DECEMBER 29, 2018-JANUARY 1, 2019 Volume 28 - No. 103 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
PH gov’t to prioritize security improvements after US deems security at NAIA inadequate by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
MALACAÑANG said on Friday, December 28 that the Philippine government is prioritizing the implementation of tougher security measures after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that A mobile estate park in Paradise, California remains bare roughly a month after the Camp Fire. Photo courtesy of Gemma Clow
Fil-Am community in Paradise, CA continues to feel effects of Camp Fire as new year approaches WITH winds reaching up to 50 mph, the Camp Fire, which started in early November, blazed through over 153,000 acres and nearly 14,000 residences in Northern California. Aside from becoming the most destructive fire in the state’s modern history, it also proved to be the deadliest with a death toll of 86. Roughly 27,000 people were displaced. In the small town of Paradise, California, nearly all of it was consumed. As residents come back to assess the damage, many remain undecided on whether to rebuild or to u PAGE A4
As Congress returns to session, partial gov’t shutdown persists
Trump approval rating drops amid Christmas season shutdown
AFTER federal funding expired for onefourth of the U.S. government on Saturday Dec. 22, which triggered a partial government shutdown, 25 percent of the country’s federal workforce remains in limbo. The third shutdown of the Trump administration began when negotiations between top Democrats in Congress and the administration concerning Trump’s $5 billion border wall yielded no agreements. So far, the shutdown dragged through to Christmas and is likely to spill into the New Year. As of press time, there is no end in sight for the shutdown. Trump’s incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News that “it is very possible that the shutdown will go u PAGE A2
aviation security at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was not up to par with international security standards. Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Friday that “ensuring the safety of the traveling public is one of the critical interests of our government in view of the
looming threat of terrorism.” “We assure everyone that the Philippine government, through the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), is prioritizing the implementation of strict security measures at the Ninoy Aquino Inter-
national Airport,” added Panelo. Panelo also alluded to the notorious “tanim bala” schemes, which involved airport security personnel planting illegal ammunition in unsuspecting passengers’ luggages for extortion, and declared them “a thing of the past.”
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PH safe and viable destination for tourists – Tourism chief THE Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday, December 27 said the Philippines remained a safe haven for tourists after the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a travel advisory saying the country does not maintain effective security measures. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat while it respected Philstar.com photo the U.S.-DHS’ announcement and findings, the country was still a viable and safe destination for foreign visitors. “We assure the international community, that the Philippines remains a safe haven for our visitors and residents alike,” Puyat said in a statement. (Neil Jayson Servallos/ManilaTimes.net)
FOR A CLEAN AND SAFE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION. A vendor in Divisoria, Manila displays a hornpipe on Thursday, December 27. According to the Department of Health (DOH), hornpipes are a safer and environment-friendly alternative to welcome the New Year instead of using firecrackers. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Filipino jobseekers not employable - poll by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
A RECENT study revealed that the majority of Filipino jobseekers — students and fresh graduates — have to go through additional training to become work ready and employable. The Philippine Talent Map Initiative conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed that 31.7 percent of job seekers or a total of 18,928 have to undergo further training. The labor department administered the study among private companies as it aimed to examine the current trends in the academe and the industry. It also explored the issues that plague the employment world in terms of workforce development.
“(The) results of the study shall serve as the basis for our policymakers to create and fund relevant laws or initiatives that can bridge the workforce skills gap and support curriculum development,” DOLE said as reported by The Philippine Star. The said study that involved about 90,000 respondents will be used to further develop the existing education and training system for the benefit of Filipinos who will soon join the labor force. DOLE said that the results of the study would be presented to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DepEd) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). According to DOLE, the study is meant u PAGE A5
President Rodrigo R. Duterte condoles with the family of slain Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Rodel Batocabe as he visits the late lawmaker’s wake at the Bicol University in Daraga, Albay on Wednesday, December 26. Batocabe was distributing Christmas gifts in his hometown when he and his police escort were gunned down by unidentified assailants last December 22. Meanwhile, President Duterte raised the bounty from P30 million to P50 million for the arrest of the perpetrators. Malacañang photo by Alfred Frias
Fight vs Pacquiao still on despite Broner’s arrest Reward for information on by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
Manny Pacquiao is currently in Los Angeles with the usual members of his training team. Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiao
THE fight for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title on January 19, 2019 between Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao and American challenger Adrien Broner will still push through despite the latter’s recent arrest in Broward County, Florida. Broner was reportedly arrested for failing to appear before the court on his case back in December 2017. His case involved speeding, having no driver’s license and no registration. However, the Cincinnati boxer was eventually released, according to TMZ.
Broner’s trainer Kevin Cunningham assured the public that the fight will push through as their preparations for the coming fight intensifies. “This is news to me. I didn’t know anything about it. Our camp is on point. He hasn’t missed a beat. Preparation is 100 percent and we are preparing to do what we are coming to do on January 19th and that is to destroy to Manny Pacquiao’s ass,” Cunningham said as reported by The Philippine Star. The Filipino champion, however, declined to comment on his opponent’s arrest. He said that he plans to share the gospel with u PAGE A3
Batocabe killers up to P50-M by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
IN light of Ako, Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe’s murder this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the increase of the reward from P30 million to P50 million for any information. “The reward is at this time P30 million. I’m raising the ante. I’m putting it at plus P20 to P50,” Duterte said during a chance interview on Wednesday, December 26 with reporters as he visited the wake of the late congressman in Albay. As the search for the killer
commences, Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo has denied the claims that he is somehow involved in Batocabe’s killing. The mayor recognized that the incident occurred under his jurisdiction; however, he decried any speculations that he has a hand in the said killing. “These reports are dragging my name down. I accept (the blame), being the mayor of Daraga where this sad incident happened. What I cannot take are insinuations that I am behind this crime. People who know the background of our family (are aware) that we do not u PAGE A3