Vera Files – Page 3 – ellen tordesillas

Making sure calamity-resilient classrooms will be built as designed

Published by Ellen on June 3, 2014

Every time there’s a place in the country hit by a typhoon, a landslide, or an earthquake, a common post-calamity sight is school children having classes under a tree exposed to elements.

That situation would be minimized, if not completely eliminated, if the Department of Education’s new school building design would be built according to specifications.

VERA Files trustee and writer Yvonne Chua reported that DepEd will be building this year 30,000 calamity-resilient classrooms costing 60 per cent more than the ordinary classroom. Example: a complete one-story one-classroom building with basic features that is not calamity-resilient would cost P685, 000. The new, stronger design costs P1.1 million.

Chua said “To make each building more resilient to earthquakes, the DepEd is banking on a bigger footing or base and thicker beams and columns. It now requires a tie beam even for a single-story school. The horizontal beam connects several columns to make the structure stable.”

PH files Memorial in UN case vs China

Published by Ellen on March 30, 2014

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza.

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

The Philippines submitted its Memorial before the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in The Hague, Netherlands in the suit it filed to nullify China’s 9-dash line map, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said today.

China’s reaction: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw/s2510/t1142356.shtml

Del Rosario said the 4,000 page Memorial consisting of 10 volumes “demonstrates that the Arbitral Tribunal has jurisdiction “over the case and that every claim in the Statement of Claim filed on Jan. 22, 2013 “is meritorious.”

China’s 9-dash line map covers almost the whole of South China Sea and encroaches on several parts of Philippine territory.

PH ignores China request to delay filing of Memorial vs 9-dash line

Published by Ellen on March 27, 2014

China's 9-dask line — China’s 9-dash line

By Ellen T. Tordesillas, VERA Files

Despite Chinese requests to delay it, the Philippines is filing on March 30 its memorandum challenging before the United Nations China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea.

The memorandum, called a Memorial in international law, will be filed with the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at The Hague in the Netherlands, contesting China’s 9-dash line territorial rule.

Under the 9-dash line rule, China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea as part of its territory, but the Philippines and three other Southeast Asian nations are staking various claims to parts of the area.

Sources said the Chinese government had asked President Aquino through back channels to wait a little longer before filing the Memorial.

The empowerment of Monique Wilson

Published by Ellen on March 12, 2014

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By VERA Files

Stage actress Monique Wilson is this year’s Hildegarde Lifetime Achievement awardee.

The Hildegarde Awards is administered by St. Scholastica’s College “to celebrate women’s achievements in the mass media and its allied fields.”

The award ceremonies are held during the International Women’s Month.

St. Scholastica’s program said St. Hildegarde, a German Benidictine nun, “was an accomplished artist who translated her visions into artistic forms that included musical compositions, poetry and paintings.”

Wilson’s acceptance speech:

Highlighting the importance of research in journalism

Published by Ellen on March 7, 2014

University of the Philippines students Darlene Cay and Vince Nonato (third and fourth from left) receive the Chit Estella Journalism Award from Roland Simbulan and VERA Files President Ellen Tordesillas (center) along with the panel of judges. PHOTO BY The Plaridel Bulldog

Congratulations to the winners in this year’s Philippine Journalism Research Conference (PJRC) held at the University of the Philippines Wednesday.

The project is commendable because, these days when many people are dismayed by the preponderance of sloppy journalis, it gives importance to research in the practice of journalism.

Aiming to highlight commendable researches of journalism students,this year’s PJRC gave the Chit Estella Memorial Awards for Journalism Research to students with the most excellent work.

No talk of Sabah in Aquino-Najib meet Feb. 27

Published by Ellen on February 16, 2014

By Tessa Jamandre, VERA Files President Aquino and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak are set to meet in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 27, when Aquino…

China to Aquino: We fought Hitler in WWII

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2014

Pres. Aquino warns the world against China in a New York Times interview.

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

China on Friday reminded President Aquino it had fought on the side of the Allied Powers against fascist Japan and Germany in World War II, after Aquino likened China’s encroachment into the South China Sea with Adolf Hitler’s hegemonic moves in World War II.

In a press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei said, “As an unwavering upholder of international justice, China made huge sacrifice and indelible historical contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. It is inconceivable and unreasonble to place China-Philippines South China Sea disputes in the same category with the WWII history.”

In an interview with New York Times Tuesday, Aquino had called on the international community to support the Philippine position of resisting China’s hegemonic moves in the South China Sea and not to make the mistake of appeasing the Asian superpower.

Wanted: Tagalog word for “human trafficking”

Published by Ellen on January 23, 2014

From the MTV Enslaved — From the MTV “Enslaved”

In an informal survey conducted by a civil society group working to stop human trafficking, they asked people in the streets what comes to their mind when they hear the phrase “human trafficking.”

Everybody answered:“Traffic.” As in vehicular traffic.

Such is the level of public awareness about human trafficking- the trade in human beings for several purposes, most commonly sexual slavery, pornography, forced labor , extraction of organs or tissues, surrogacy.

Antique after Yolanda: making both ends meet

Published by Ellen on November 26, 2013

By Alex C. de los Santos

Photos from Bangon Antique FB and Jun Tens

Destroyed church. Photo by Normeth Preglo from Bangon Antique FB.

Antique province in the western side of Panay Island is one of the provinces in the Visayas that survived super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. Reported casualties and deaths from this province had been minimal, the reason perhaps that media coverage has not been as extensive as in Tacloban and Samar. The northern portion of the province from Bugasong town to Libertad and the islands of Caluya had been worse hit. Many people lost their homes, made mostly of light materials such as bamboo and nipa shingles.

“But while there are very few deaths and casualties, it doesn’t mean that we don’t need help. In fact, there should be more help for the living, but have no hous;es,” said Fr. Edione Febrero, director of the Diocesan Social Action Center – Antique (DSAC-Antique) that leads an extensive relief and rehabilitation efforts in the province. The Center coordinates relief operations in collaboration with other non-government, with their network of donors locally and abroad. At the time of this interview, Fr. Febrero is expecting a group of doctors from Hongkong.

Guiuan folks still struggle for their basic needs

Published by Ellen on November 17, 2013

Text and photos by Mario Ignacio IV,VERA Files

GUIUAN, Eastern Samar- One week after typhoon Yolanda made its first landfall in this coastal town, residents are still in dire need of basic necessities like food, drinking water, fuel to cook their food and shelter.
They are asking for assistance to repair their houses and to buy equipment and tools for their livelihood. Fishing equipment for fishermen and farming tools for farmers.

Homes, hospitals, and schools have all been destroyed. While some could still be used after major repairs, many have been flattened and need to be rebuilt.

Security in the town also needs to be re-established.

Category: Vera Files