USA Welcomes Philippine Banana after Ban from China over Scarborough Standoff

Rotting of million dollars worth of world famous Philippines Banana in the Farms in Davao will end so soon after USA Government gives a go signal to import Philippines banana and export potatoes to the Philippines.

Philippine dependency to China as a main export market for banana found a big mistake after china imposed ban for all imported banana from the Philippines due to the Scarborough Shoal Standoff between the 2 countries.

China use an alibi of pest issue for Philippines bananas which later found out as inappropriate allegation because China Government mentioned a bug which could only possibly live to coconuts only and not to bananas.

China did the same thing to Norway last year (2011) when both countries encountered political trouble, china also imposed ban to the products from Norway.

USA as Philippines ally both economy and Military

The Philippines and United States governments are working on a bilateral agreement on agricultural produce after a go-signal was given to export volumes of local bananas to the American market.

"The final stage is the bilateral signing between the governments to formalize our export of bananas to the United States," said Clarito Barron, director of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry.

The new export market for Philippine bananas, one of the country's top dollar earners, was confirmed recently by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. According to Alcala, the phytosanitary check of the crop has been completed and the parties have been discussing the logistics of the export process.

The government has directed the agriculture department to eye new markets for the local crop after the Chinese government recently blocked the entry of Philippine bananas to their market over concerns of pest contamination.

Barron said he hoped the Philippines would be able to export bananas to the US mainland and territories "within the year." If the deal pushes through, this would be the first time that local bananas will be sold in the United States.

In exchange for the US allowing the entry of local bananas to its market, the United States wants the Philippines to allow the importation of more American potatoes and vegetables, Barron said.

According to the agriculture official, importers of American-farmed vegetables bring in minimal amounts of produce—between 250 and 500 kilos—to the Philippines. The vegetables are usually intended for high-end clients like hotels and restaurants, he said.

"We are asking that our bananas be sent to them. They are asking us to import potatoes and semi-temperate vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower… they would like to increase the volume, not only for the high-end consumers but for the whole market," he said.

Barron said both countries were still in the middle of discussions on pest risk analysis of the banana crops.

Barron said the Philippines also has to convince the United States that it would follow strict plant quarantine protocols for its crops. After this, officials of both countries will set up talks with the stakeholders in the US market, he said.

"Hopefully, if there are no problems this year, the US government will be opening up their market to our bananas," he said.

Negotiations between the two countries on the export of fresh bananas to the mainland, which started in December 2005, were stalled due to quarantine and phytosanitary issues.

Meanwhile, Barron revealed that the Philippines is eyeing new markets for its tropical fruits, even as it has started reaching out to 13 countries.

He said the agriculture department has written letters to countries like Russia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Pakistan to take a look at Philippine bananas. The Philippine government hopes that new markets for the produce would keep the industry afloat after it was hit by the Chinese embargo and strict quarantine protocols.

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India, Japan & South Korea agreed trilateral military pact against China

Japan and South Korea on 29^th June 2012 agreed to share intelligence in their first joint military pact since World War II.

The agreement is seen as a breakthrough in ties between two neighbors with a difficult history. Japan ruled Korea as a colony for several decades until the end of World War II in 1945, and Seoul has often been wary of Japan's postwar military development, but the nations have many shared concerns, particularly North Korea and China.

Noting that the South China Sea was witnessing "competing claims", India strongly pitched for co-operation instead of competition in the seas and oceans at a trilateral meeting with Japan and South Korea.

With China's growing assertiveness in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea), India, Japan and South Korea - Asia's three leading democracies –( June 29, 2012 )Friday held their first trilateral meeting in India and pitched for freedom of seas and expanding their multifaceted cooperation.

Asserting that India, Japan and Republic of Korea depend heavily on the Sea Lanes of Communications (SLOCs) for their energy security which are also the mainstay for trade and connectivity, Sanjay Singh, Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs, said "there is indeed a compelling case for us to cooperate on maritime security."

"India has a valued geostrategic location straddling the SLOCs. The Indian Ocean Rim is characterized by large Exclusive Economic Zones and unexplored and untapped marine resources. Similar potential exists for example in the South China Sea which today is witnessing competing claims.

The three sides discussed a host of regional and global issues to cement their trilateral cooperation cutting across diverse areas, including maritime cooperation, security, terrorism, and trade and investment.

The trilateral dialogue seeks to address the three major themes - the evolving Asian security architecture, non-traditional security issues and prospects and challenges for this process.

The India-Japan-South Korea trilateral seeks to reinforce the India-Japan-US trilateral dialogue that also focuses on expanding strategic and maritime cooperation.

They identified the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and Tokyo Foundation as the three partnering institutions to carry forward the trilateral dialogue.

"Being leading democracies of the world, we share a common commitment to democratic values, open society, human rights and the rule of law," Sanjay Singh, Secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry, said while underlining a congruence of strategic interests of the three leading economies of the region.

"We seek a peaceful and secure Asia free from the threats of terrorism, proliferation, piracy and conflict between states," he said.

Although China was not mentioned explicitly, it was very much the elephant in the room, with discussions focusing on maritime cooperation and freedom of navigation in international sea lanes of communication.

"There is common commitment to maintaining freedom of the seas, combating terrorism and promoting inclusive economic growth. India, Japan and ROK depend heavily on the Sea Lanes of Communications (SLOCs) for their energy security," Singh said.

"These are also the mainstay for trade and connectivity amongst our countries and other countries in the region. India has a valued geostrategic location straddling the SLOCs," he said.

In this context, the three sides noted that like the Indian Ocean Rim, West Philippines Sea has tremendous potential for cooperation, but is "is witnessing competing claims".

"Our common objective is to see that the seas and oceans become regions of cooperation instead of competition, particularly as our energy security and trade depends on them," Singh said.

Underlining the need for maritime cooperation, the sides discussed ways to expand trilateral cooperation to deal the conventional risks associated with nuclear power and confront the risks of nuclear and missile proliferation in our neighborhoods.

"Deepening cooperation amongst our defense and security establishments will promote our mutual security," said Singh.

Beijing has yet to react to the India-Japan-South Korea trilateral, but it has been uneasy about leading democracies of the region getting together in what it sees as an exercise in encirclement of a rising China.

Trilateral Military pact

The pact establishes a framework for sharing intelligence in such areas as missile defense, North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Chinese military operations and other regional security matters.

It was previously approved by South Korea, and Japan's Cabinet gave its final approval Friday ahead of a formal signing ceremony. "Considering the security situation in east Asia, it is very significant for us to create the foundations for sharing information," said Japan's foreign minister, Koichiro Genba. "I think this is a very historic event."

The pact reflects deepening mutual concerns that more cooperation is needed to enhance security readiness.

The two countries are increasingly concerned by potential threats from North Korea, which is developing its long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities. They are also closely watching the rise of China's military.

North Korea heightened regional tensions in April with the launch of a rocket that was widely criticized as a test of long-range missile technology. The launch was of particular concern to Seoul and Tokyo because they are within reach of the North's missile arsenal.

Such fears spurred the government efforts to cooperate more closely on intelligence sharing, though the pact remains controversial among some in South Korea.

"An accord for military-information protection with Japan is necessary given the ever-growing threat from the North," South Korea's JoongAng Daily newspaper said in an editorial. "The more quality information we have about the North, the better our security."

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Ancient 2000 years rice terraces in Philippines’ lone in S’ Asia re-preserved

Banaue Rice terraces or locally known as Hagdan-hagdang Palayan is one of the county's famous tourist "must seen" site in the island of Luzon Philippines back to 1980's and 90's and listed at the UNESCO's World Heritage.

After few decades of climate change, natural destruction and less of maintenance, it had been listed as World Heritage Sites in Danger.

Recently, rice terraces that have been farmed for 2000 years in the Philippines have been taken off the UN list of endangered heritage sites.

The Philippines culture is alone among Southeast Asian cultures in being wholly wood based and the terraces are the only form of stone construction from the pre-colonial period.

After a consistent preservation procedure done the beauty and fame of the Banaue Rices Terraces has been restored and had been remove from the list of endangered world heritage site.

Senator Eduardo Angara is pushing for the continued preservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces even after it was removed from the United Nation’s list of endangered world treasures.


“This is good news for us. This achievement means we are on the right track but we should be reminded that there is still a lot of work to be done before we fully restore the majestic terraces,” said Angara who is the author of the National Cultural Heritage Act.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee, said the Philippines has restored at least 50 percent of the collapsed terraces, and that major parts of the irrigation system have been rehabilitated.

The Ifugao Rice Terraces, called by locals as “Payo”, was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Unfortunately, six years later, it was officially listed as one of the world treasures at risk.

Since then, the Philippine government has implemented policies and laws to preserve the terraces such as community-based land use, zoning, and proper management and protection against natural calamities.

“The Ifugao Rice Terraces is known worldwide as the 8th Wonder of the World and one of the country’s prime tourist destinations. They are the living testament to the Ifugao’s mastery of watershed ecology, terrace engineering, and water distribution. We should not allow the condition of the terraces to deteriorate,” Angara said.

The Ifugao Rice Terraces is covered by the National Cultural Heritage Act authored by Angara and his son Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara.
Likewise, Angara has a pending bill, Senate Bill No. 2008, which aims to establish the Cordillera Terraces Authority, which will come up with a 10-year Cordillera Terraces Master Plan for the continuous preservation and rehabilitation of the terraces.

“This bill is a first step towards an overall terraces management and preservation strategy with the end in view of establishing a permanent and effective body to coordinate and lead efforts to restore and protect the terraces of the entire Cordillera Region,” Angara said.

“The terraces of the Cordilleras are truly a rare engineering achievement. We are in a race against time to save them from deterioration,” he added.

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