A Repost From AP (Associated Press)

10 plunge 25 floors to death at Manila work site

AP - Friday, January 28

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MANILA, Philippines – A temporary elevator at a building construction site in the Philippine capital plunged 25 floors Thursday, killing 10 workers, officials said.

The workers were installing glass windows at a high-rise condominium when a platform elevator gave way, sending them tumbling down from the 32nd to the seventh floor, said Mayor Junjun Binay of Makati city, Manila's financial district.

Police and rescue officials said 10 workers were killed. One worker was in critical condition, but it was not immediately clear how many were on the platform, Binay said.

In a statement, building owner Eton Properties Philippines, Inc. said the workers were employees of its glass contractor and were on a break at the time of the accident. The workers took the platform to go up the 39-story building "instead of taking the stairs," the statement said.

"However, since the platform can only carry a few workers, the cable snapped," it said, adding that the company has ordered a review of the safety regulations of its subcontractors and construction management.

The company's website describes Eton as the global real estate arm of the Lucio Tan Group and a sister company of the Philippine National Bank and Philippine Airlines.

Binay ordered construction at the site halted.

The Philippines, particularly Manila, has been experiencing a construction boom since last year, driven by low interest rates, the large number of foreign remittances from 9 million Filipinos working abroad and the need for more office space to accommodate the country's growing outsourcing industry.

Reposted From AP (Associated Press)

A Repost From Dennis Carcamo of Philstar.com

Group calls on legislator to probe OFW deaths in Saudi Arabia

Philstar.com - Friday, January 14

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MANILA, Philippines – A migrant workers' group has called on Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello to probe into the unsolved deaths of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East.

Gerry De Guzman, Migrante-Saudi Arabia Vice-Chairperson for the Eastern region, said that during a dialogue with Bello, head of the House committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (COWA), OFW leaders discussed the worsening condition of OFWs amid numerous complaints of abuses and maltreatment.

De Guzman also said they presented to Bello a copy of the signature campaign initiated by Migrante chapters in Saudi Arabia demanding the government’s action and intervention on the numbers of unsolved cases involving mysterious deaths and sexual abuse of OFWs.

One of the mysterious OFW deaths documented by Migrante was the case of Al-Khobar-based Romilyn Eroy-Ibanez, 22, who was found soaked in blood.

She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but died hours later. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Reposted From Dennis Carcamo of Philstar.com

A Repost From Dennis Carcamo of Philstar.com

8 Filipino women with sick children detained in Saudi

Philstar.com - Thursday, December 2

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MANILA, Philippines – At least eight Filipino women detained at a police station in Saudi Arabia after a raid last month in Al Khobar are asking Philippine embassy officials to assist them with their sick children, according to a migrant workers' rights group.

“We endorsed their request for assistance to the Philippine embassy for its prompt action since its a serious concerns especially that the children of these arrested run away OFWs are sick,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

“My baby has been unconscious during the raid due to sickness,” Monterona quoted one of the mothers as saying.

He said his group has already conveyed to the Phl Embassy-Assistance to the National Section (ANS) that the runaway overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been locked up inside a small room of the police station along with their children.

“They claimed that no assistance so far has been given to them by any PHL embassy staff aside from getting their names and the required 'papers' to transfer them at Saudi's Social welfare agency (SWA) in Dammam,” Monterona said in his letter to the embassy officials. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Reposted From Dennis Carcamo of Philstar.com

A Repost From ABS-CBN News

'Referee a profound idiot for not stopping Pacquiao match'

ABS-CBN - Monday, November 15

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'Referee a profound idiot for not stopping Pacquiao match'

…but Pacquiao, nevertheless, is a ‘phenomenon, not human’

MANILA, Philippines - Much has been said about Manny Pacquiao’s brilliant performance against Mexican foe, Antonio Margarito. Both showed courage and endurance—enough reason for some quarters to say both were winners.

For boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz, there was one clear loser: referee Laurence Cole.

In an interview with Mornings @ ANC, the Sri Lanka-born analyst said: “He’s a profound idiot. God only knows why he did not stop the game…Maybe he just did not like Pacquiao.”

He said Cole refereed for Pacquiao’s controversial fight against Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003. During that fight, Pacquiao slipped but it was deemed a knockout by Cole. "When Pacquiao knocked-out Barrera, he called it a slip,” he said.

Pacquiao snatched his 8th title through a unanimous decision on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in Dallas, Texas. He has won other world titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140 pounds.

While Pacquiao did fail to knock out Margarito, Nathanielsz and other analysts say the game was already over around the 9th round.

Margarito’s eyes were nearly swollen shut, and there was no chance he could get a turnaround, they said.

“I kept predicting that the fight would be over around the 7th round. The cuts came up so badly, the referee should have stopped the fight. I was wrong because of the idiot,” Nathanielsz said.

Dangerous cuts

The analyst said Margarito could have gone blind if he received more punches to the wound.

The end-result may have also badly hurt Pacquiao, he added. “Pacquiao will suffer psychologically from the stigma,” he said.

In an interview with boxing website fanhouse.com, Cole explained he was close to stopping the fight after seeing Margarito’s swollen face.

He said: “In those rounds [10th and 11th], I started to sneak in closer so that I could work a lot closer and wait to see how Margarito was responding. I wanted a reason to stop it…I guess that Tony kind of knew that I was getting close and that I wanted to stop it, because Tony kept firing back and he kept fighting. Every time that I got close, and he'd eat two or three punches, he would fire back.”

Pacquiao actually got a beating in the 6th round when a glove got tangled in the ring, allowing Margarito to give him a good shot.

Nathanielsz said his courage got him through. “By the 10th round, he had his mouth open, you knew he was having a hard time breathing…but he’s a phenomenon…I don’t think he’s human actually,” he said.

Strange animal

Nathanielsz even called Pacquiao a “strange animal…He’s the only boxer I know who shows mercy towards his opponents.”

Once Pacquiao got his groove back from the punch in the 6th round, the game went clearly his way thereafter.

Even Coach Freddie Roach admitted his boxer was not as aggressive enough compared to the early rounds, considering the damage already done to Margarito.

This “compassion” could have probably saved Margarito from going blind.

Pacquiao admitted after the game he could not fight again with the same intensity. He called it his toughest fight yet.

Nonetheless, Nathanielsz sees another match in the future.

He could only dream of a Pacquiao match against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. “Maybe he can get Mayweather, even in prison,” he said.

If that does not work out, he would want a third one against Juan Manuel Marquez. The latter had complained he had been cheated in the last match.

“Let’s shut his mouth once and for all,” Nathanielsz said.

Reposted From ABS-CBN News

A Repost From GMA News.TV

Pinay nurse’s death in California jail highlights safety issues

GMANews.TV - Friday, November 5

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The recent death of a Filipina nurse detailed to a California jail has raised concerns over the “disturbing trend of violence" faced by medical care professionals in potentially violent workplaces. On Oct. 28, registered nurse Cynthia Palomata, 55, succumbed to the head injuries she sustained after she was attacked by an inmate at the Martinez county jail, where she had been assigned since 2005. A report by the Asian Journal, a US-based news website for the Filipino community, identified the suspect as Aaron Nygaard, in jail for burglary. According to the report, Nygaard faked a seizure attack to get out of the waiting room, then, without provocation, he hit Palomata on the head with a table lamp. The nurse was brought to John Muir Medical Center, where she underwent surgery for swelling in the brain due to blood clot. On Oct. 28, however, Palomata was taken off life support and declared dead. The suspect will be charged with murder, the report said. Palomata, a native of Nabas town in Aklan, had been working for the Contra Costa Health Services in California for over 20 years. She left behind a husband and a grown son. "The suddenness of the incident left us, her family, in shock. She was unaware that when she left home that day, she would never see her family again. We miss her terribly," Palomata’s brother Cyril Barraca Jr. was quoted as saying in the Asian Journal report. Dr. William Walker, director of Contra Costa Health Services, said in a statement that they will continue to evaluate safety procedures in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office. ‘Disturbing trend of violence’ Following Palomata’s death, the California Nurses’ Association (CNA) raised concerns about the safety of nurses assigned to potentially dangerous facilities. In a statement, the CNA called for policy reforms to curb what it called a “disturbing trend of violence" in facilities where medical care is provided. “Workplace violence is a major public health concern that has grown substantially in the past decade," the CNA said. It cited data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that the healthcare industry registered the highest incidence of workplace violence among all industrial sectors, being responsible for 45 percent of the two million incidents of workplace violence incidents that have occurred annually in the US between 1993 and 1999.

An Emergency Nurses Association survey released in 2009 also showed that more than 50 percent of emergency room nurses had experienced violence from patients and more than one-fourth had experienced 20 or more violent incidents in the past three years. Citing research, the CNA also said that factors such as long wait times, a shortage of nurses, drug and alcohol use by patients, and treatment of psychiatric patients all contributed to violence in the ER. “We can no longer tolerate inadequate security measures which threaten not only RNs and other staff, but also put families and other patients at risk," said CNA president emeritus Kay McVay. “Violence takes a significant toll. Prevention is essential to creating a safe and therapeutic environment for patients and a safer workplace for healthcare workers," she said. She also said that preventive measures were needed to reduce the loss of experienced staff members, who leave because of assaults and threats of violence. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration define workplace violence as any physical assault, threatening behavior, or verbal abuse occurring in the workplace. Part of the job In a separate interview, Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) president Dr. Teresita Barcelo said the violence that nurses face, even in the Philippines, is “real" — and this is why preventive mechanisms need to be instituted even as early as when prospective nurses are still studying for their college degrees. “Violence is one of our job hazards. We know that. That’s why kami na ang nag-iingat, because these people (patients in potentially violent worksites) cannot be relied upon," Barcelo said. Barcelo said the nursing curriculum includes a course on psychiatric nursing, where students are taught how to develop a “therapeutic relationship" with their patients. Barcelo admitted that certain incidents of violence — such as that experienced by Palomata — cannot be expected and are difficult to prevent. Even so, she added, developing this kind of relationship with patients may significantly reduce the occurrence of violent acts. But even outside these facilities, nurses, particularly in the Philippines and in some countries in the Middle East, become the subject of crimes, according to Barcelo. She cited the case of Florence (not her real name), a volunteer nurse in South Upi town in Maguindanao who was reportedly gang-raped on September 27. (See: Report: Maguindanao gang-raped nurse undergoes surgery) “It is important that part of the orientation in the hospitals and other facilities should be to inform medical professionals of the possible dangers of working there. This should be part of the protocol of hospitals," Barcelo explained. Nursing: popular because lucrative? In the last five years, some 82,000 nurses have indicated their desire to work in the US by taking the National Council Licensure Examination, the licensure exam for nurses in the US. The Department of Health said a big surge of nurses working overseas started in 1994, when some 100,000 nurses left the country. From 2000 to 2009, about 120,000 more were deployed abroad. In light of increased opportunities for overseas work, nursing remains a popular course for college students, with over 600,000 students taking it in 400 nursing schools in 2007, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines. Records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration meanwhile show 13,000 newly hired Filipino nurses were deployed overseas in 2009, making it a top occupational category for OFWs, second only to household service work.—DM/JV, GMANews.TV

Reposted From GMA News.TV

A Repost From Edith Regalado Of Philstar.com

Raped nurse suffers from memory loss

Philstar.com - Saturday, October 16

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DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Attending physicians said the 21-year-old volunteer nurse, who was gang-raped in Maguindanao recently, has suffered from memory loss as a result of the physical and psychological trauma she experienced during the ordeal.

Dr. Leopoldo Vega, executive director of the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) here, told The STAR that the victim is already able to say some words but that her cognitive level remains low.

The victim was rendering volunteer services in the Maguindanao town of South Upi when she was sexually molested last Sept. 25.

Vega said the victim, who sustained brain contusions, has shown some signs of recovery, as she now could say some words but could not still complete a sentence.

“Her speech is usually a repetition of what you tell her. Like if I tell her ‘I am Doc Vega,’ she would say ‘Vega.’ And when we ask her where she is at that moment, she would say ‘balay’ (house),” Vega said.

He said the victim is still disoriented with regards to time and place and other things.

“But what is good is she already says audible and comprehensible words and that she no longer mumbles unlike when she was first brought here in SPMC,” Vega said.

He said lapses in her cognitive level could be a result of the physical and psychological trauma she went through in the hands of her attackers.

Vega added that she could already eat slowly unlike before when she was dependent on tube-feeding.

The SPMC chief cited the need to carry out strict measures to help the victim recover, such as no television or newspapers in her room.

“We do not want her to listen to the news on TV because it might add to the trauma she is experiencing right now. We also do not want newspapers inside her room so she could not read about what is going on,” he added.

Her attending physicians also recommended that only female nurses would take care of her.

“We have only allowed female nurses and female physical therapists to help lessen her trauma,” he said, adding that security has also been tightened in the vicinity of her room at SPMC.

“As to her full recovery, we really could not tell yet. It really all depends on her improvements as days go by,” he said.

In Maguindanao, six suspects arrested after the rape have been released as the provincial prosecutor found insufficient evidence against them.

A former militiaman, who earlier had owned up to the crime but later retracted his confession, remains under police custody. - By Edith Regalado (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Reposted From Philstar.com and GMA News.TV

A Repost From Jerrie M. Abella of GMA News.TV

Kin of Pinoys in Afghanistan plane crash grieve over loss

10/16/2010 | 03:08 AM

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The families of the six Filipinos who died on board a cargo plane that crashed in Afghanistan on Tuesday are still reeling from their loss, even as they struggle to come to grips with the deaths of the heads of their families.

Nela Padura, wife of the plane’s avionics staff Edward Padura, said that while she is still in shock after receiving confirmation of the death of her husband on Wednesday, she is nevertheless trying to be strong for their four children.

"It’s painful but I have to accept it. If I won’t be able to deal with it, our children will be the ones who will suffer," she told GMA News-Cebu’s Vic Serna in a newscast on “24 Oras".

Padura retired from his position as second lieutenant of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in 2004 to try his luck abroad.

Like him, two other victims were likewise natives of Cordova town in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu: mechanic Bernard Castillo and crewmember Ibelo Valbuena.

Castillo likewise previously was with the PAF before he retired to work as a mechanic in Afghanistan.

His family told GMA News that he had earlier said he will return to the Philippines in December when he finishes his six-month contract, and promised to bring them all to Boracay island, a popular tourist spot.

"I know it is hard to accept but I and my siblings, along with our mother, will have to accept what happened," said Geraldine, one of Castillo’s four children.

The family of Valbuena, meanwhile, declined to be interviewed.

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Pilot Bulos was ‘full of life’

In a separate report by Marisol Abdurahman also on “24 Oras", Ingrid Bulos, wife of Major Henry Bulos who was the plane’s pilot, recalled her last conversation with her husband.

"Full of life lang siya a few days ago and masaya kaming nag-uusap… Gustong-gusto mo na siyang maabot, makausap, tapos biglang nawala," Ingrid said in between sobs. (He was so full of life a few days ago, and we were so happy talking… You’d wanted so much to reach him, to talk to him, then suddenly he’s gone.)

She likewise narrated how difficult it was for her to tell their only daughter that her father won’t be coming home.

"[I told her], you know what, Daddy's not coming back anymore. When they hit the mountain and Daddy stood up, Jesus was there and Jesus said it's time to go," she recounted.

Henry Bulos’s mother Precy likewise told GMA News how difficult it is that her son’s body may no longer be recovered.

"Ilang araw na, hindi pa kami nakakapag-[luksa]. Ano ba ang kakandilaan namin? Ano ang aasahan namin? Abo, mga body parts, pagsasama-samahin, at ike-cremate, magparte-parte na lang kami. Walo kayong magpaparte-parte. Gaano kasakit yun?" she said.

(Days have passed but we have been unable to properly grieve. What will we light candles for? What will we expect? Ashes, body parts, then gather these to be cremated? All of us eight families will have to share the ashes. How painful could that be?)

Seasoned pilots

Bulos’s co-pilot, retired Gen. Rene Badilla, was meanwhile the vice commander of the PAF when he retired in 2009.

In a text message to GMA News, former commanding general of the PAF Pedrito Cadungog expressed his sadness over the death of Badilla, whom he described as a close friend and classmate at the Philippine Military Academy.

PAF spokesperson Miguel Ocol likewise described Bulos and Badilla as two seasoned pilots of the agency.

"(Dalawa) sa mga matitinik naming C130 pilots. Across the PAF, nalungkot kami. Silang dalawa, sila ‘yung tipong pag sinabi mong C130, sila ang maiisip mo," Ocol said.

(They were two of the most seasoned C130 pilots. When you talk about C130, you’ll immediately think of the two of them. Across the PAF, we were all saddened.)

Badillo was a member of the PMA Class 1975, while Bulos graduated from a flight school in 1989.

The PAF said it will give full military honors to both Badilla and Bulos.

The Department of Foreign Affairs meanwhile said while there is an existing labor deployment ban in Afghanistan, filing charges against the six Filipinos’ employers will not be the department’s priority, as they are still working for the immediate repatriation of the victims’ remains.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV