China appreciates RP government response

Manila, Philippines — Despite criticism of the government’s response to the hostage crisis last week, a top diplomat from China has expressed appreciation yesterday for the moves that are being taken by the Philippine government in connection with the incident.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao also expressed appreciation for the steps that the Aquino Administration are taking. He also assured that there will be no whitewash in the investigations that are being done.

Liu also said that the cancellation of the trips to Manila of two of Chinese officials who were recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award had nothing to do with the incident. “It was their own decision”, he said.

The Ambassador clarified a lot of things during his speech, including an emphasis on his absence during the National Heroes Day, saying that he did not “snub” the event, he only had earlier commitments. He also assured that the Filipinos now in Chinese autonomous territory are safe. He added, “the Chinese side respects the sovereignity of the of the Philippines”. In particular, that Philippines did a very good job of providing medical treatment to the hostages, repatriating the survivors and the remains “in a dignified and appropriate way,” and assisting the victim’s relatives who flew to Manila from Hong Kong.

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RP, PERU to expand trade relations

The reintroduction of Spanish as a second language in Philippine schools next year is a very timely move as the Philippines and Peru have agreed to expand their trade relations, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.

According to Dureza, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Peruvian President Alan Garcia held bilateral talks and shared commonalities, talking about the kinship between their two countries in straight Spanish.

Dureza noted that the Philippines and Peru are both predominantly Catholic and were ruled by Spain for hundreds of years.

Aside from the two countries’ common Spanish heritage, President Garcia has a soft heart for the Philippines, recalling that as a young boy, his mother would keep reminding him that he was the son of the “President of the Philippine Republic.”

Dureza later found out that his father was a namesake of the late Carlos P. Garcia, then president of the Philippines. (PIA/Bohol)

RP to feel crisis impact next year

Philippines will only feel the full impact of the global economic crisis next year, since there’s a time lag in terms of the impact of a global economic slowdown. “This can be in the form of effects in the real economy such as slowdown in the export sector, slowdown in business and economic activity,” Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said.

Teves said Asian countries historically don’t plunge into a recession, unlike the United States. A recession occurs when an economy suffers two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Asked how the government would address this, Teves said: “A combination of accelerated implementation of infrastructure programs, making sure this time this infrastructure spending is done in a larger way during the first semester of the year to take advantage of the good weather, continued investment in food, agriculture.”

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Pilipinas nay labing dakung tig-gamit sa gahum geothermal

SEGUN sa Washington Post, tungd sa way puas nga paningkamot, ang Pilipinas na ang nasud nga may labing dakong gamit sa gahum geothermal.

Dugang niini, sa hisgutanan sa napahimutang nga kapasidad sa paggamit sa gahum geothermal, ikaduha ang Pilipinas, sunod sa Estado Unidos kinsa giila nga may bentaha sa talento ug kapasidad sa pag-ugmad sa gahum geothermal.

Matud pa, 28% na ang gahum dagitab nga nakuha sa Pilipinas gikan sa gahum geothermal, nga maot usa sa mga rason nganong napakunhod sa nasud ang pagsalig sa imported nga lana igsusugnod.

Gani, gibasol pa sa gitahud nga mantalaan ang way tataw nga palisiya sa Estados Unidos kabahin sa pag-ugmad sa geothermal, sahi sa gihimo sa Pilipinas.

Kahinumduman nga sukad pa sa 1970 ang pagpaningkamot sa nasud nga maugmad ang geothermal. (PIA/rachiu)

Pilipinas moapil sa Global Handwashing Day, Oct 15

ARON tubagon ang pangkalibutanong panawagan sa pag-ugmad sa kinaiya sa pagpanghunaw, apil ana ang Pilipinas sa ubang kanasuran nga misuporta sa Global Handwashing Day karong umaabot nga Miyerkules, Octubre 15.

Nianang adlawa, gi-aghat ang tanang magtutuon sa elementarya ug sekondarya dinhi sa nasud nga makighiusa sa tibuok kalibutan sa pagsuporta sa panawagan sa Tiniping Nasud nga saulogon ang 2008 isip International Year of Sanitation and Handwashing Day.

Gani, anang adlawan, kapid-an ka tunghaan ang gimanduan sa Dep-Ed nga tumanon nila ang memorandum nga nag-awhag sa pagpa-apil ning kalihukan pinaagi sa ginagmayng buhaton aron mapakatap ang kasayuran kabahin sa pagpanghunaw ginamit ang sabon ug tubig.

Tunong ning kalihukan nga himoong automatic nga kinaiya ang pagpanghunaw ginamit ang sabon ug tubig aron batasanon na kini agi ug pagpanalipud sa lawas sa kalibanga ug sa mga impeksyon sa ginhawa-an. (PIA/rachiu)