Sunday, February 27, 2011

Philippine headlines below the fold


Friday and Saturday were big days to celebrate the EDSA revolution.

The news here has been full of the celebrations and interviews of those who participated.

PNoy even cited the roll of music in the revolution...."Aquino said though songs like “Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo” and “Bayan Ko” may now sound too old to the new generation, these songs are part of the country’s history because it helped topple a 20-year dictatorship,,"

Of course, Banyan Ko was written in the 1930's to protest of the US occupation, but never mind...

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But the headlines are full of stories of OFW coming home, or worries about those still missing in the New Zealand earthquakes. Our OFW are all over the world... Not only do the locals, remembering our own "People power" revolutions, identify with those trying to get rid of dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, but there are a lot of our OFW there who might be in danger.

Headlines in today's Manila Bulletin:

Escape from Libya
1,491 OFWs evacuated;

the real problem: The Gov't estimates we have 26,000 to 30 000 OFW working there.

"...Of the total 26,200 Filipinos, about 13,000 are due to be taken out under the government's evacuation program and the rest are expected to leave with their multinational employers..."

and other countries are scrambling to evacuate their people: The UK used their own transport planes, China has 16000 working there who will leave on planes,

The MB says most are working for oil companies, transportation, in telecoms, as medical personnel...

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Related items
the papers also note the demonstrations against corruption in Iraq.

PJTatler reports that the Iranians have jailed the opposition leaders:
"... both opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi have been transferred to a secret prison in Tehran..."

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