Ireland: Travel and Tourism in the Philippines, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2016

Research and Markets: Travel and Tourism in the Philippines, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2016: Government Committed to Increased Investment and Regulatory Change to Promote Tourism Growth

DUBLIN -- Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2413e3e1/travel_and_tourism ) has announced the addition of the "Travel and Tourism in the Philippines, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2016: Government Committed to Increased Investment and Regulatory Change to Promote Tourism Growth" report to their offering.

The Philippines generates the sixth-largest tourist volume in Southeast Asia. Travel and tourism in the Philippines contributed around 3.5% of national GDP in 2011, and provided over 2% of the country's total employment. Investment in travel and tourism amounted to around ₱81.8 billion (US$1.86 billion) in 2011, which represented 5.2% of total national investment in the year.

Total Philippine tourist volume, which includes domestic, inbound and outbound tourists, grew at a healthy rate during the review period (2007-2011). This growth can be attributed to factors such as the country's growing economy, infrastructure improvements and government initiatives to promote the country as an attractive tourist destination.

• The government has simultaneously been making efforts to improve tourism infrastructure by developing the country's air, road, rail and sea transport. With these government initiatives, the volume of inbound tourists in the country is expected to register a strong CAGR of 5.53% over the forecast period (2012-2016).
• The number of inbound tourist arrivals in the Philippines reached a record level of 3.65 million in 2011, after achieving an annual growth rate of 3.6%.
• In order to capitalize on the growing opportunities in medical tourism, the Philippines has been improving its healthcare infrastructure to remain competitive and attract foreign patients.
• The number of business opportunities increased following the government's continuous economic liberalization measures and hosting of several international business meetings.

Medical tourism is expected to grow significantly in the Philippines during the forecast period, since the government has relaxed the criteria to obtain a visa for medical treatment in the country.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary
2. Introductions
3. Tourism Industry Outlooks
4. Tourist Spending Pattern Analysis
5. Transportation Industry Outlooks
6. Accommodation Industry Outlooks
7. Travel Intermediaries Industry Outlook
8. Appendixes

Continue reading

Pool- Philippines business leaders 4th most optimistic in the world

      

The Philippines ranked fourth in the latest global survey on business confidence, according to UK-based auditing and advisory firm Grant Thornton International.

Survey results released by audit, tax and advisory firm Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A) showed 82 percent of Filipino respondents were upbeat on the economy for the next 12 months. P&A is Grant Thornton's local member firm.

The same survey showed the top ten countries in terms of business optimism were 

1. Peru (90 percent)
2. Brazil (86 percent),
3. United Arab Emirates (84 percent)
4. Philippines (82 percent)
5. Georgia (78 percent)
6. India (74 percent)
7. Chile (68 percent)
8. Germany (64 percent)
9. Mexico (62 percent)
10. Turkey (60 percent).

The International Business Report (IBR), a worldwide survey of business sentiment, started doing quarterly polls of economic confidence during the last quarter of 2010.

While the level of confidence in the Philippines has been fluctuating, it has consistently outpaced optimism globally and in the ASEAN region, it said.

In an earlier IBR survey, the Philippines ranked third overall with 87 percent in the optimism rating after Chile (95 percent) and India (93 percent).

P&A managing partner and chief executive officer Marivic Españo said the Philippines has managed to remain resilient despite the global uncertainties.

"Now that the global mood has also picked up, particularly among more mature economies, and the government seems determined to make up for its under-spending last year, I think we're on track to maintaining this upbeat outlook," she added.

Forty-five percent of Filipino businessmen said they expect an improvement in the local economy.

Filipino business leaders said they have seen improvement in regulations and reduction of red tape, which was considered roadblocks to their business growth.

Regulations/red tape in the past had consistently emerged as the top obstacle for Filipino business leaders, but now has become less of a hindrance this quarter: 22 percent of local respondents reported it as a business constraint, compared to 32 percent last quarter.

"Bureaucracy has long been a cause for concern for businesses in the Philippines. So while it's good to note that fewer respondents are hampered by it, it bears to mention that it still emerged as the top constraint, along with information and telecommunications infrastructure," Españo said.

She said businesses are feeling the effects of the government's drive to improve the ease of doing business in the country.

The Philippine Business Registration workstation of the Department of Trade and Industry is a good start.

Since the Philippines started participating in 2004, optimism among local business leaders has always tracked an upward trend until 2009, when optimism dropped from a high of 95 percent to 63 percent in reaction to the global financial crisis.

The following year, confidence level marginally improved to 68 percent as business leaders cautiously looked forward to a rebound.

Continue reading

Philippines, Qatar sign 5 MOUs on tourism, fisheries, investments

The Philippines and Qatar on Tuesday signed four bilateral agreements and one private sector agreement that would boost cooperation in the areas of investments, tourism, fisheries and the legal field.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who arrived in Manila for a two-day state visit, witnessed the signing of the agreements at the Palace Reception Hall after their bilateral meeting.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Qatar Holding Limited Liability Corporation signed an MOU on investment cooperation.

"This MOU would explore the investment opportunities in the Philippines in various sectors including natural resources, commodities, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure," Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

The MOU on tourism cooperation is expected to create "favorable conditions for long-term cooperation in tourism for the mutual benefit of the Philippines and Qatar," Lacierda said.

The MOU on agricultural and fisheries cooperation establishes the general framework for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and fisheries "for the purpose of fostering sectoral development and enhancing agri-related trade and investment," he added.

It is the first-ever visit of the Emir of Qatar to the Philippines, who was feted to a state dinner in his honor at Rizal Hall of Malacanang, the presidential palace.

The Emir will meet separately with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte on Wednesday, before returning to Qatar.

President Aquino and Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani witnessed the signing of five agreements to enhance business relations between the Philippines and Qatar at Malacañang Palace.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said four government-to-government agreements were signed.

One was the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation that would create favorable conditions for long-term cooperation in tourism for the mutual benefit of the Philippines and Qatar.

Another MOU was on cooperation in the legal field that would encourage the sharing of experiences and best practices in the performance of the mandates of each country's ministry of justice.

The MOU on agricultural and fisheries cooperation establishes the general framework for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and fisheries for the purpose of fostering sectoral development and enhancing agri-related trade and investment.

Among the areas of cooperation are crops technology, vegetable and fruit preservation, biotechnology, post-harvest technology, livestock and fisheries, coastal and deep-sea fishing management, irrigation and water resources, and the halal industry.

The Philippines will invite Qatar to participate in the country's Public-Private Partnership projects, Lacierda said.

Qatar Airways to fly to Manila

Qatar Airways will operate 14 flights weekly between Manila and Doha.

Abdallah Okash, Qatar Airways Philippines country manager, corrected a STAR report last April 3 on the pullout of Qatar Airways of its thrice a week Cebu to Doha flights.

"We have 14 weekly flights between Manila and Doha, and not twice a week," he said.

Quoting aviation industry sources, The STAR reported the Qatar Airways decision to discontinue the Cebu to Doha flights was made due to high costs of operating in the country.

The pullout of Qatar Airways of its Cebu-Doha flights came on the heels of the state visit of Sheik Hamad.

Continue reading

Philippines Announces Precautionary Measures Ahead of North Korean Rocket Launch

The Philippines is announcing precautions for airlines and ships to avoid falling debris from North Korea's expected rocket launch, due in the next few days. North Korean officials say the first stage will fall into the sea about 160 kilometers from the Philippines, but past North Korean launches have been notoriously inaccurate.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is rerouting some flights in anticipation of the launch that North Korea says will put a weather satellite in orbit.

Defense leaders from several governments estimate that debris from the three-stage launch could fall to earth along the rocket's southern trajectory.

Aviation Authority Spokeswoman Joy Songsong says planes will not be allowed to pass through three lanes in the skies northeast of the country from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from April 12 - 16.

"Part of the approximately 20 flights that will be affected daily would be international flights using the Philippine airways to get to their destinations," Songsong said.

She says the aviation office asked the Philippines' two main carriers and airlines from Japan, Korea and other countries to make the adjustments. She says rerouting will add 10 minutes to flights connecting Manila with the United States, Japan and South Korea and affect other routes to and from some Southeast Asian destinations. 

Philippine territory is very near the projected drop of the third phase of the launch.  This prompted the Office of Civil Defense to order the no-passing zone, which includes the air and waters off the country's northeast coast.

Civil Defense Administrator Benito Ramos says North Korea has provided the expected coordinates of the rocket's path and authorities are using them in their alerts.

"We make sure that no fisherman, no aircraft, no ship will be crossing in that area so that we expect zero casualties in the event that there will be fallout," Ramos said.

Defense officials have expressed concern the launch may follow an unexpected trajectory and the rocket could come apart, falling to earth in unplanned locations.

Ramos says a piece falling with a two degree or even just one degree difference from its projected coordinates would put the entire northern island of Luzon in harm's way. 

He says the Philippines would not be in a position to shoot down any missile, but he is confident the country will have help.

"I feel reassured because of the capabilities of these countries like your country - U.S., we have the U.S. military base in Okinawa. We have also Japan and South Korea," Ramos said.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino's spokesman said in a news briefing Tuesday that the country is preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.

Continue reading

Philippines top 5 GlobalEnglish Business English Index 2012

GlobalEnglish Business English Index Reveals Skills Shortage and Unequal Odds for International Business Success in 2012

Countries including Brazil, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Turkey are at a disadvantage

Nearly four out of ten workers can't understand the basic information shared on global conference calls, read or write emails in English, or deal with complexity and rapid change

Brisbane, CA, U.S.A. –April 3, 2012 — GlobalEnglish Corporation (www.GlobalEnglish.com ), the leading provider of cloud-based, on-demand software to advance Enterprise Fluency™ for global organizations, today announced the results of its annual Business English Index (BEI), the only index that measures Business English proficiency in the workplace. The 2012 BEI shows that a lack of Business English proficiency is threatening the productivity of companies, industries and country-specific economies this year.

With a growing number of companies operating across ten, 15 or even more than 20 countries with different native tongues, the majority of the world's business conversations now take place between non-native English speakers in English. The current shortage of talent with the aptitude to speak, present, write, sell and service customers in English has become a high-performance challenge for leaders of multinational companies at a time when more international business growth has been fueled through expansions in emerging markets.

Based on a scale of 1-10, providing a ranking of employee Business English competency from beginner to advanced skills, the average 2012 BEI score across 108,000 test takers around the world is 4.15. A BEI score of 1.0 indicates an ability to read and communicate using only simple questions and statements, and a score higher than 10.0 represents an ability to communicate and collaborate in the workplace much like a native English speaker. There was an overall decrease in the average BEI score from last year's inaugural index, which dropped from 4.46 to 4.15. This low score confirms that current Business English skills are not sufficient enough to meet the performance demands of today's global economy.

Nearly four out of ten (38.2 percent) global workers from 76 represented countries were ranked as Business English beginners, meaning that, on average, they can't understand or communicate basic information during virtual or in-person meetings, read or write professional emails in English or deal with complexity and rapid change in a global business environment. The majority of global workers (60.5%) from the represented countries scored between a 4.0 and 7.0, below an intermediate level, indicating an inability to take an active role in business discussions or perform relatively complex tasks such as presentation development and customer or partner negotiations.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that 70 percent of world growth over the next few years will come from emerging markets, with China and India accounting for 40 percent of that growth. By 2020, Brazil, Russia, India and China are expected to account for nearly 50 percent of all global GDP growth. Yet, according to McKinsey & Company1, only 13 percent of graduates from emerging countries are suitable for employment in global companies, and the number one reason cited is a lack of English skills.

While 92 percent of non-native English-speaking global employees say communicating in English is required or important for their jobs, only a tiny fraction (seven percent) strongly agree that their current English skills are sufficient for success on the job, according to a 2010 survey of 26,000 global employees in 152 countries.2

"Poor Business English skills are bad for global businesses and this year's Business English Index suggests that many companies will be hard-pressed to achieve their desired performance goals during 2012," according to Tom Kahl, GlobalEnglish President. "Addressing English skills gaps and ensuring that employees can immediately perform at the necessary proficiency level should be viewed as a strategic imperative for multinational businesses, as Enterprise Fluency, the ability to seamlessly communicate and collaborate within global organizations, can deliver significant financial upside. In fact, a Towers Watson study found that effective business communications can lead to a 47 percent higher total shareholder return."

In a March 2012 report, analyst firm Bersin & Associates 3 found that organizations with a high level of Enterprise Fluency, those which tackle Business English on a strategic, enterprise-wide level, are dramatically more likely to succeed across a broad spectrum of business outcomes than companies with a fragmented and reactive business communications approach. According to the study, organizations at the upper end of the spectrum are 16 times more likely to be high financial performers, 28 times more likely to perform better on customer success measures, such as improved customer loyalty and satisfaction, and 86 times more likely to be high performers on business agility measures, including time to market and responsiveness to change.

Struggling, Fast-Growth and BRIC Economies at a Disadvantage

Only the Philippines attained a score above 7.0, a BEI level within range of a high proficiency that indicates an ability to take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively complex tasks. This is particularly interesting because the Philippines, a country with one-tenth of the population of India, recently overtook India as a hub for call centers.4 Joining the Philippines in the top five were Norway (6.54), Estonia (6.45), Serbia (6.38) and Slovenia (6.19).

Top 5 BRIC Economies

1. The Philippines (Score above 7.0 – indicates active role in Business discussion and perform relatively complex task)
2. Norway (6.54)
3. Estonia (6.45)
4. Serbia (6.38)
5. Slovenia (6.19)

It is not surprising that both the Philippines and Norway—the only two countries in the top five in both 2011 and 2012—are improving their economies, based on the latest GDP data from the World Bank. The increased Business English capability for global workers from these two countries is an indicator of continued economic growth and business success.

Economic Powers Scored below 4.0 for Business English Proficiency

1. Japan
2. Italy
3. Mexico
4. Brazil
5. Columbia
6. Chile

Both struggling economic powers (Japan, Italy and Mexico) and fast-growth emerging markets (Brazil, Columbia and Chile) scored below a 4.0 in Business English proficiency, placing them at a disadvantage when competing in a global marketplace. Three out of four BRIC countries did not attain a spot in the top-ranking 25 countries, including Brazil (2.95), Russia (3.60) and China (4.44). India earned a BEI score of 5.57, placing it within the top 10 countries.

BRIC countries did not attain a spot in the top-ranking 25 countries

1. India (5.57)
2. China (4.44)
3. Russia (3.60)
4. Brazil (2.95)

Shifts in global talent have put even English-speaking countries at risk. Surprisingly the BEI score for global workers in the U.S. declined from 6.9 to 5.09 since the original 2011 BEI benchmark, which is attributed to a majority of test takers being foreign-born engineers and scientists. One in five global workers employed in the U.S. across the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields are foreign-born, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce Report published in 2012.5

Professional and Financial Services Are Leading Industry Sectors

A professional services company that topped the 2012 BEI for a second year in a row with a score of 7.61 is a leading international provider of outsourced customer care. The company is differentiating itself by emphasizing the quality of its offering by enabling its representatives to provide improved service through a higher level of Business English proficiency.  Both the professional services (5.19) and financial services (4.68) sectors had modest improvements to the BEI scores earned from the original benchmark index conducted last year. As business becomes increasingly globalized, client companies expect service partners to offer best-in-class support in an increasing number of geographic locations.

Other higher-scoring sectors included the media/communications/entertainment sector (4.6) and the technology and retail sectors (4.5) which scored near the top of the 2012 BEI. Industry sectors at the bottom of the 2012 BEI include the government/education/nonprofit sector (3.11), the real estate and construction sector (3.15) and the manufacturing and distribution sector (3.4). These lower results are likely due to less employer emphasis on developing Business English skills, because many of the organizations operating in these latter sectors have traditionally been more locally focused.

The GlobalEnglish BEI is a valuable tool for multinational companies to measure and compare Business English competency across geographies and sectors and to evaluate Business English competency of peers and competitors. The 76 countries included in the 2012 BEI proficiency rankings each had a range of test takers between 50 and more than 13,000 per country. All global workers from 216 participating multinational corporations were evaluated over the course of 2011.

To review the complete 2012 BEI findings – including a full report, infographics and a presentation, visit: www.GlobalEnglish.com/business_english_index   

About GlobalEnglish Corporation

GlobalEnglish offers solutions to improve Enterprise Fluency™: the communication and collaboration that drives high performance in a global economy. A key component of Enterprise Fluency is the measure of a company's ability to apply company-wide gains in Business English skills to improve the ease with which global teams can communicate and collaborate with each other and the effectiveness with which the company can operate across country borders.

GlobalEnglish has more than 500 enterprises partnering with the company globally, including BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Cisco, Deloitte, GlaxoSmithKline, Hilton, John Deere, Procter & Gamble and Unisys. Its comprehensive, on-demand software solutions are available in 15 languages for instant, on-the-job support for business tasks in English – such as collaborating, writing emails and developing presentations – and proven programs for building lasting Business English proficiency. Headquartered in Brisbane, California, the company has offices in 30 countries and the global reach to support multinational companies in any country worldwide.

¹ Source: The Emerging Global Labor Market: Part II—The Supply of Offshore Talent in Services, McKinsey & Company, June 2005, http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/emerginggloballabormarket/Part2/executive_summary.asp
 
² Source: The Globalization of English Report, GlobalEnglish Corporation, 2010,http://www.globalenglish.com/m/why_globalenglish/globalization_of_english/.
 
³ Source: Why Moving Communication Issues from Tactical to Strategic is Imperative in Today's Borderless Business Environment, Bersin & Associates, March 2012, bit.ly/EFMM_Report  
 
⁴ Source: "A New Capital of Call Centers," The New York Times, November 5, 2011,http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/business/philippines-overtakes-india-as-hub-of-call-centers.html?_r=1
 
⁵ Source: The Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States, U.S. Department of Commerce, January 2012.http://www.commerce.gov/americacompetes

Continue reading

10 ASEAN hand-in-hand lead by -Philippines – to counter China Bullying

Philippine President Benigno Aquino is calling on the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations - ASEAN - to forge a code of conduct on territorial claims in the South China Sea, before negotiating with China to ease festering regional tensions.

Aquino, speaking Tuesday (April 3, 2012) in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, told other ASEAN heads of state that the grouping must "maintain centrality" in its dealings with Beijing. ASEAN countries and non-member China hold conflicting claims to potential mineral and energy deposits in the vast West Philippines Sea, and several recent naval confrontations have raised regional tensions.

China has sought to negotiate with individual ASEAN countries, and it was not clear from Tuesday's summit proceedings how or if the two positions will be reconciled.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose country holds the rotating ASEAN chair, opened the two-day summit Tuesday with a call for member-countries to work to narrow the gap between the region's richest and poorest countries.

"Within the region, although the development gap among ASEAN members has been noticeably narrow, it is still huge," he said. "This requires to double our efforts to promote further growth and improve equitable distribution of the fruits of growth at both the national and the regional among members countries."

Cambodia maintains close ties with Beijing, and analysts predicted ahead of the summit that Phnom Penh, as a key benefactor of Chinese investment, would seek to minimize the maritime disputes as summit host.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claim parts of the potentially resource-rich Spratly Islands, putting them at odds with Beijing, which claims the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer area. The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused Chinese vessels of intruding into their exclusive economic zones and disrupting oil exploration activities. Both Manila and Hanoi have acquired new navy ships as they vow to defend their claims, while China has acquired its first aircraft carrier.

Separately Tuesday, several ASEAN members raised concerns about North Korea's planned missile launch later this month. Pyongyang says the rocket will place a weather satellite into orbit. But the United States and other nations say the launch violates United Nations' sanctions prohibiting Pyongyang from launching rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

I Hate USA: Beijing

Beijing's irritation with Washington's diplomatic activism in Southeast Asia is understandable -- great powers traditionally seek authority over the sea and land near their shores. But that is secondary. For China, the more important issue is its belief that a bonanza of oil lies beneath the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea). If there are such riches, one of Beijing's premier concerns - that it have secure access to sufficient natural resources to fuel its surging economy - could at once shrink, along with China's reliance on the Persian Gulf.

As we speak, Southeast Asian leaders are meeting in Phnom Penh, wringing their hands over how to reduce tension with China (pictured above, a show of unity). As suggested, the issue on its face is territorial - China claims sovereignty over the whole of the South China Sea, across which half the world's seaborne trade travels, an estimated $5 trillion a year. But the actual flashpoint is oil and gas.

Southeast Asian nations, especially the Philippines, are seeking U.S. backing to fend off China as they pursue their own claims to the islands near their shores. The Obama Administration, eager to appear tough against accusations by its opponents of softness against China, has seemed happy to mediate, famously declaring a "pivot" of national interests to Asia.

Recently Philippines Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin renewed the war of words by suggesting that China is singling out his country with intimidation tactics because Manila's military is comparatively weak. "We are below par. So of course if you are going to bully, you would look for the weakest," Gazmin said, quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "You do not get someone who is your equal."

Since neither the U.S. nor China is likely to back down vis-à-vis the other, conciliation will have to happen in the region itself. Retired Col. Larry Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, said China's civilian leaders appear to see that they are pushing their neighbors into a position of seeking U.S. help. "We are likely to see a moderating of behavior -- not a complete change, but a moderation," he told me. Wilkerson:

Such easing may give us an opening to work out challenges in a more enlightened spirit. If not, from the Philippines to Vietnam to Indonesia to Singapore, most if not all will be with the U.S. - the hegemony 10,000 miles in the distant, versus the hegemon that hovers over them all.

Some information for this report was provided by VOA, AP, AFP and Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Continue reading

European Back up Philippines on Spratlys – $5 Million Wharf Development will begin

USA, Russia, Japan, Australia and ASEAN nations vocally pronounced to back up the Philippines on Spratlys disputes and during the recent meeting with Philippines and European Ministers; European pronounced that it will back up the Philippines on the Spratly disputes leaving the lonely aggressive superpower alone to pursue its claim in the west Philippines Sea based on its locally coined historical claim.  

China submitted is 9 dashed line or ox tongue claim to the whole waters going its southern neighbors in 2009 resulting protest of the ASEAN for its unethical claim and illegal expansionism attitude.

End of first quarter of 2012, the Philippines plans to develop a disputed island in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) into a tourism centre with a 100-metre (330-ft) concrete wharf, officials said on Monday, a bold assertion of its sovereignty that is bound to rile China's dream of expansionism.

March 2012, China protested the planned construction of a beaching ramp by the Philippines on the coral-fringed island, the second largest in the Spratlys and the biggest occupied by the Philippines in the contested region.

The 37-hectare (91-acre) island, known internationally as Thitu and in the Philippines as Pag-Asa, is habitable, boasting fresh water and a small population of a few hundred people.

Beijing, which claims the West Philippines Sea as its territory based on its locally coined historical records, said last week that China had "indisputable sovereignty" over the area in the Philippine territory.

The development of Thitu comes as a territorial squabble over the South China Sea enters a new and more contentious chapter, with claimant nations searching deeper into disputed waters for energy supplies while building up their navies and military alliances, especially with the United States.

Proven and undiscovered oil reserve estimates in the South China Sea range as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a 2008 report. That would surpass every country's proven oil reserves except Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, according to the BP Statistical Review.

U.S. President Barack Obama has sought to reassure regional allies that Washington would serve as a counterbalance to a newly assertive China in the West Philippines Sea, part of his campaign to "pivot" U.S. foreign policy more intensely on Asia after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Spratlys, a group of 250 uninhabitable islets spread over 427,350 sq km (165,000 sq miles), are claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines.

A Philippine navy commander said local authorities planned to transform military-held areas of the Spratlys into tourist attractions, including potential diving spots.

In the 1990s, Japanese tourists frequented the area for its pristine beaches and coral reefs, ferried by yacht from Cebu Island in the Philippines.

But the military will first build a pier on Thitu or Pagasa Island in the Kalayaan Municipality Province of Palawan, possibly by the second half of the year, Juan Sta. Ana, head of the Philippine Ports Authority, told Reuters. A panel of defense, tourism and transportation and communications officials will finalize a development plan for the island after April 8, 2012.

"We'll know, by that time, when we will actually start and how long would it take for the pier to be constructed," he added.

The wharf, worth about 200 million pesos ($4.7 million), would be built at the end of a dilapidated airfield, he added.

Eugenio Biton-onon, mayor of Kalayaan, a municipality in the Philippine island province of Palawan, said the new pier would also help local fishermen transport goods.

The Philippines pushed for discussion of the South China Sea dispute at a regional summit in Phnom Penh on Monday, despite its omission from the agenda by Cambodia, calling for progress on an issue at the top of Southeast Asia's security agenda.

The decision by Cambodia to leave the issue off the agenda of this week's Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders' summit had raised suspicion it had come under pressure from close economically China.

Chinese President Hu Jintao told Cambodia during a weekend visit to the country that Beijing did not want talks on a binding code of conduct over disputed areas to move too quickly.

Location and geographical feature of the disputed islands in the Spratlys links to the 7,107 islands of the Philippines and 80-90% of the disputed area is within the 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive economic Zone of the Philippines.

Continue reading

Myanmar Election result – Fits to Chair ASEAN: North Korea, Spratly Sea disputes

The leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) meet in Phnom Penh, where competing claims to parts of the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) and North Korea's planned satellite launch are dominating discussions.

Myanmar's political reform process has been a high-profile objective for the 10 member bloc of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Last November 2011 the group agreed to grant Myanmar the chair of the bloc in 2014 on the basis of its democratic reforms.

After Sunday's by-election result, which Myanmar or also called Burma had invited ASEAN representatives to observe, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa praised the vote's execution.

"As far as Indonesia is concerned, this is a very good development. An important step in further making irreversible the democratization process in Myanmar."

This year's ASEAN chair, Cambodia, released a statement calling the election "successful" and "peaceful" and urged the international community to consider lifting longstanding economic sanctions.

ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said he was "encouraged" by the vote in Burma, also known as Myanmar.

"We hope that this will contribute to a more effective integration of Myanmar in the global community and Myanmar and ASEAN will be able to work on other issues that will be more meaningful and contributing to the well-being of the people of Myanmar, rather than being stuck on the issue of instability and lack of political reconciliation in Myanmar."

During the leaders' summit this, territorial disputes in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) are also expected to be a high-profile issue.

Four ASEAN members claim rights to parts of the Disputed Spratlys in Kalayaan Group of Islands'  West Philippines Sea (South China Sea), along with China and Taiwan.

At a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday (April 2, 2012), the Philippine's  Minister of foreign affairs, Albert del Rosario, urged his counterparts to take concrete steps forward on a collective code of conduct, or COC, for dealing with the dispute. Del Rosario said he hopes ASEAN will formulate its stance by the end of the year, but acknowledged the group remains divided over how to proceed.

"I think the difference of opinion lies in the fact that we are advocating a draft of the COC be prepared before we sit down with China. Others are taking the view that China should be invited to come in for the initial discussions."

ASEAN ministers also expressed concern over North Korea's announcement of a planned satellite rocket launch. Observers have said the rocket trajectory could see it head south near Philippines, Australian or Indonesian territory.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Natalegawa called on North Korea to refrain from the launch.

"We are obviously deeply concerned by the prospect of the launch of the satellite, both in terms of the safety and security issues. But most of all, and not least, in terms of the disruption it is causing to the conditions conducive for the resumptions of six party talks."

April 2, 2012 meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers is ahead of Tuesday's main leaders' summit.

ASEAN must first agree on Code of Conduct in West Philippine Sea before meeting with China

The Philippines said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must first agree among its members on the draft of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) before meeting with China.

Foreign Affairs Minister Albert del Rosario issued the statement during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Monday (April 2, 2012). He reiterated that the West Philippine Sea issue should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.

Del Rosario, during the meeting, also reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment towards peace and stability in the Asia-PAcific region. "A decade ago, ASEAN and China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in Phnom Penh," he said.

"As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the said declaration, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region," he said.

The Foreign Affairs secretary also told the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting that a working group of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting is currently working to identify the main elements of the regional Code of Conduct.

He said that the Code of Conduct must contain "guidelines by which stakeholder-states are to conduct themselves in the West Philippine Sea; mechanisms on dispute settlement including the appropriate structure for its effective implementation; clarification and segregation of disputed from non-disputed areas in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and provisions relating to cooperative activities, as may be appropriate, for the disputed areas."

Del Rosario also reiterated the Philippines' position to adhere to the primacy of international law, including UNCLOS, in resolving the territorial disputes over the West Philippine Sea.

"On the Code of Conduct, it is important for ASEAN to first agree among themselves on the draft text of the code before meeting with China," Del Rosario said. "I reiterate that the Philippines adhere to the primacy of international law in resolving the disputes, the United Nations Convention on Laws of Sea (UNCLOS)."

"We believe that a rules-based approach under the dispute settlement mechanism established in UNCLOS is the legitimate solution in addressing conflicting and overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea," the Foreign Affairs secretary added.

He further said that the Philippines hope that the Code of Conduct will be a real "move forward" not merely in terms of form, but more importantly in substance.

During the previous ASEAN summit, President Benigno S. Aquino III proposed the creation of a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (ZoPFFC) in the West Philippine Sea.

Following the UNCLOS; China is even taking advantage of their claim because they already won the disputes. If the United Nation will grant the disputes favorable to  the ASEAN countries then nothing to lose of china as they are just a mere claimant without actual ownership and a big lose to the Philippines and Vietnam who invested Billions to defend its territory from China's invasion.

If the United Nations will grant in favor of China; double winning of China as they are just a mere claimant without actual ownership and won the disputes. A triple lose could be for Vietnam and the Philippines as they would lose their territory plus they invested a lot to defend its territory.

If United Nations will grant fairly for 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive economic Zone then a new territory of China will born as Part of the Paracel could be officially recognize as territory of Vietnam and China but China and Taiwan would lost its claim in Spratlys as they are 900 Miles away from the claim islands which UNCLOS is not applicable to validate their claim. 

Continue reading

Boracay ₱126 Million submarine water pipelines commissioned

Boracay, Philippines - With thousands of holiday revelers expected to converge on the world's famous resort island of Boracay this Holy Weekend, they can be assured of better access to clean, fresh water with the recent inauguration of a ₱126 Million submarine water pipeline.

The 1-kilometer pipeline constructed by the Boracay Island Water Co., (BIWC) a subsidiary of the Manila Water Co. Inc., runs from Caticlan to Boracay, and will augment the current 13-year-old pipeline which supplies water to the island from the mainland Malay town in Aklan.

Manila Water is a unit of the publicly-listed conglomerate Ayala Corp., and commonly known as the East Zone water concessionaire of Metro Manila.

During the inauguration ceremony for the pipeline on Friday, March 30 2012, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. lauded BIWC for the improved water services and wastewater management in Boracay since the company began operating there in 2009.

Boracay as the world's famous beach resort must always offer the world class standard services and facilities to accommodate the Million visitors from the Philippines and International visitors to prove that It is more fun in the Philippines.

He said 96 percent of the island population on the island now enjoys 24/7 round-the-clock water supply, with the quality of its tap water 100-percent compliant with the strict criteria set out by the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.

"I salute the partnership between Boracay Water, the local government and the [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] for turning things around and making things happen here in Boracay. As the premier tourist destination in the country, we need to ensure that the basic services such as water and wastewater services for the locals as well as tourists are well-provided.   This is also ensuring the sustainability of the island paradise for the years to come," he said.

The BIWC has been upgrading the wastewater management system of the island and hopes to reach its 52-percent target coverage by the end of the year from the current 31-percent coverage. The company's ₱ 78 Million project, inaugurated in April 2011, aims to improve the island's treatment plant located in Barangay Balabag to a world-class facility, and ensure the treated wastewater being flushed back into natural waters is within the strictest environmental standards that will keep its beach pristine.

Last August 2011, BIWC received a ₱ 500 Million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines and Security Bank and Trust Corp. to finance its capital expenditures for its projects in Boracay Island.

The loan, obtained through the Philippine Water Revolving Fund, has the option to be increased to ₱1 Billion. The PWRF is a joint project between the national government, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The fund was set up to help the country meet its own economic and human development targets under the Millennium Development Goals, a United Nations initiative, by 2015.

Boracay Island is the most popular tourist destination not just in the Philippines but already claimed its fame all over the world with 908,875 visiting in 2011, up 16.6 percent from 2010. In December 2011 alone, arrivals shot up by 34 percent from 2010 figures, generating P1.43 billion in tourism receipts for the government.

From only one airline serving the destination in 2006, now all major Philippine carriers as well as chartered international flights are bringing in local and foreign tourists direct to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, or Caticlan, the jump-off point to Boracay Island Paradise.

Last year business tycoon Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp. also funded the renovation of the Caticlan airport terminal, while its main runway is now being lengthened to accommodate jets.

Continue reading