Govt Suspends OFW Deployment to South Korea

As tension remains high in the Korean Peninsula, the deployment of Filipino workers to South Korea has been put on hold, government-run radio reported Saturday.

2009 Deployed Landbased Overseas Filipino Workers Statistics - Source: POEA

DzRB reported Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. gave the order after discussing the situation with labor officials.

The report also quoted deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte as saying the decision stemmed from the positions of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Labor and Employment, as well as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Click here to read the full report.

Source: www.gmanews.tv.

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DOT Wiki Project Enlists Public for New Campaign

Just days before his resignation, tourism undersecretary Vicente Romano III initiated a public-driven collaboration to replace the beleaguered "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" campaign.

Surprisingly, the project has taken on a life of its own as Pinoy netizens heeded his call to devise new ways and collaborate online.

Project DOT wiki

Dubbed as "Project DOT wiki", the initiative was quietly launched by Romano himself via a post on his personal Facebook page on Oct. 19. People who went to www.tourismpilipinas.com were shown step-by-step instructions on how to join.


[We] have gotten close to 60 responses... since it was announced [and] I am now doing a matrix of assignments so as to optimize contributions," said Evelyn Macayayong, DOT officer-in-charge of tourism information and the main contact person for the project.

In his post, Romano said he started the initiative after people began expressing via Twitter their eagerness to help out with the new campaign.

The online collaboration has also taken on a life of its own as various groups have pitched in their own ideas and contributions.

Source: www.gmanews.tv

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The Codon Gateway and Open Sky Policy

Two years from now, the Southern Luzon International Airport in Barangay Alobo, Daraga Albay will be operational and the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Bicol is now seeking an open sky policy for the airport. President Aquino emphasized that adopting even a “pocket-sized” open skies policy will ensure more tourist traffic in our country. The question now, what will happen then to the Codon gateway after 2012?



The Codon Gateway to Bicol's 'Boracay'

If realized next year, no other development project will be more dramatic for all Catandungenos in recent years than the "tourist highway" being pursued with much enthusiasm by Congressman Cesar. The project will open a Codon, San Andres gateway leading to the so-called "hidden paradise" of Caramoan, Camarines Sur, a few miles away by the Maqueda Channel, and which is now gaining fast international notice due to the location shooting in the area of the global "Survivor" TV series. Caramoan town was in virtual obscurity until foreign movie makers discovered its scenic and mystifying natural contours such that in a matter of months, the sleepy town has been transformed into a much-talked-about tourist destination in the Philippines, in the category of Boracay.

Click here to read the full-post...

Source: Rosulo - Catanduanes Tribune - 11 November 2010

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AYLC: Choosing Catanduanes

Catanduanes is an island province in the Bicol region. Because of its location, which makes it prone to typhoons and travel difficult, leadership development programs in the province are rare.

This caught the attention of Ayala Corporation’s Chairman Emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala, who posed a challenge during the 12th AYLC for Ayala to reach out to a greater number of youth leaders. In response, Ayala Foundation Inc.’s Youth Leadership Development Unit met with Catanduanes’ school and government officials.

CSLC delegates with facilitators and organizers.

LeadComm Catanduanes brought together 7 partner schools, namely: Catanduanes State Colleges (Main Campus and Panganiban campus), Catanduanes Computer Learning Center Inc., Hauswirtchaft Training Institute, TESDA-CSHCI-Cabugao, Bato, Catanduanes, Christian Polytechnic Institute of Catanduanes Inc., Catanduanes School of Advance Technology, Catanduanes Institute of Technology Foundation Inc.

In partnership with Ayala Foundation, Inc., the seven partner schools along with the Provincial Government of Catanduanes established a local LeadCom Organizing Committee that oversaw the local mobilization of resources and selection of participants. Gintong Pamana Awards Foundation, Inc. likewise extended their support in the 1st CSLC.

Source: Building Communities: The Catanduanes Story

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Mount Bulusan Emits Ashes Anew

Province of Sorsogon (9 November) -- Mt. Bulusan spewed ashes anew twice this afternoon, first at around 3:30PM, with 1-km high and at around 3:43PM with around 800-km high moving Southwest affecting Juban and Irosin towns.

Phivolcs regional resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said bulky brown to dark gray clouds were noted today compared to that of the 1st and second explosions.

Reports said that some areas in Irosin have already experienced ashfalls.

However, aside from earlier report of evacuees in Casiguran town, no other evacuees reported as of press time in Juban and Irosin.

Based from the assessment given to BFP Irosin for future flushing, search and rescue operations reference, possible areas in Irosin town to be likely affected in case the situation get worse are the barangays of Cogon, Gulang-gulang, Bolos, Tinampo, Bulawan, Mombon and also Gabao.

The explosion this afternoon is the the third time since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 1 on Saturday. Mt. Bulusan's explosions were also recorded on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8:11AM and on Monday, Nov. 8, 6:45AM.

Phivolcs reiterated that areas within 4 kilometers of the volcano's summit should be avoided by the residents for possible "sudden steam explosions."

Residents near valleys and streams were also warned against sediment-laden stream flows in case heavy and continuous rainfall occurs. (PIA Sorsogon)

by Bennie A. Recebido
Source: Philippine Information Agency

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Panoramio Photo Contest

Every time I checked my social networking feeds, I always took note of photo albums uploaded everyday, outdoor photos mostly not properly tagged and titled. So when someone tries to search for new photos, the chances of these pictures appearing on the search results is almost nil. Here's a solution, join in this geotagging contest, you have a chance of winning a Hybrid GPS Camera as well as promoting your place and reaching out a wider audience.

The Panoramio community enables you to share your photos and explore them on Google Earth, Google Maps and other places. If you’ve never geo-tagged a photo, watch this video to learn how easy it is to add photos to the Panoramio layer in Google Earth.

Now you can add some excitement to your photo project and enter your photos to the monthly Panoramio Geotagged Photo Contest! Starting this month, we’ll be giving away the new Casio Hybrid-GPS camera EX-H20G to the winner of each category (Scenery, Heritage, Travel and Unusual Location). The Panoramio community reviews all of the submissions and votes for what they consider to be the best each month.

Casio’s new Hybrid-GPS camera combines a GPS engine with autonomic positioning made possible by a motion sensor. This makes geotagging easy—both outdoors and indoors.

If you haven’t joined the Panoramio community yet, try it out and don’t forget to participate in our monthly contest. To enter your photo, click on “Submit to the contest” and choose a category. Good luck and we can’t wait to see your photos!

Source: Panoramio, November 2nd, 2010
Google LatLong: Announcing the Panoramio Photo Contest

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