Nation

The
THURSday, MARCH 22, 2018
EDITOR marifi s. jara

#nationataglance Labor chief Bello says

CHR did not reach out to
them on Demafelis case
Top 12 foreign
tourist arrivals
(Jan.-Feb. 2018)
DEPARTMENT OF Labor
and Employment (DoLE) Korean 354,700
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION: MAKATI CITY Secretary Silvestre H. Bello Chinese 256,880
2-way traffic along Makati City’s JP Rizal Street on March 24-April 1 III said the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) did not take part
JP RIZAL Street in Makati City will be on a two-way traffic scheme starting March 24 until April 1 in line with activities in the case of Joanna D. Demafelis, the Filipina domestic worker American 193,985
for the Catholic Holy Week. The Makati City government yesterday issued the following route guide for motorists: who was found dead in a freezer in Kuwait. In a chance interview Japanese 117,300
on the sidelines of a House inquiry into the welfare of overseas
Australian 50,404.
Private vehicles Filipino workers (OFW) last March 21, Mr. Bello said that the CHR
• To Makati Avenue — Turn right to E. Zobel, left to Valdez, then right to Makati Avenue. seems too focused on the war on drugs. Mr. Bello also noted that Canadian 48,191
• To Mandaluyong — Turn left to E. Zobel, right to Mabini, right to P. Gomez, right to Zamora, right to Burgos. the CHR did not make any correspondence with them while DoLE Taiwanese 40,856
• To Guadalupe — Turn left to E. Zobel, right to Mabini, left to JP Rizal. was drafting bilateral agreements on OFW rights. “I suppose
they are doing their part of the bargain. Ginagawa nila siguro, United Kingdom 33,554
Public utility jeepneys going to Guadalupe hindi lang sinasabi sa amin (They may be doing something, but Singapore 28,117
• Turn right to E. Zobel, left to Valdez, left to Makati Ave. or P. Burgos then right to JP Rizal. they are just not telling us),” Mr. Bello said. In February, CHR
Malaysia 24,334
Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel Gana, in a statement, called
for “stricter monitoring of overseas Filipino domestic workers” India 23,064
and expressed support to the government’s efforts “to promote Hong Kong 22,920
stronger protection and enhanced welfare mechanisms” for
Source: Department of Tourism
OFWs. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

MIMAROPA: SABLAYAN, OCCIDENTAL MINDORO

19 dead, 21 injured in Mindoro bus plunge
NINETEEN PEOPLE were killed and 21 others injured
when a bus veered off the road and plunged down a
ravine in the central Philippines, police said Wednes- afp
day. The bus was heading to the capital Metro Manila
when it crashed through the railing of a bridge on Min- Chinese tourists at the Rizal Park
doro island late Tuesday, said regional police spokes- in Manila in this January 2011 photo.
woman Imelda V. Tolentino. “The survivors said the
driver lost control of the vehicle and that is why it fell,” 56% increase in Chinese tourists
BW FILE
she told AFP. Public transport regulators on Wednes- boosts Jan.-Feb. arrivals
Guimaras, an island province off the south of Panay, is known for its mangoes. day suspended the bus company involved in the TOURIST ARRIVALS in the first two
It is accessible by boat from Iloilo City. Mindoro crash and said they would be inspecting its months of the year reached more than
facilities. Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares, chair of the 1.4 million, up 16% from 1.21 million
WESTERN VISAYAS: JORDAN, GUIMARAS committee on public services, took aim at the nation’s in the same period last year, boosted
DoT-6 to pilot ‘market tourism’ in Guimaras regulation system, saying “vehicles that are not road- by Chinese travelers, according to
THE ALIBHON Public Market in Jordan, the capital of Guimaras, has been set as pilot site for the worthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still data released Wednesday by the
Department of Tourism-Western Visayas’ (DoT-6) new “market tourism” project. “We will pro- allowed to ply the roads with near impunity.” — AFP Department of Tourism (DoT). “For
mote the market as among the stops in the itinerary of tour groups and even individual travelers >> See full story on https://goo.gl/VJU5hT the first two months, we have already
to the island. Every time they go to Guimaras, they should not miss the market,” DoT-6 Regional breached the 1.4 million tourist mark,
Director Helen J. Catalba announced. The market tourism program will be launched on May 21, another first in the history, and it is a
in time for the Manggahan Festival. Guimaras, an island province, is known for its mangoes. Ms. good sign for the tourism industry,”
Catalbas said the municipal government of Jordan will provide a P22-million fund for the reha- DoT Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo said
bilitation and improvement of the market’s facilities. Jordan town will also expand its traditional in a statement. Koreans remained the
weekly market day to two days, Wednesdays and Sundays. “It used to have only one market top visitors at 354,700 in January and
day, which is every Sunday. It is the custom of Filipino and even foreign tourists, researchers, February, followed by the Chinese at
and writers to visit public markets if they want to know the culture of a place,” Ms. Catalbas said. 256,880, which is 56% higher than
DoT-6 has identified 20 markets around the region for the market tourism program. The areas in the first two months of 2017. “The
were identified based on accessibility, abundance of agricultural produce, and peace and order warming relations between the Philip-
situation. — Louine Hope U. Conserva pines and China plus the Chinese New
Year seven-day holiday strengthen the
platform for us to jump-start our cam-
paign of achieving 1.5 million Chinese
arrivals for this year,” Ms. Teo said. Last
year, the Philippines ranked 9th among
the top destinations for Chinese out-
bound tourists, according to Chinese
travel agency TravelChinaGuide.

WESTERN VISAYAS: BORACAY, MALAY

House tourism committee supports Boracay temporary closure
THE HOUSE committee on tourism expressed support to the proposed
temporary closure of Boracay following its own inquiry into the envi-
ronmental problems of the popular island destination. In a press brief-
ing Wednesday, March 21, Leyte Representative Lucy T. Gomez, chair
of the tourism committee, said her committee’s report “prioritizes a
temporary closure of Boracay Island in order to address the high risk DAVAO: DAVAO CITY
issue of discharging untreated waste water into the beach.” Ms. Gomez NPA members, drunk drivers excluded from
noted that while the closure would result to a loss of P5 billion in in- Davao City medical assistance program
come from tourism, “the Committee put more weight on the long-term DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has issued
viability and sustainability of tourism in Boracay, versus the short-term an order denying members of the communist New
economic collateral damage that comes with closing its doors to incom- People’s Army (NPA) from availing of the local
ing tourists.” — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz medical assistance program. In a press statement
issued Tuesday, the city government announced
that the mayor signed the executive order on
March 14 amending the coverage of the Lingap
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA: para sa Mahirap Program “to further strengthen
PAGADIAN CITY, ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR the program’s processes and to ensure the efficient
delivery of its services to qualified residents of
This way Davao City.” In justifying the exclusion of the NPA
to Alegria Falls from the program, Ms. Carpio cited Proclamation
No. 947 signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in
The P18.7 million upgrading of the
December last year declaring the armed group as
highway leading to Alegria Falls in
terrorists. The local order states that the city gov-
Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
ernment will not fund the hospitalization of those
has been completed, according to
who have suffered “injuries arising from clashes
the Department of Public Works and
with government troops.”
Highways (DPWH), easing travel to the
tourist site and improving access for local
DRUNK DRIVERS
economic activities. The project involved
The order also excludes from the assistance pro-
the concreting of 1.97 kilometers of road
gram drivers and passengers injured in vehicular
with lined canal and grouted riprap.
incidents due to violation of laws, among them the
DPWH PHOTO failure of wearing helmets, drunk driving, or under
BW FILE
Panglao Island in Bohol the influence of dangerous drugs. “(I)ndividuals
who suffer injuries while committing a crime or an
CENTRAL VISAYAS: BOHOL offense punishable under existing Philippine laws,
MINDANAO DENR orders Bohol officials rules, and regulations” do not qualify, the order
CDO Representative Rodriguez to pitch for higher Mindanao budget share to draft long-term environment protection plan states. Pregnant women, except in medical emer-
REPRESENTATIVE MAXIMO B. Rodriguez, Jr., chair of the House committee on Mindanao affairs, said THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) gency conditions or suffering complications involv-
in a press briefing on Wednesday, March 21, that his committee will ask various government depart- on Wednesday ordered the Panglao Island and Tagbilaran Executive ing newborns, have also been removed from the
ments to expand by 20% Mindanao’s share in the national budget in 2019, and continue with increas- Council (PITEC) to draft their own sustainable action plan for envi- list. The national government has various programs
es until President Rodrigo R. Duterte steps down in 2022. Mr. Rodriguez, who represents Cagayan de ronmental protection. In a statement, Environment Secretary Roy A. for expectant mothers. The Davao City govern-
Oro City (CDO) in Mindanao, said they will make the pitch through a series of technical working group Cimatu told PITEC officials to commit to more long-term sustainable ment’s 17-year old Lingap para sa Mahirap Program
meetings in April while the House of Representatives is on break. “It is our appeal to all our depart- practices to avoid facing closure due to environmental violations, provides medical assistance, hospital services, food
ments that Mindanao should receive its fair and equitable share of the national budget,” Mr. Rodriguez similar to what happened in Boracay, the country’s top island destina- supplements, and burial assistance to residents,
said. Citing a study by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department, Mr. Rodriguez noted tion. “The plans you are making are good for now. But I want to see a particularly indigent families and members of in-
that Mindanao only has a 16.2% or P608-billion allocation in the 2018 budget while its average share development plan for Panglao for the next 30 years,” Mr. Cimatu said. digenous groups. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
was only 12.8% in the last four years despite its poverty incidence rate of 40% and population of 26 — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
million, comprising a quarter of the country’s total populace. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz >> See full story on https://goo.gl/3fxEWR
businessworld graphics: erka Capili Inciong