Air France KLM Airlines discriminate, denied boarding of a Philippine girl member Bukidnon’s Talaandig tribe for her poor and innocent looks

An Air France-KLM plane on an airport tarmac. The airline reportedly prevented an 18-year-old indigenous Philippine woman, who was en route to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day from boarding on her onward flight on July 20 at the Kuala Lumpur airport because she appeared "not ready to travel" even if she had a folder with full documentation supporting her trip to Brazil. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (Royal Aviation Company), known by its initials KLM, is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM's headquarters is in Amstelveen near its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. KLM operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to more than 90 destinations. It is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name.

 

The merger of KLM with Air France in May 2004 created Air France-KLM, which is incorporated under French law with headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Both Air France and KLM continue to fly under their distinct brand names. Air France-KLM is part of the SkyTeam alliance.

 

The discriminated Tribal member of Bukidnon were asks of several insulting questions-

Why is your passport so new?"

"Your ticket is too cheap and purchased yesterday."

 "Why (are you) flying through Malaysia if there are flights from the Philippines?"

and "How much money (do) you have?"

In spite of the complete documents, sponsorships, bank account and other legal travel documents, a Bukidnon's Talaandig tribe member were denied to board the Air France KLM Airline.

 

KLM Airlines' denial of Filipino WYD delegate's flight hit

 

Philippines—An 18-year-old indigenous Philippine woman who was en route to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day was denied boarding on her onward flight on July 20 at the Kuala Lumpur airport, because personnel of KLM Airlines said she appeared "not ready to travel" even if she had a folder with full documentation supporting her trip to Brazil.

 

The incident involving Arjean Marie Belco of Bukidnon's Talaandig tribe was posted on the social networking site Facebook in a letter of complaint from Goodxorg, the sponsor of her Brazil trip.

 

According to the Facebook post, Belco went through immigration in Malaysia without incident but was not allowed to board her connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro by a KLM employee identified as Mr. Shawa who said that Belco appeared "not ready to travel" and "that he was doubtful" about her trip, "even if she had a folder full of documentation."

 

"Arjean was denied her right to travel. This could also be perceived as a possible case of discrimination based on appearance, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age or social status," Goodxorg said in its post.

 

Belco's Brazil trip was shouldered by Goodxorg and its partner Cartwheel Foundation.org., which pooled donations from all over the world to send the BS Education student to the Catholic event.

 

The airline employee allegedly barraged Belco with questions casting doubts on the legitimacy of her trip. She was asked, "Why is your passport so new?" "Your ticket is too cheap and purchased yesterday." "Why (are you) flying through Malaysia if there are flights from the Philippines?" and "How much money (do) you have?"

 

The Brazil trip is Belco's first outside the country, according to her sponsors, which explains her new passport. They also explained that the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Rio de Janeiro was approximately $1,000 cheaper than KLM's Manila to Rio flight.

 

Belco showed airline personnel a bank statement from Cartwheel Foundation showing sufficient funds. She had $100 and P3,370 on her for emergencies and meals before her connecting flights to Brazil. She was also carrying clippings of media stories published in the Philippines about her trip.

 

But Goodxorg lamented that the papers and calls from the group were not enough for KLM.

 

The airline employee, Mr. Shawa, told the staff of Goodxorg over the phone that there was nothing he could do and that another ticket had to be bought. The group was required to get in touch with the Dutch Embassy in Malaysia, the Facebook post said.

 

"He was even laughing while listening to our side. We believe this is unacceptable," the group said.

 

The nonprofit group Goodxorg (Good X or Good Exchanges) is led by Luis Petzhold, a Brazilian filmmaker and youth advocate, and Risa Halaguena, a Filipina lawyer and writer. Sending Belco to Brazil to attend World Youth Day, an international Catholic event to be held from July 23 to 28, is a pilot project of the group.

 

According to its Facebook page, Good X is "all about experiential learning. We believe that travel, culture and creativity should be appreciated and nurtured at a young age."

 

In its letter posted on Facebook, Goodxorg said Belco showed the KLM staff the address and contact info of her host family in Brazil, and that she requested the airline staff to contact her sponsors in the Philippines to verify the information she gave. But the KLM staff denied the request.

 

The student also showed her folder of documents, which included her proof of enrollment in Pamulaan College and the University of South Eastern Philippines, and certification that she is a Cartwheel Foundation scholar being sponsored by Goodxorg and Cartwheel for the trip.

 

The Facebook post also said that Goodxorg contacted KLM reservations for pertinent information on the trip to Brazil before purchasing the ticket.

 

With report from Inquirer 

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Chinese invaded Zambales, blow up mountains, Killing farmers and seize Nickel into hi-tech weapons to sabotage the Philippine military and economy

 

Heavy destruction of the invasion of 3 illegal Chinese Giants in Sta Cruz, Zambales

It's not only Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag/Scarborough Shoal) that the Chinese have occupied. They also have grabbed a slice of mainland Zambales, 108 kilometers east. There Chinese miners rule, stealing nickel ore the same way they poach fish in the shoal. Bribed local officials abet them like modern-day Makapili collaborators.

 

In the West Philippine Sea-side Sta. Cruz municipality, Zambales, operate three Chinese conglomerates:

• Jiangxi Rare Earth & Metals Tungsten Group,
• Wei-Wei Group, and
• Nihao Mineral Resources Inc.

 

Through Filipino dummies they have set up five supposed "minahang bayan (small-scale mines)." The five load ore and unload equipment in one common pier, betraying the fact that they actually are one.

 

Republic Act 6082: "Section 1. There is hereby created in the Department of Justice a board which shall be designated and known as the Anti-Dummy Board and which shall be vested with and shall exercise the powers and duties hereinafter.

 

Anti dummy law protects the Philippines from unlawful use and exploitation having in its name or under its control, a right, franchise, privilege, property or business, the exercise or enjoyment of which is expressly reserved by the Constitution or the laws to citizens of the Philippines for at least at least 60% of the capital of which is owned by such citizens and maximum of 40% for a foreign investors but the Chinese mining firm paid the local people as dummy to virtually own the 60% while controlling 100% full real ownership.  Section 3. - Any corporation or association violating any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon proper court proceedings, be dissolved and offering rewards 25%  to the informer in Section 3-A. If dummy will come out they would have a chance to own 25% of these whole Chinese illegal investment and 75% would be turnover to the government.

 

The five machinate under cover of the People's Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991. Such wee mines are for subsistence quarrymen who use only brawn, mini-crushers, hand picks, and shovels. Anything but puny, the five Chinese fronts use sophisticated excavators, drills, crushers, and explosives. With the heavy ordnance, they level mountains for tens of thousands of tons of nickel ore a day. (A small-scale mine is limited to only 50,000 tons in its lifetime.)

 

Residents of Sta. Cruz cry that the Chinese mines have denuded the forest watersheds, and poisoned farmlands, rivers, sea, and air. Townsfolk of adjacent Masinloc, Zambales, and Infanta, Pangasinan, also suffer. Muddied coastal waters drive small fishermen farther out to sea. But in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, Chinese warships shell them back to shore.

 

The Philippines is now China's main source of nickel. The five Chinese mines in Sta. Cruz contribute a sizeable portion. Although no exact figures can be obtained – small-scale mines operate under local government licenses, beyond the scope of the Mines & Geosciences Bureau – locals observe at the common wharf the departure of four ore-laden Chinese bulk carriers per week. China processes the nickel into hi-tech weapons and surveillance systems – to sabotage the Philippine military and economy into submission.

 

The Sta. Cruz-Masinloc-Infanta highway is called the "dump truck capital of the Philippines." Thousands of trucks' tailpipe emissions and ore-load dust pollute the air to alarming levels. Field monitors of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources reported on Nov. 15, 16, and 27, 2012, suspended particulates of 208, 727, and 824 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively, on the highway. Maximum tolerable is 90.

 

So in the barrios of Sta. Cruz, residents suffer acute respiratory infections – their top cause of morbidity. From 2001 to 2011, rural health workers noted an increasing incidence of 4,500 to 8,500 new cases per 100,000-population per year. Yet the Chinese mines have not improved local household incomes. (The entire mining industry has the highest poverty incidence.)

 

Health and environment ruin are accompanied by economic and political decay. By disguising as small-scale mines, the five Chinese thieves are able to skirt the stringent rules on the big ones. Provincial business permits can be obtained within days for as low as ₱10,000, and environmental clearances for ₱15,000, unlike the years-long wait for biggies to be scrutinized. Because virtually unregulated, the five Chinese mines pay no taxes, duties, fees, or royalties – for at least the sickened townsfolk's medical expenses. Provincial officials justify their localized exactions by pointing out that local governments do not get shares of central government revenues from big miners. (In 2011 the DENR reported that three million tons of Philippine mineral ores that were processed in China were unaccounted for by trade and Customs authorities.)

 

The mayors of Sta. Cruz, Masinloc, and Infanta profess to oppose the Chinese mines. That the latter continue to operate raises suspicion that the provincial capitols of Zambales and Pangasinan go over the mayors' heads and deal directly with pliant barangay officials. Either that or somebody's lying. The mayor of Infanta was murdered last December.

 

Bribery stories taint the Chinese mines. How they get away with their destructive ways is a mystery. The Wei-Wei Group entered Botolan, Zambales, in 2005 via a rushed approval during the Arroyo tenure. It came right after then-President Gloria Arroyo allowed China illegally to explore Philippine waters, under a secret, treasonous Joint Seismic Marine Understanding. Wei-Wei later barged into Sta. Cruz-Masinloc-Infanta.

 

The Jiangxi Group joined in partnership with a Nihao Minerals subsidiary. Officers of Nihao and affiliate Geograce Resources Inc. were involved in the illegal grant to ZTE International Corp. in 2005 of mining rights in the gold rush area of Mount Diwalwal, Compostela Valley in Mindanao Island.

 

With report Jarius Bondoc Opinion published from philSTAR

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