Not contented in Spratlys; China now Claim Palawan islands

During the APEC summit 2011 in Hawaii; China protest the Philippines to use its resources and explore the oils in Palawan and pronounced its claim to the Palawan Islands.

China has claimed new territory less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from a Philippine province, boosting tensions over potentially resource-rich areas of the South China Sea, but the Philippines has dismissed the claim, an official said Monday.

Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. told The Associated Press that China protested a Philippine plan to explore for oil and gas in the area in July. It is the closest point in waters off the main Philippine islands that China has claimed in the increasingly tense territorial disputes.

Beijing has been asserting its territorial claims more aggressively as its economic and diplomatic muscle has grown. Its new claims are likely to bolster Philippine resolve to seek a U.N. ruling on the long-simmering disputes, which involve China, the Philippines and four other claimants.

Among the areas being contested is the Spratlys, a chain of up to 190 islands, reefs, coral outcrops and banks believed to be sitting atop large deposits of oil and natural gas, which many fear could be Asia's next flash point for conflict.

The issue is expected to be discussed Wednesday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The two new areas being claimed by China are not part of the Spratlys, Layug said.

The Chinese Embassy delivered a protest to the Philippine government on July 4 after Manila invited foreign companies to bid for the right to explore for oil and gas in 15 areas. Chinese officials opposed the inclusion of "areas 3 and 4" northwest of Palawan province, claiming they fall under Chinese sovereign territory.

"The Chinese government urges the Philippine side to immediately withdraw the bidding offer in areas 3 and 4, refrain from any action that infringes on China's sovereignty and sovereign rights," China said in a diplomatic note to Manila, adding that the Philippine action "cannot but complicate the disputes and affect stability in the South China Sea."

China told the Philippine government that the planned oil explorations violated a nonbinding 2002 accord that called on claimants to South China Sea territories to stop occupying new areas and avoid action that could spark tension.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a regular briefing: "We do not want foreign commerce involved in these kinds of investment and disputes over the South China Sea."

Palawan province, about 510 miles (820 kilometers) southwest of Manila, faces the South China Sea, which is claimed entirely by China.

One of the offshore areas now being claimed by Beijing lies just 49 miles (79 kilometers) northwest of Palawan, while the other is 76 miles (123 kilometers) from the western Philippine province, Layug said.

The Philippine government told China the areas are located well within Philippine waters and are far from any disputed area, officials said.

"The areas that we're offering for bidding are all within Philippine territory," Layug said. "There is no doubt about that."

The two areas are more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the nearest Chinese coast, Layug said.

About 50 foreign investors, including some of the world's largest oil companies, have expressed interest in exploring for oil and gas in the Philippines, half of them in the new areas being claimed by China, because of strong indications of oil there, he said.

None of the prospective foreign companies has expressed concern over the territorial disputes, Layug said.

"Of course their issue would be ensuring security and the support of the Philippine government when they are awarded the contract," he said.

In March, two Chinese vessels tried to drive away a Philippine oil exploration ship from Reed Bank, another area west of Palawan. Two Philippine air force planes were deployed, but the Chinese vessels had disappeared by the time they reached the submerged bank.

The Philippines protested the incident, which it said was one of several intrusions by China into its territorial waters in the first half of the year. Vietnam has also accused Chinese vessels of trying to sabotage oil exploration in its territorial waters this year, sparking rare anti-China protests in Vietnam.

A British company behind the exploration at Reed Bank found very strong indications of natural gas and plans to start drilling in about six months, Layug said.

President Benigno Aquino III plans to discuss a Philippine proposal at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit this week in Bali, Indonesia, to segregate disputed South China Sea areas so coastal states can freely make use of non-disputed areas. China has opposed the plan.

Aquino's government also plans to bring the territorial disputes before the United Nations for possible arbitration.

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Puerto Princesa underground river 20 Million votes brace-up for tourism boom

Palawan: Puerto Princesa is preparing for the influx of tourists expected to flock the city following the inclusion of its treasured Underground River in the provisional list of the world's new seven wonders of nature.

According to Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, the number of tourists more than doubled since the river became an official entry to the new 7 wonders of nature 4 years ago.

"When we started in 2007, we only had around 160,000 tourists. But last year, we registered around 425,000. That's really a big jump," Hagedorn told ANC on Saturday.

Hagedorn, however, admitted that the city's infrastructure is not yet capable of accommodating possibly millions of tourists now that the Underground River has reached elite status, joining other wonders of the world -- South Korea's Jeju Island, Indonesia's Komodo Island, the Amazon rainforest, Vietnam's Halong Bay, Argentina's Iguazu Falls and South Africa's Table Mountain.

"We were really overtaken by events; we're not really ready yet for the influx. We're having sleepless nights now coming up with the proper action that needs to be taken, filling out the deficiency in our infrastructures and tourism potential," the mayor said.

"We're running out of rooms in Puerto Princesa," he added.

Hagedorn hopes that infrastructure in the city will be fully developed within 3 years time, noting that Puerto Princesa has the most number of hotels being constructed in the country at present.

20 million votes

Organizers of the global poll warned that there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the final list which will be announced in early 2012.

But Hagedorn expressed confidence on the position of the Underground River in the poll's provisional results, saying that the Puerto Princesa slot is "safe."

"I think they are still expecting votes coming from different areas. But I believe we are very, very safe in our position. We believe we have exceeded our target in the text voting of about 12 million. We got around 20 million votes," he said.

Hagedorn extended the city's gratitude to President Benigno Aquino III, who, Hagedorn claimed, "initiated the government's move in inviting all the government officials to campaign for the underground river."

"We were so happy and proud when we heard the final verdict. We would like to thank the President for his all-out campaign," Hagedorn said.

"We would also like to thank the members of the task force headed by Secretary Robredo of DILG and Secretary Paje of DENR. We are really very happy for this development," he added.

Preservation

Senators Pia Cayetano and Loren Legarda on Saturday hailed the inclusion of the Underground River in the list of provisional winners of the New7Wonders of Nature.

"The Undergound River's inclusion in the provisional list of winners affirms the Philippines' reputation as a world-class eco-tourism destination by virtue of our rich biodiversity, breathtaking natural wonders and friendly people," Cayetano said in a press statement.

Cayetano said she hopes that the initial victory would instill "awareness and genuine concern to conserve our rich natural resources."

Legarda, an environment advocate, stressed the need to strengthen efforts to protect and preserve the country's natural heritage.

"What is actually more important than being included in this list of wonders is the continuous preservation not only of the Puerto Princesa Underground River but also of the other natural resources which we are very fortunate to have," Legarda said.

As tourists are expected to swell in Puerto Princesa, Legarda urged local officials to "strengthen its policies to preserve the beauty of the underground river and the ecosystems that exist in it."

"Citizens should also be concerned with the protection of our heritage and must help the government in protecting our country's natural treasures," Legarda added.

Malacañang, meanwhile, said it was "heartened" by the results of the global poll. "We congratulate everyone, especially the people, who made this all possible. With this, we sincerely hope that the rest of the world will stand up and notice the majesty not just of the underground river but the rest of the Philippines," said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a press statement.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is considered as the world's longest navigable underground river, measuring 8.2 kilometers long.

Picking the new seven wonders of the world was a tedious process as organizers of the global poll had to trim the list of more than 440 contenders to a shortlist of 77.

The number was then further slashed by a panel of experts to 28 finalists.

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PHL will spend ₱ 1 Billion to modernize Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The Philippines become a leading and among the richest and the most powerful country in Asia next to Japan back 1950's makes the Philippines lead among Asian country's development in the past but become lagged after becoming sickman in Asia because of the corrupt Marcos Regime.

The Philippines' oldest airport in the world shows the country have something to say in the past but now the aged airport needs reinvestment after series of bad reputation about its obsolete facilities and small space to cater millions of passengers.

Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has been often been rated as the world's worst international airport now ₱ 1 Billion for re-modernization.

While customers of budget airlines get to access a modern, stylish terminal building on the other side of the sizeable airport's runway network, passengers on long haul international flights arrive and depart from a run down, cramped, leaking building which is literally falling down ( a ceiling caved in earlier this year causing considerable disruption to passengers). 

At last some relief is in sight. A 1 billion peso (US$23 million) facelift will commence in January, scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The project will be led by transportation and communications secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, the original architects of  NAIA-1, will conceptualise the look of the terminal and an interior renovation will be carried out by designers Kenneth Cobonpue, Royal Pineda and Budji Layug. 

"The proposed P1-billion budget will help build a new image of the Philippines, like all modern airports, would provide a "boutique experience," not so much for its modest size as for its distinct atmosphere of civility and expedience," said Pineda.

To facilitate quick flow of departing and arriving passengers, concessionaires like insurance companies and banks which are currently located in the middle of departure and arrival areas will be relocated to the sides.

"Flow takes precedence. The proposed master plan includes freeing up the space to accommodate more passengers by transferring the offices and banks elsewhere," Pineda said.

The arrival area will be transformed to glass allowing passengers to see the lobby and areas beyond. The makeover will also use more natural light from outside for illuminating the area especially on the luggage section. Also, the waiting lounge will be refurbished and more restrooms will be added.

"We will create a boutique (terminal). With a small terminal, we can show efficiency and hospitality," said by Pineda.

"It's not just about adding toilets and rectifying the look, but also verifying the structural integrity of the building," he added.

The management will not only focus on the terminal rebuilding but also it will enhance operations. It has been recommended by the makeover team to include the terminal fee in the passengers' tickets, as done by most international airports worldwide, to spare passengers from lining up to pay it. Passengers with exit clearances and exempted from terminal fees and travel tax will line up at the counters.

"Let the majority of the passengers enjoy the smooth flow in the airport," Pineda said.

The current open parking lot will be changed to a three-level parking area and a line up of food outlets and art exhibits added. (Food choice is dismal at the terminal currently with only a crowded cafeteria or an ageing licensed restaurant available land-side).

The arrivals area will be extended to give more space for well-wishers and families. Families and greeters who wish to hold welcome parties can use the income-generating spaces of restaurants and garden.

Wisely, airport management has recognized that the terminal affords inbound visitors their first impression of the Philippines, so the designers emphasized the need to give more attention to it.

Architecturally, the airport has some appeal with an unusual external shape and flowing lines. But it's the total lack of functionality which distresses regular travelers.

NAIA fifth most hated airport in the world – A call for change

CNNGo, the travel Web site of CNN, has named the Ninoy Aquino International Airport the fifth most hated airport in the world.

"Wear a helmet," advised Jordan Rane in The World's 10 Most Hated Airports posted Wednesday, noting that the ceiling at one terminal collapsed in 2006 which was constructed by a German Firm.

"Beleaguered by ground crew strikes, unkempt conditions, soup kitchen-style lines that feed into more lines and an overall sense of futility, NAIA brings the term 'Stuck in the 1970s' to a new level," CNNGo said.

The Web site also noted that all non-Philippine Airlines international flights were crammed into Terminal 1 despite serious overcapacity, while the newer and underused Terminal 3 was occupied by only a few minor carriers.

"A rash of bad press this year (including a 'Worst in the World' ribbon from Sleeping in Airports) was capped by a collapsed ceiling in T1 [Terminal 1], a paralyzing ground service strike at T2 [Terminal 2], and the usual charges of tampered luggage, filthy restrooms, seat shortages at gates, re-sealed water bottles sold in retail shops, and an Amazing Race-style check-in routine spiked with bureaucracy, broken escalators, lengthy dot-matrix passenger lists, and creative airport departure fees."

Earlier this month, airport officials announced that Terminal 1 would be refurbished next year at a cost of P1 billion to serve passengers better and remove its tag as "the worst airport in the world."

CNNGo's most hated airport was the Charles de Gaulle in Paris, with its "grimy washrooms with missing toilet seats," broken scanning machines, an overall lack of signs and gate information screens, and dismissive staff.

The others in CNNGo's list were the Los Angeles International Airport (No. 2); London Heathrow (No. 3); Toncontin International in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (No. 4); Jomo Kenyatta International in Nairobi (No. 6); John F. Kennedy International in New York (No. 7); Tribhuvan International in Kathmandu (No. 8); Perth Airport in Australia (No. 9); and Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International in Brazil (No. 10).

Meanwhile, Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the offer of First Pacific Co. chief executive Manuel Pangilinan to bid for Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, saying the sale of the 30-year-old terminal was "seriously being considered."

"There is no definite time line yet, [but] we think it can happen within the term of the President [Benigno Aquino III]," Communications Secretary Ramon Carandang said.

"We always welcome private sector interest. It will be open to the bidding process."

No plans of NAIA privatization — Palace

Malacanang on Wednesday said the government has no immediate plans to privatize the 30-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda however said there are already plans to refurbish NAIA 1.

"There was no discussion of privatization so far when I was there [in the meeting]. They were talking about renovating NAIA 1," Lacierda said. "There are structural improvements that are required to be done."

For his part, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ricky Carandang said it would take a long time before the NAIA 1 is privatized.

"NAIA privatization will happen only after airport is moved to Clark [Pampanga], which is still a few years away," Carandang said.

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