Rotary Update: Ateneo de Iloilo student Kristiana Claire Yray chosen by Rotary Club of Iloilo City as City Mayor for Boys & Girls Week Celebration

Rotary girl city mayor named | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "Senior Ateneo de Iloilo student Kristiana Claire Yray was chosen by the Rotary Club of Iloilo City as this year’s Boys and Girls Week Celebration City Mayor, announced Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

Yray, together with 49 other outstanding students from about 45 high schools in the metropolis, will be filling in the shoes of their public-servant counterparts as part of the yearly project of the Rotary Club which aims to instill social awareness among the youth.

Aside from Yray, another Atenean, Enna Faye Tolentino, will also be joining the fold as city councilor. This year’s girl vice mayor is Alera Maristel Lapascua of Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus while the first city councilor is Marie Ailee Siaotong of Central Philippine University."

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Peace Update: Kato, no longer a member of the MILF

The Mindanao Examiner: "Officially, Ameril Umra Kato is no longer a member of the MILF,” said Von Al-Haq, a rebel spokesman.

He said the MILF would come out with an official statement on the expulsion of Kato and would send a copy of this to Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks between Manila and the rebel group; and the Aquino government.

The MILF has given Kato until September 26 to return to its fold, but the rebel leader flatly rejected the offer. It said the ultimatum was based on the recommendation of the Ulama Council in Mindanao.

Kato has formed his own rebel group called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement and vowed to fight for an independent Muslim homeland. The 60-year old rebel leader has several times criticized Ebrahim for talking peace with the Aquino government which insisted on granting wider autonomy to some four million Muslims in Mindanao."

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Peace Update: TAWI-TAWI, Philippines – Ambassador Xenia Stefanidou, Greece envoy to the Philippines, commended the peace and order situation

Greece envoy lauds peace situation in Tawi-Tawi » Nation » News | Philippine News | philstar.com: "Stefanidou also disclosed her positive impressions on the province’s richness of natural resources, saying “the good ambiance and the sparkling seawaters of the province added flavor to the hospitalities of the islanders.”

“My whole family in Greece is all islanders and I love islands like Tawi – Tawi because this province is just like my home,” she said after an inter-island tour in various municipalities here.

She also lauded the development of the islands here especially on its peace and order situation, saying “I can walk around Tawi Tawi without hesitations of being kidnap because I smell a good peace and order here unlike the other provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.”

Meantime, the celebration of the annual seaweed festivities here has started last week with Governor Sadikul Sahali headed the showcasing of the province’s cultural heritage and natural resources.

The four-day celebration kicked-off with a colorful fluvial parade from different island-municipalities, displaying the colorful attires that boosted the uniqueness of the province’s multi-culture society."

* The Greece envoy issued the statement after her weeklong visit here as she graced the 38^th Kamahardikaan Day, or founding anniversary, of the province this week.
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Peace Update: Japan & Philippines Tighten Defense Ties - WSJ.com

Wellness for Peace: "Japan, Philippines Tighten Defense Ties - WSJ.com: "Japan and the Philippines agreed on Tuesday to strengthen maritime security ties, while also underscoring the importance of preserving peace and stability in the South China Sea amid rising tensions with China.

After his talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, on a four-day visit to Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters that the two sides committed to bolstering "cooperation between coastguards and defense-related authorities."

A joint statement said bilateral ties have evolved from friendly relations to a "strategic partnership," and called for more collaboration on "regional and global issues of mutual concern and interest." The two countries also agreed to conduct frequent discussions on defense at more senior levels and increase the number of Japan Coast Guard missions to help train their Philippine counterparts."
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Peace Update: Philippine proposal for a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship, and Cooperation (ZoPFF/C) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea)

Peace zone’s legal merit cited | Tempo - News in a Flash: "This agreement was reached at the conclusion of the two-day ASEAN Maritime Legal Experts’ Meeting last Friday evening in Pasay City despite the absence of any representative from two member-nations, both known Chinese allies, Cambodia and Laos.

According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr., the findings during the meeting will now be elevated to the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (ASEAN SOM), that will then make recommendations for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to consider before the 19th ASEAN Summit in November in Bali.
Conejos said the experts’ meeting, attended by representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines led by director Henry Bensurto Jr. of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is limited to looking into the legal aspect of the Philippine proposal and not to decide on it.
During the meeting, the experts affirmed the need for peaceful solution of the West Philippine Sea conflict and to follow a rules-based approach based on international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

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WHO Info: Canada’s urban air among best in world - thestar.com

Canada News: WHO ranks Canada’s urban air among best in world - thestar.com: "Canada’s international reputation as a showcase of natural purity got a boost Monday from a World Health Organization study that found the country’s urban air quality ranks among the best in the world.

Eight of the top 10 least polluted cities are Canadian, the United Nations agency said in its study of outdoor air contamination levels across 91 countries.

Agency officials compiled self-reported data on the number of microscopic airborne particles in some 1,100 cities around the world between 2003 and 2010.

The Yukon capital of Whitehorse topped the list of cities at 2.9 micrograms per cubic metre, the WHO said, with the British Columbia towns of Kitimat and Burns Lake rounding out the top three at 4.0 and 4.8 micrograms, respectively.

Five other Canadian cities made the top 10: the B.C. communities of Nanaimo, Terrace and Nelson, along with Corner Brook, N.L., and Fredericton, all boast air pollution levels below 6.5."

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WHO Info: World Health Organization Ranks Polluted Cities - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News

World Health Organization Ranks Polluted Cities - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: "The World Health Organization released a new list of places with some of the worst air pollution in the world.

The organization measured pollution levels in 1,100 cities worldwide.

The WHO says cities in Iran, India, Pakistan, and Mongolia are some of the worst on the planet when it comes to air pollution.

The worst offender on the list -- Ahvez, Iran, has pollution levels almost 20 times worse than what's recommended for safe breathing.

The cities which fared worse were usually in more densely populated countries with less pollution regulation.

The WHO says cities in the U.S. and Canada were some of the least polluted on the list.

The WHO blames air pollution for more than two million deaths each year, and says reducing air pollution can reduce lung cancer, respiratory disease, and heart disease."

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