The first IMO competition
was held in 1959 in Romania with 7 participating countries. The Philippines started to participate in 1988.
The International Jury consists of a Chief Delegate (leader) from each participating country and a Chairman
named by the host country. The official languages of IMO are English, French, German, and Russian. English
is the working language of the international jury.
IMO 2009 is promoted and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the
Bremen Senator for Education and Science, in cooperation with the Jacobs University. It is organized by a
private organization called “Education & Gifted Talent” (Bildung & Begabung) which is an implementing arm of
the Association of German Benefactors for German Sciences (Stifterverband für Deutsche Wissenschaft) and
sponsored by the steel company Arcelor Mittal Group and the Business Technology Consulting (BTC) Group.
Apart from the competition, the student participants visited various sites around Bremen such as the Climate
House in Bremerhaven which depicts the climate conditions around the world and how climate change will
affect the present conditions, and the Migration Museum which exhibits migration from the 19th century to the
present. END
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Philippine Embassy in Rome Commemorates Jose Rizal’s Birthday with a Rizal Walk
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23 July 2009 - The Philippine Embassy in Rome, under the stewardship of Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier,
commemorated the 148th birth anniversary of Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal by inaugurating the Rizal
Walk in Rome on 19 June 2009 with Fr. Jose V.C. Quilongquilong, S.J., as guide.
Jose Rizal visited Rome on 27 June 1887 after a series of trips to other European cities. He stayed in Rome
for four days. Rizal visited the Capitoline Hill, Tarpeian Rock, Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum,
Capitoline Museum and the Basilica of St. Mary Major. He wrote of his Roman holiday to his friend, Ferdinand
Blumentritt, and his father Francisco Mercado Rizal.
On 19 June 2009, Ambassador Lhuillier led Embassy personnel and second-generation Filipinos in retracing
the footsteps of Rizal. The group was joined by the Embassy of the Philippines to the Holy See, headed by
Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Lilibeth Pono.
The purpose of the Rizal Walk is not only to recapture the feeling of excitement that Rizal experienced during
his visit, but also to make the Filipinos in Rome more aware about the life of the Philippine national hero and
how he helped shape the history of the Philippines. END
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Philippine Embassy in Mexico hosts Lunch to Filipino Honor Students in Mexico
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Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Francisco M. Ortigas III reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that
Erika Jane Guerrero Fernandez, daughter of Filipina Maria Luisa Fernandez and Mexican Juan Guerrero,
received 1st Honors Award among the 400 students of the course Bachelor of Technology and Information at
the Centro de Estudios Tenologicos Industrial y de Servicios in Acapulco, Guerrero.
Erika Jane Guerrero was also awarded a scholarship grant by the Secretary of Public Education in Mexico City
for her mid-superior studies.
During her courtesy call on 16 July, the Ambassador hosted a lunch for her and the children of Embassy staff
members who are in their schools’ honor roll, namely, Alexander C. Borja, Jr. and Alicia Isabela C. Borja,
children of Ms. Eden C. Borja, secretary of Ambassador Ortigas, and Julia Marie F. Martinez, daughter of Juan
Alfonso Martinez, Assistant, ATN Officer and Attaché. END
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Filipinos in Canada’s Three Cities Gathered for Annual Summer “Salu-Salo”
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Personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and their families joined Filipino community members from
Canada’s three leading cities on 12 July for their traditional annual summer picnic “salu-salo.”
Some 350 Filipino=Canadians from Ottawa, Montreal and Kingston enjoyed a full day of fun at a provincial
park along the serene St. Lawrence River in Upper Canada with ballgames (volleyball and softball), children’s
games, lots of surprises, and a fund-raising popularity contest. The Filipino-cooked delicacies spread around
the park’s picnic tables were gladly shared by everyone with everyone.
A Sunday mass was also held during which Filipinos were joined by other park visitors.
This year’s “Tri-City Picnic” is hosted by community members from Ottawa; hosting of the event rotates among
the three cities with Filipinos from the city of Kingston hosting next year’s event.
Embassy representation in this year’s “Tri-City Picnic” included Mrs. Cecile Angeles, wife of Consul General
Joseph Gerard Angeles; Consul Shirley E. Banquicio; Administrative Officer Edna Pataunia; Cultural Officer
Buenaflor Cruz; Finance Officer Alvar Rosales; Communication Officer Romeo Merjudio; Attachés Mario
Masangkay, Merle Halili, Zenia Madonna Clemente and Ronnie Sumo.
Photo shows Mrs. Angeles, Consul Banquicio and Finance Officer Rosales handing over trophies to the day’s
winners, respectively, in the “Miss Tri-City” popularity contest, volleyball and men’s softball games. END
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Philippine Business Chamber Established in Vietnam
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Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Laura Q. Del Rosario reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the
Philippine Business Group (PBG) was recently established in Vietnam.
The PBG is a non-profit, non-government, non-political organization comprising the 38 Philippine business
corporations in the Southeast Asian country.
Noting the growing number of Philippine businesses in Vietnam and the importance of having a collective
voice in pursuing common business interests, Ambassador Del Rosario called on Filipino business leaders
to form a chamber of commerce during her first visit to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 2007.
During her call on Vietnamese officials in HCMC, the Philippine ambassador obtained their approval to waive
the minimum corporate membership requirement of 30 companies for an association to be approved. At that
time, only 25 Filipino companies were in Vietnam. By the time the Group’s charter was finalized, however, the
prospective members increased to 38.
PBG will assist in promoting trade and investment between the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2008, bilateral
trade reached US$2.2 billion.
The Philippine Trade and Investment Center and the Philippine Honorary Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City
likewise played a big role in the establishment of the PBG.
On June 23, Ambassador Del Rosario inducted the first PBG Executive Committee in HCMC where the PBG
will hold office and where majority of Filipinos executives and Philippine businesses are based. PBG chapters
are expected to be established in the near future in the capital city of Hanoi and in Danang. END
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