Stories from Quick Reads and Philippines
Photo of a Mexican Revolutionary Who Looks Like Pacquiao Goes Viral
A photo of a Mexican revolutionary who looks like Manny Pacquiao has gone viral few days before the Filipino boxing icon's fight today against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas for three champions belts (OMB, CMB y la AMB) in the welterweight division. In Twitter there were many tweets related to the picture: Resulta que el abuelo de...
VIDEO: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
The Public Liberties and Human Rights department at Aljazeera, in co-operation with several international organizations have produced a video about the campaign to end impunity for crimes against journalists: The video supports the UN resolution on the “Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity”: The United Nations General Assembly...
Video Animation Explains How Principle of “Free Prior and Informed Consent” Can Empower Indigenous Peoples
The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact has uploaded a video animation explaining the principle of “Free prior and informed consent” or how communities should have the right to decide for the development of their lands.
Pope Francis will Visit the “Ground Zero’ of Typhoon Haiyan Disaster in the Philippines
The official logo and website related to the Philippine visit of Pope Francis in January 2015 have been unveiled already. Pope Francis will visit Manila and Tacloban. Tacloban is the “ground zero” of the Typhoon Haiyan disaster which claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people in the Eastern Visayas...
Digital Library of Traditional Philippine Healing Practices
Initiated by several government agencies, the Philippine Traditional Knowledge Digital Library on Health (TKDL-Health) seeks to document and digitize indigenous health practices in the country. The communities, characteristically living in the mountains or their fringes, have depended mostly on plants and other natural products from the forest to prevent or...
Derailed Train Exposed Inefficient Philippine Mass Transport System
Scores were injured when a train overshot its stop at a busy intersection in south Manila. The crash ignited an intense discussion about the weak and inefficient mass transportation system in the Philippines. Authorities vowed to improve train service amid rising public anger over the incident.
PHOTOS: Typhoon Glenda Left Trail of Destruction in the Philippines
Typhoon Glenda (International name: Rammasun) damaged many structures in Southern Luzon, located south of Manila in the Philippines. Photos shared by Citizens’ Disaster Response Center.
Typhoon Glenda Batters Luzon Island in the Philippines
Typhoon Glenda (International name: Rammasun) wrought havoc in Luzon Island in the Philippines. Netizens are using the Twitter hashtag #glendaph to monitor the situation.
This Philippine Wedding Video of a Dying Cancer Patient Will Move You to Tears
The groom died 10 hours after marrying his girlfriend. Diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer last month, his dying wish was to marry the mother of his two-year old daughter. The wedding took place in a public hospital in Manila, Philippines. The video instantly became popular in the Internet.
Philippine Police Adopts e-Subpoena System
To prevent delay in the resolution of court cases caused by non-attendance of police witnesses, the Philippine government has launched an online-based subpoena system. The process will involve the court and the Philippine National Police (PNP): The Courts, through its court administrator, will send the various subpoenas to particular PNP...
Why Filipinos Became Early Adopters of Western Music
Le Minh Khai refers to the book of D. R. M. Irving in explaining the long history of Filipino musicians playing Western music: …there was a rich experience of musical contact and exchange between Spaniards and Filipinos that began not long after the Spaniards established their control over the Philippines...
Philippines’ Makati City is Selfie Capital of the World
Makati City, the financial district of the Philippines, was tagged by TIME Magazine as the ‘selfie capital’ of the world. Curiously, it was listed alongside Pasig, an eastern suburb of Manila.
Philippine Petition Against Dog Meat Restaurants
An online petition is circulating to pressure the mayor of Baguio City to close down dog meat restaurants in the city. Baguio is a famous tourist destination located north of the Philippines: I was recently made aware that there are at least ten dog meat restaurants operating in open violation...
One Year in Asia
Antoine Lavenant, with his girlfriend spent a year in Asia – China, Laos, Cambodia, Thaïland, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The video is a brief record of their exciting journey.
Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development has published a policy briefer that tackled the extent of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Many Southeast Asian countries are at the bottom of a lot of the world's supply chains, including for food, garments, and technology. Yet few countries in...
Rebuilding Schools in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyuan in Bantaya, Philippines
Young Pioneer Disaster Response (YPDR) is a small NGO whose goal is to rebuild schools and help residents of the small island of Bantayan in the area of Santa Fe recover in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyuan. A volunteer tells his experience with YPDR on his blog. There is more...
Typhoon Haiyan: A Story of Resilience in a Short Doc
Typhoon Haiyan, a short film by Janssen Powers, documents the aftermath of the super storm that in early November killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippine province of Leyte. “Naturally, I intended to capture a story of destruction,” Powers wrote in the description of his work. “What I found...
Review of University Websites in Southeast Asia
Le Minh Khai reviewed the websites of the leading universities in Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and was disappointed with the design and content of these online platforms.
Everyone Suffers in Manila Traffic
Filipino journalist Iris Cecilia Gonzales writes about how people suffer from Manila's notorious street traffic: When one is stuck in traffic in Manila's streets, there's no escape. Everyone suffers — whether you're driving a sleek Rolls Royce or a moving piece of junk; whether it's with a red plate or...
Hong Kong: 2010 Manila Hostage Incident and Banning Maid
Tom Grundy from Hong Wrong comments on the local community call for banning Filipino domestic workers’ working visa to pressure the Philippine President Aquino III to apologize to the 2010 Manila hostage Incident's victims and their families. The incident in 2010 was obviously awful and tragic and the authorities were...
100 Million Signature Campaign for Resolution of Japan's ‘Sex Slaves’ Issues
The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan has launched a new campaign to gather 100 million signatures. Their online petition, in eight different languages, calls on Japanese government to offer an official apology and legal reparations to the victims and asks the international community to join their cause....
