Warships save vessels as Somali pirates persist
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP) – 8 hours ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkE...

NAIROBI, Kenya — Pirates have resumed their daring attacks on shipping vessels after weather off the Somali coast improved, a maritime official said Wednesday, but warships in the area and precautions taken by mariners themselves have helped thwart the attempted hijackings.

Cyrus Mody at the International Maritime Bureau said international forces intervened in two attacks on Saturday. The pirates resumed their activity in mid-September after about a six-week break.

"Since the attacks resumed after the monsoon subsided there have been no successful hijackings off Somalia, which is a very positive step," Mody said. "We attribute this very largely to the actions of the naval forces in the area and better mariner preparedness."

A Turkish frigate intervened after the Panamanian-flagged Handy V came under fire from pirates in two small skiffs Saturday. The crew fired parachute flares at them before locking themselves in the bridge and contacting coalition ships for assistance. The same day, a Saudi Arabian warship sent a helicopter to assist the Greek-owned Panamax Peppo after it was chased by pirates.

Somali piracy on the rise'
Keith Wallis, Hong Kong - Wednesday 30 September 2009
http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/somali-piracy-on-the-rise/20017702913....

PIRACY is on the rise off the coast of Somalia with four attempted attacks taking place in the Gulf of Aden since September 19 the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in has warned.

The US naval forces central command in Bahrain said three separate unsuccessful attacks occurred September 19 and 20. These were followed by an attack on the 1983-built, 64,780 dwt panamax bulker, Handy V, on September 26 during which seven pirates were arrested by the Turkish Navy frigate Gediz, which is assigned to NATO’s piracy task force.

The US Navy said the more recent attack took the total number of piracy actions so far this year to 146, of which 28 were been successful.

The increase in pirate activity was outlined as naval leaders from 30 nations and international organisations met in Bahrain on Tuesday for a series of meetings to discuss piracy activity in the area. The so-called shared awareness and deconfliction (SHADE) meetings allow navies operating in the area to share information at a working level.

Sulpicio still wants to get back to passenger shipping
Written by VG Cabuag / Reporter
Wednesday, 30 September 2009 21:09
http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/companies/16697-sulpicio-still-wants-t...

SULPICIO Lines Inc., owner of sunken vessel MV Princess of the Stars, said that its efforts to get back to the passenger-shipping business are for its thousands of employees and other stakeholders who rely on the company’s operation.

Jordan Go, Sulpicio’s vice president for marketing, said that three of its vessels are now ready to accept both cargoes and passengers only if regulator Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) allowed them to.

“Our efforts [for the resumption to carry passengers] are more for them [stakeholders] than for us. But we also have to work within Marina’s schedule,” Go said.

Before Princess sunk last year, killing hundreds of people, some 60 percent of Sulpicio’s revenues came from moving cargoes, while the rest were from passengers. They have nine more passenger-cargo vessels that are still undergoing technical repairs.

Go said that at the moment, they have 11 vessels running, including two passenger-cargo vessels. Sulpicio is only allowed to carry cargoes.

Distributor: Gov't ill-maintained rubber boats
By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com) Updated September 30, 2009 01:31 PM
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=509921&publicationSubCate...

MANILA, Philippines – Some government agencies have ill-maintained the rubber boats they have procured for rescue operations during natural calamities such as massive flooding due to typhoons, a private distributor of the vessel said today (Sept. 30).

Senen Arabaca, president of Geneve SA Phils. Inc., one of the largest suppliers of rubber boats in the country, said government personnel should have properly stored these equipment to prevent them from being attacked by termites.

"They should know how to maintain them. These rubber boats should be placed on shelves whether inflated or not," Arabaca said.

He added that rubber boats must be stored in a cool place to prevent the material from getting brittle. When not in use, Arabaca said the vessels should be inflated at least once a month to check for holes that need plugging.

Geneve SA Phils. is the exclusive distributor of rubber boats made by Zodiac Enterprises, a manufacturing company based in France.

Arabaca said the 500 rubber boats he sold to different government agencies, if maintained properly, would have a lifespan of 20 years. He, however, declined to name the agencies.

Survivors of ship sinking give conflicting testimonies
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated September 30, 2009 12:00 AM
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=509725&publicationSubCate...

MANILA, Philippines - After talking to 44 passengers of the ill-fated M/V SuperFerry 9, the eight members of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) reportedly came out more confused than enlightened.

Commander Ramon Reblora, BMI legal member, yesterday said they got “mixed-up” and “conflicting” testimonies from the survivors of M/V SuperFerry 9 that capsized last month.

“We need to collate, evaluate and analyze, otherwise we would be lost in their testimony,” Reblora said.

The BMI went to Iloilo and General Santos City last week where they interviewed 37 and seven survivors, respectively. They also talked to two Coast Guard personnel in General Santos.

Among the confusing statements, for instance, was that some survivors said the vessel listed, while others claimed that it was upright throughout the voyage. There were others who slept throughout the trip and were unaware of what happened during the crucial hours.

Some passengers said they heard a sound before the ship tilted, but others recalled that the sound came after the listing. The passengers could also not identify the sound.

Willie Revillame chided for “Ondoy” donation
By NRJ RAMOS
September 29, 2009, 6:28pm
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/222568/willie-revillame-chided-ondoy-donat...

It’s not what you do but the way that you do it.

Although “Wowowee” host Willie Revillame pledged a million-peso cash donation to “Ondoy” (international code name Ketsana) victims upon the on-air coaxing of ABS-CBN anchors Kim Atienza and Tina Monzon-Palma, not a few still criticized him for his apparent hesitation.

In that “Wowowee” segment aired Sept. 28, Revillame laughed and scratched his head when Palma wheedled him about donating for the cause.

“Nagbabalita lang ako dito eh,” he said, laughing.

Then Revillame backtracked, saying, “Pero andito na rin lang (grinning), tutal nilagay mo na rin lang ako sa sitwasyon eh, magbibigay na ako ng 1 million…1 million worth ng mineral water (laughs) hindi… cash, 1 million cash.”

Turning serious, Willie faced the camera and said, “From my heart, galing po sa akin, 1 million para sa mga Kapamilya natin.”

Though heartily applauded by studio audiences, including Palma and Atienza, Revillame was booed by some of those watching the show from their homes as evidenced by chides in several online fora.

“Parang ayaw magbigay…nagpapilit pa,” said one.

Philippine Floods: Why Wasn't Manila Prepared?
By ISHAAN THAROOR Ishaan Tharoor – 16 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090929/wl_time/08599192664600

In Manila, millions of residents now live in a world of mud. Torrential rain over the weekend triggered the worst flooding the Philippines' capital has seen in over four decades, submerging more than 80% of the city, killing at least 246 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. By Tuesday, the water had receded in many places, but it left behind ruined homes and swept-away neighborhoods, and according to health officials, it disabled the majority of Manila's medical facilities. Debris, sewage and abandoned vehicles that were tossed around by gushing currents now litter the notoriously polluted capital; aid workers warn of water-borne diseases. The government has placed the area around Manila under a "state of public calamity."

Uninsured foresaw doom
Written by Jun Vallecera| Reporter
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 22:22
http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/16666-uninsured-foresaw-doom....

>excerpts<

But for 46-year-old Bernard Arguelles, a seafarer whose brand-new Toyota Innova was similarly covered in filth from the flood, the out-of-pocket expense means taking off half of his monthly household budget to cover repairs on the motor vehicle alone.

Like Teofilo, Arguelles has comprehensive insurance cover but did not have one written for damages by flooding.

He took the trouble to take pictures of the vehicle just hours after the flood receded, but at the back of his mind he knew he will not be paid.

Arguelles said he only began to read the fine print at the back of his insurance contract that Saturday morning, and his layman’s mind could not find anything that says PhilamLife should pay.

The industry’s motor car premium in 2008 reached P9.88 billion, up 6.35 percent from the year before.

The industry wrote risks in terms of direct business worth P25.05 billion in 2008, up 33.7 percent from 2007, but none of it pertained to damage due to floods, the IC said.

The industry also assumed risks equal to P12.99 billion in 2008, up almost 20 percent from 2007, but none of it also pertained to damages arising from flooding.

'Ondoy' fatalities may have already exceeded 300
AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV
09/30/2009 | 03:09 AM
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173435/ondoy-fatalities-may-have-already-exc...

The number of fatalities from tropical storm “Ondoy" (international name Ketsana) that battered metropolitan Manila and some provinces in Calabarzon and Central Luzon may have already risen to over 300 as of Tuesday evening, based on data culled by GMANews.TV from various government sources.

Region IV-A (Calabarzon) has the most number of fatalities with 155 or 140 in Rizal; 12 in Laguna; two in Cavite; and one in Batangas.

The National Capital Region followed with 124 or 54 in Marikina City; another 54 in Quezon City; seven in Taguig City; five in Pasig City; and four in Valenzuela City.

GMANews.TV was not able to get information from Mandaluyong City and San Juan City where deaths were also recorded by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). In Muntinlupa, Mayor Aldrin San Pedro told GMANews.TV that there were no fatalities in his city, contradicting reports from the NDCC.

Region III (Central Luzon) has 31 deaths so far, all in Bulacan. GMANews.TV was not able to obtain data from Pampanga where NDCC reported fatalities.

A brewing storm threatens to hit RP
By Nikko Dizon, Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:43:00 09/29/2009
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090929-2274...

MANILA, Philippines—Weather experts on Monday warned that a low pressure area sighted over the Pacific Ocean could develop into a typhoon and strike the Philippines later this week, as the death toll from the floods unleashed by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) rose to 140, amid fears the casualty toll would climb further.

With dozens of people still missing after Ondoy’s onslaught, government agencies shifted their focus to a massive relief operation, making sure food and other needed items were delivered to areas around Metro Manila, which were worst hit by Ondoy.

Many survivors fumed when no government help came as they struggled to survive after rivers of water and mud swallowed up their homes on Saturday.

“We feel their pain and anger but it is physically impossible to reach everyone,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. told reporters. “But we will help them as soon as we can.”