Tag Archives: Iloilo City

[Statement] “What a disgrace”, MAG Statement on the discrimination against some Iloilo City health workers on COVID-19

Posted on by Leave a comment

Discriminating the health workers who are in the frontline in the battle against Covid 19 out of fear and ignorance is outrageous and should be condemned.

We, the Medical Action Group, a health and human rights organization is seriously alarmed with the news report that some health workers in Iloilo City have been told to leave their boarding houses by their landlords and have even refused to eat in cafeterias due to suspicions of close contact with coronavirus patients. This act is “disgraceful” and “unacceptable”. The utter lack of social value and even the debt of gratitude by many of our countrymen to those who are serving the best interest of the public calls for stricter regulation and sanction against any form of discrimination.

While we do understand that stigma is a product of fear of the uncertainties but acting it out at the expense of others is an affront to human rights and dignity. It is just disheartening to know that health professionals are now being discriminated against. Despite the fact that they are risking their own lives so the rest of us may live. Some of them have even volunteered their services. The least that we could do is to give them our support and encouragement. The public should rest assured that the health professionals are mindful of observing hospital protocols and doing all precautionary measures. While some of them have already been infected and sacrificed their lives in their line of duties, it gives us no reason to treat them in an inhuman and degrading manner.

The Department of Health (DoH) should not just simply encourage the public to support the work of health frontliners but must institute measures to ensure the protection, safety, and well-being of health professionals and workers from any discriminatory treatment. Isolating people from the very institutions that are mandated to serve the public will only hamper the prompt delivery of health care services. They are our only line of defense, without them, our fear will turn into a nightmare.

In this time of crisis, let us bring the best and not the worst in us. Remember, any disease can be cured in due time but there will never be any cure for foolishness.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/medicalactiongroup-mag/what-a-disgrace-mag-statement-on-the-discrimination-against-some-iloilo-city-hea/10158188547414207/

Submit your contribution online through HRonlinePH@gmail.com
Include your full name, e-mail address, and contact number.

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos, etc.

[People] The War Against Journalists in the Philippines. By Carlos Conde

Posted on by 2 comments

Dispatches: The War Against Journalists in the Philippines
By Carlos Conde
December 11, 2013

The ongoing deadly attacks on journalists in the Philippines are no less than a war against themedia. In just the past two weeks, the body count in this war has surged: three dead journalists and one wounded in attacks perpetrated by unidentified gunmen.

Carlos_Conde_web 2013 Byba Sepitkova Human Rights Watch

Unidentified attackers shot dead radio journalist Rogelio Butalid in Tagum City on December 11. Police suspect Butalid’s murder was linked to his on-air criticism on Tagum’s Radyo Natin, but have not arrested any suspects.

The previous day, unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot and wounded Jhonavin Villalba, a reporter for Aksyon Radyo, at his home in Iloilo City. Police have not released any details on the motives for the attack and there have been no arrests.

On December 6, unidentified gunmen shot dead Michael Milo, a commentator on DXFM in Tandag City. Exactly a week before that, on November 29, another broadcaster, Joash Dignos, was gunned down in Valencia City. Police suspect both attacks were linked to the victims’ on-air commentary, but there have not been any arrests in either case.

These attacks have raised to 12 the number of journalists killed so far in 2013. Altogether, some 26 journalists have been killed in the first 40 months of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, and no one has been successfully prosecuted in any of these cases.

The Aquino administration’s response has been discouraging. While officials say the government is committed to ending impunity for these attacks, they have nevertheless sought to downplay them. On November 22, a presidential spokesman described the killings of Filipino reporters as “not so serious.”

Such official inaction is unacceptable. The Aquino administration needs to declare that the attacks on journalists are a national catastrophe that threatens fundamental liberties. The police should give priority to investigations of journalist killings and look beyond the gunmen to the individuals ultimately responsible. They should probe threats against journalists to prevent and deter future attacks. The government also needs to work with media companies, particularly broadcast networks, on strategies to better protect journalists.

It’s time for the Philippine government to intervene in the war on the press rather than ignore it.

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.

[Press Release] Thousands of cyclists and advocates to ride and rock for freedom -DAKILA

Posted on by Leave a comment

Freedom Ride and Freedom Concert mark Independence Day
Thousands of cyclists and advocates to ride and rock for freedom

Freedom Ride Dakila

dakila

All roads lead to the Eastwood Central Plaza on June 12, 7:00 am as thousands of cyclists and advocates raise the flag of freedom on Independence Day for the Freedom Ride and Freedom Concert to stop human trafficking and end modern day slavery. Coordinated Freedom Rides shall also be held in Iloilo (June 12, 7am Jaro Belfry), Dumaguete (June 11, 4pm Silliman University Church) and Zamboanga (June 12, 7am, Plaza del Pilar).

“We believe that while it is important to celebrate our freedom from colonial rule, it is also important for us to realize that many Filipinos are still enslaved. We want to celebrate our 115th year of independence by continuing the fight for the freedom of others,” Noel Cabangon, Dakila Vice President, said.

The Freedom Ride is part of the Stop Look Listen campaign of Dakila against human trafficking. The Stop Look Listen campaign kicked off last March 9 with a Freedom Ride held in McKinley Hill, Taguig City participated by around 1,000 cyclists. The bike ride was aimed to popularize the 1343 Anti Trafficking Hotline. The Freedom Ride was also held in different provinces known as trafficking hotspots of the country: Iloilo City (April 20), Zamboanga City (April 27), and Dumaguete City (May 5). This paved way to the biggest bike rides ever organized in Panay Island (500), Dumaguete City (400) and Zamboanga (250).

“Human trafficking is a serious problem especially in our country because we offer cheap labor. A lot of times we only see women being trafficked for sexual exploitation but in fact, human trafficking can happen to both men and women and for different reasons other than sexual exploitation, such as forced labor. There are even cases of professionals such as doctors who experienced being trafficked,” Cabangon added.

Every year around 300,000 to 400,000 Filipinos fall prey to human trafficking in their own country and abroad.

“The cycling community has become involved in this campaign against human trafficking. And we see more and more people who are now becoming interested to become an advocate and a Freedom Warrior. People from different sectors—government, non-government, youth—have been challenged to heed the call to continuously fight for freedom,” Nityalila Saulo, cyclist, musician and advocate, said.

“Anyone can be a Freedom Warrior. By educating ourselves and sharing what we have learned to others, we can help save at least one person from enslavement,” Saulo added.

The Freedom Ride is part of the Project Freedom Campaign of Dakila in partnership with the Manila Fixed Gear, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Department of Justice Inter Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT) and the Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission. It aims to raise public awareness on Human Trafficking and empower advocates and citizens to become watchdogs in their own communities by driving them into action through grassroots involvement and amplified action through mainstream and digital media.

A Freedom Concert will be held after the Freedom Ride, at 9:30 am. Performers include Noel Cabangon, Radioactive Sago Project, Up Dharma Down, and many more.

The Freedom Ride and Freedom Concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the Freedom Rides and the campaign, visit http://dakila.org.ph/projectfreedom.
Press Contact:
Jeffrey Reyes 09151780240
Ayeen Karunungan 09175057055
E-mail: mabuhay@dakila.org.ph

PRESS RELEASE
Dakila
10 June 2013

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.

 

sign petiton2 smallPhoto by TFDPcat alert icon copy

[In the news] DSWD shelter program up for Iloilo City informal settlers | Sun.Star

Posted on by Leave a comment

DSWD shelter program up for Iloilo City informal settlers | Sun.Star.

September 25, 2012

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office in Western Visayas is prioritizing 378 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as awardees of the P100-million shelter program.

DSWD Regional Director Minda Brigoli said a multipartite memorandum of agreement was drawn up recently between DSWD, the City Government of Iloilo, National Housing Authority (NHA), Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) and associations of homeless families in selecting 1,428 family beneficiaries in the city’s 5.6 hectares lot in Lanit, Jaro district.

Brigoli said an initial fund of P50 million is ready to start the housing project in partnership of the NHA as part of the disaster risk reduction management program. Each housing unit will cost about P125,000 per unit.

Read full article @ www.sunstar.com.ph

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.

[Press Release] Partido ng Manggagawa slams government inaction on workers demands

Posted on by One comment

Partido ng Manggagawa slams government inaction on workers demands

The militant Partido ng Manggaggawa (PM) slammed the administration of President Benigno Aquino III for its inaction on workers demands for a wage hike and against contractualization. “Grace Lee is far luckier than private sector workers for President Benigno Aquino has surprises for the former but no gifts for the latter on Labor Day. But this is not due to a personal defect on the part of PNoy but a systemic defect of the government. The government is captive to a defective economic model called globalization which sacrifices workers needs to the interests of foreign investors and local capitalists,” asserted Renato Magtubo, PM chair.

PM joined the recently-formed Nagkaisa in holding a 20,000-strong “historic” rally by the newly-formed Nagkaisa, which unites the country’s major labor center for the first time since the 1980’s. An advance contingent of some 500 youth and workers held a “Lakbayan para sa Pabahay at Trabaho” yesterday that started from Baclaran Church and ended at the Holy Trinity Church in Balic-Balic, Manila for an overnight vigil.

In today’s protest, PM members flew kites symbolizing the lifting of the dignity of workers and rising of workers’ wages. They also carried makeshift “gadgets” labeled “Stop Noynoying, Work for the workers” to bring attention to the administration’s inaction on workers’ demands for regular jobs, wage hike, socialized housing, and low prices of electricity.

As early as 7:00 a.m. the different groups assembled all along the length of Espana from Welcome Rotonda to Forbes. By 9:00 a.m. the Nagkaisa rally started proceeding to Mendiola and the program lasted until 11:00 a.m. After the rally, PM and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association held a motorcade back to the protest camp for an afternoon program.

Magtubo added that “The recently released ‘Global Wage Report’ of the ILO notes that workers in the Philippines are among the lowest paid in the world and wages are falling still. But PNoy remains deaf and blind to the call for salary increase.”

The Labor Day commemoration by groups comprising Nagkaisa was nationwide in scope. In Cebu, some 4,000 members of PM, ALU-TUCP, APL-SENTRO and Makabayan marched by 8:00 a.m. from the Pier 1 to downtown Colon and then a staged rally at the office of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Some 1,000 sugar workers and factory laborers led by PM held a rally at the Bacolod public plaza. Hundreds of leaders of labor unions, jeepney drivers associations, trisikad federation, truck drivers association, farm workers and urban poor in Iloilo City held an indoor assembly in the morning and then marched downtown in the afternoon. In Davao, some 400 members of Nagkaisa including PM assembled by 1:00 p.m. at Orcullo Park and then marched around the city.

Press Release
May 1, 2012
Partido ng Manggagawa
Contact Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777, 09228677522

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.

[Announcement] AIPh is looking for Seven (7) experienced individuals

Posted on by Leave a comment

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Philippines (AIPh) is looking for Seven (7) experienced individuals for the following positions:

Human Rights Officer

Deadline of submission of applications: January 27, 2012
·Responsible for planning, supervising, coordinating and monitoring of human rights work
Formulates short and long term plans and strategies
Manages, coordinates and monitors implementation and evaluation of campaigns, human rights education, communications, media and publications work.

Organizational Development Officer

Deadline of submission of applications: January 27, 2012
·Responsible for planning, supervising, coordinating and monitoring of organizational development including membership development, staff development and welfare;
·Formulates short and long term plans and strategies;
·Manages the finances, the office and ensures compliance with domestic legal obligations;
·Supports the leadership of the organization including governance.

Events organizer

Deadline of submission of applications: January 27, 2012
·Mainly responsible for organizing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the pre-AGM meetings of the organization, with supervision of Organizational Development Officer or Director.
·Short term employment: February- May 15, 2012.

Membership Development Coordinator

Deadline of submission of applications: 18 February 2012
·Coordinates, supervises, facilitates and organizes membership activities
·Recruits and develops members and supporters of AIPh to take action for human rights
Organizes and conducts activities to increase members and supporters for human rights

3 Local Project staff for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao

Deadline of submission of applications: 18 February 2012
·Organizes and conduct human rights awareness activities in schools and barangays
·Recruits and develops members and supporters of AIPh to take action for human rights
·Establishes linkages and partnership to facilitate human rights work
·Preferably from the following areas:
o NCR
o Cebu City or Iloilo City
o Davao City or Cagayan de Oro City
·Duration of post: February 20, 2012- December 31, 2013

For more information, please email applications20112012@gmail.com

[In the news] Social Welfare expands core programs in Western Visayas – www.sunstar.com.ph

Posted on by Leave a comment

Social Welfare expands core programs in Western Visayas
By Lydia C. Pendon

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office is set to expand its three pro-poor core programs in 2012 in all towns and cities in Western Visayas.

This was announced recently by DSWD regional director Minda Brigoli, adding that the regional office is in need of some 200 additional workers to facilitate the implementation of poverty alleviation projects of Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-Cidss), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and self-employment program.

New workers to be hired include community facilitators, engineers, financial analysts and other staff workers.

Brigoli said these programs are on top of the traditional public service delivery projects and other services the DSWD is mandated to serve.

On the other hand, Iloilo City is being proposed to be included in the Urban Kalahi-Cidss program next year after undergoing validation. The inclusion of Iloilo and Bacolod cities are reconsidered after finding out that both cities are hosting thousands of indigent families.

New Kalahi-Cidss municipalities for implementation in 2011 until June 2012 has an estimated total project cost of P234.26 million, with 408 barangays under coverage and 215 prioritized subprojects.

Read full article @ www.sunstar.com.ph