AirAsia ceases Kota Kinabalu – Clark route

Bad news for frewuent traveller from Kota Kinabalu to Manila Phillippines via Clark.

Why? Because AirAsia on 6th December 2012, announced that weekly flights from Kota Kinabalu to Clark have been put to a stop effective February 1st, 2013.

Below is a media statement by Air Asia on the above matte, source : Air Asia Communications.


SEPANG, 6 DECEMBER 2012: Due to commercial reasons, AirAsia will be withdrawing its 7x weekly Kota Kinabalu – Clark route effective 1st February 2013.


Affected guests who hold bookings after these dates will be offered options to mitigate the inconvenience caused as a result of the route withdrawals. All affected guests will be contacted by AirAsia customer service personnel to inform them about the suspension as well as the options available to them.


Guests will be able to choose the three options below :

i) Move their flights to an earlier date to or from Kota Kinabalu or Clark without any extra charges and subject to availability, OR

ii) Be offered a credit shell for the value that they paid with a validity of 3 months, OR

iii) Full refund

The route suspension is for the Group to realign its business plan and strengthen its operations to focus on markets where it can build a leadership position in 2013.


Guests can also get in touch with AirAsia via social media by simply tweeting AirAsia at twitter.com/AskAirAsia for further enquiries about this route suspension.

All the best Air Asia. Have a nice day folks.

Philippines’ AirAsia launches first flights to Davao and Kalibo

Philippines’ AirAsia launches first flights to Davao and Kalibo, Philippines

CLARK, PAMPANGA, 28 March 2012 —Philippines’ AirAsia began serving the Filipino people today, launching its maiden flights from Clark to the popular tourism destinations of Kalibo (Boracay) in the Visayas and Davao in Mindanao.

The twin launches took place today at the Clark International Airport and was witnessed by Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas II and other government officials.

The first Philippines AirAsia flight, PQ7001, left for Kalibo at 7 a.m. Onboard were 143 guests, including 18 children with hearing impairment and Down Syndrome, who flew for the first time accompanied by their parents and teachers for on educational trip to Kalibo.

“Philippines’ AirAsia maiden flights are pioneering routes - our Clark to Davao and Clark to Kalibo flights will make air travel for Northern and Central Luzon passengers more convenient and comfortable. They can even be spared from the traffic of EDSA and the long queues of NAIA,” AirAsia Inc. CEO Maan Hontiveros said at the send-off ceremonies in the Pre-Departure Lounge of Clark International Airport.

Aside from Roxas, among those who attended the twin launches were AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Deputy Group CEO Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani, President Director of AirAsia Indonesia Dharmadi, AirAsia Inc. Chairman Antonio Cojuangco, AirAsia Inc. Vice Chairman Michael Romero, AirAsia Regional Head of Commercial Kathleen Tan, Clark International Airport Corporation President Victor Jose Luciano, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, airport officials and representatives from Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Civil Aeronautics Board.

Duterte and Luciano joined the other passengers on the first flight to Davao that left Clark at 10:10 a.m. and arrived in Davao at noon.

“The prospect of Philippines AirAsia starting its flights is truly exciting. Philippines is a robust and growing market. We are here because we are confident of its growth. With our pioneering flights and with the options we offer, millions of Southeast Asians will finally be able to easily access the Philippines from various parts of the Asean region,” AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said.

For her part, Hontiveros said: "Today is a source of national pride for us, Filipinos, as we send off our all-Filipino crew and start our pioneering flights that will improve domestic air connectivity. We picked Davao, because it is an important gateway to Mindanao, and Kalibo, because of Boracay, which is an international popular tourist spot. Today is just the start for AirAsia revolutionizing air travel in Philippines.”

Philippines’ AirAsia Inc., which has an initial investment of P468 million, currently has two brand new Airbus A320s for its daily flights from Clark to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao and its twice daily flights from Clark to Kalibo International Airport. It has ordered two more aircraft to be delivered within the year. It also hopes to tap into the underserved Northern and Central Luzon market and provide Metro Manila passengers a viable low fare flying alternative.

“Beyond servicing the needs of Northern and Central Luzon passengers and pioneering the new routes, we are here to revolutionize domestic and international air travel,” Hontiveros said. “Our brand of air travel will be characterized by transparency, efficiency and high value service.”

AirAsia Inc. is a Filipino Low Cost Carrier (LCC) established to serve the Philippines’ regional and domestic air travel market. For inquiry and to receive real-time updates on latest promotions, interact via facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines and twitter.com/AirAsiaPh.

ABOUT AIRASIA INC.

As part of its commitment to develop tourism and transportation outside Metro Manila, AirAsia Inc. set up its hub in Clark, Pampanga in 2011. In the same year, Filipinos welcomed the airline’s brand new Airbus A320s operated by an all-Filipino crew, signifying greater opportunities for travel, leisure and tourism industries in the country.

AirAsia Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March last year to engage primarily in the business of air transportation in the Philippines and abroad for passenger and cargo.

AirAsia Inc. is a 60-40 joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, Michael L. Romero and Marianne “Maan” B. Hontiveros, and Malaysia’s AirAsia International Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AirAsia Berhad, which has won SkyTrax’s best low cost airline for three consecutive years. (Skytrax is the world’s largest airline and airport review site.)

Source : AirAsia Communications

Muriel Orais, one of the sexiest women in Philippines

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas!!

If you go to the Philippines and happens to meet Muriel Orais, then you are one lucky person.

The probability of meeting a super sexy Filipino woman like Muriel Orais is much lower than striking the USD 1 million lottery jackpot!!









Miss Orais, represented Cebu City in the 2011 Miss Earth Philippines, winning many subsidiary titles.

Isn't she breath-taking and so fine??

Well, Asian beauties are a class above in their own way..!!

Mindanao, Selatan Filipina ajak Malaysia melabur di wilayah itu

Wilayah Autonomi Muslim Mindanao, ARMM di selatan Filipina meminta bantuan FELDA untuk berkongsi pengalaman membangunkan tanah luar bandar dengan efektif di negara itu.

pelabur malaysia juga dipelawa melabur di wilayah itu yang kaya dengan tanah pertanian.

Pelawaan itu disampaikan Naguib G. Sinarimbo, Setiausaha Eksekutif ARMM pada Jumaat 29 Julai 2011. Beliau dan delegasi ARMM kini berada di Kota Kinabalu bagi lawatan 6 hari ke Malaysia.

Menurut Naguib ketika ini pelaburan Malaysia di Mindanao termasuk kerjasama Petronas dan syarikat petroleum nasional Filipina bagi eksplorasi minyak di Mindanao.

Dalam konteks ini Naguib sudah bertemu pengurusan FELDA bagi membantu Mindanao berkongsi pengalaman dan kepakaran FELDA membangunkan tanah di Mindanao khususnya di kawasan luar bandar.

FELDA juga dipelawa melabur di Mindanao yang mempunyai tanah pertanian subur dan luas.

mengenai aspek keselamatan di mindanao, naguib berkata pihak keselamatan filipina sedang berusaha keras menangani isu itu.

sebelum ini, ketidak stabilan dan isu keselamatan di selatan filipina menyebabkannya kurang menarik pelabur asing.

untuk rekod, malaysia menghantar pasukan pengaman ke mindanao bagi memantau rundingan keamanan antara kerajaan filipina dengan barisan pembebasan islam moro, m-i-l-f.

Mindanao, dikenali Land of Promise atau Tanah yang dijanjikan, adalah pulau kedua terbesar di Filipina selain Luzon dan Visayas.

Ia meliputi 7,107 pulau termasuk di wilayah Zamboanga, Basilan, Tawi Tawi, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao dan beberapa wilayah lain dengan keluasan keseluruhan 97,530 km persegi dan bilangan penduduk hampir 23 juta orang.

Penduduknya terdiri kaum Visaya, Bajao, Moro, Tasaday dan Lumad.

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas.

Junrey Balawing is world's shortest man

Measuring just 59.93 centimetres, or 23.5 inches, Junrey Balawing, 18 years old is the oldest of four siblings -- the rest all of normal stature -- born in the rural town of Sindangan on the Philippines' southern island of Mindanao.

"Officially he is the world's shortest man," said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of the Guinness Book of World Records who measured Balawing in front of cheering relatives and villagers on Sunday, 19th June 2011.


The previous record holder was Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who was measured in 2010 at just over 26 inches.

Balawing is a poor Filipino blacksmith's son who stands less than 2 feet (60 centimeters).

The declaration by the Guiness World Records of Balawing as the world's shortest man sparked a jubilant celebration in his hometown.

Villagers and officials showered the coastal town's newly famous resident with a feast, cake, balloons and cash gifts.

Dozens of journalists descended on Sindangan, a fishing and farming town of 90,000 located about 450 miles (730 kilometers) south of Manila, to cover the event.

"Thank you," Balawing told the crowd in a local dialect which was translated by his father, Reynaldo.

Balawing blew out the candles on the cake and clapped heartily each time the crowd applauded. He was later heard saying "Kapoy," or "I'm tired."

Balawing -- who is about the size of a toddler and has a child's demeanor -- needs to hold something to be able to stand because of weak knees.

He was photographed propping himself up with empty Coca-Cola bottles, which were taller than his waistline.

Balawing's mother grew teary-eyed during the ceremony. She earlier said she was happy with her son's instant fame.

Glenday said he was struck with Balawing's lively personality and constant smile.

"Although he's short, he takes that in stride," Glenday told The Associated Press. "He has this cheeky smile."

Aside from a Guinness certificate, the crown does not come with any cash award.

Glenday said he hopes the international fame will bring in gifts and donations, particularly medical supplies to ensure Balawing's health.

Nobody could explain why Balawing stopped growing a few months after his birth, his father said.

Sindangan Vice Mayor Bess Jagonio, a doctor, speculated that he may have an endocrine or a birth-related defect.

Balawing's brother and two sisters are all average size.

His family said they tried to send Balawing to school but withdrew him after he distracted other children's attention.

Local officials got the idea of informing the Guinness records committee about Balawing from journalists who learned about his size.

Phillipinnes - the most dangerous country for Journalists

The Philippines is by far the most dangerous country for journalists, apart from Iraq.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said 142 journalists in Philippines were killed since the restoration of democracy in 1986 after then President Ferdinand Marcos was ousted by the people power led by former Philippines President, Corazon Aquino.

The world's worst mass killing of journalists happened in the Philippines on the morning of November 23, 2009 in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines in the infamous Maguindanao massacre.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called the Maguindanao massacre on as the single deadliest event for journalists in the history of the world.

At least 34 journalists are known to have died on that fateful morning, abducted and killed by 100 armed men, contracted to kill by the super-evil family of Andal Ampatuan who maybe is a devil worshipper.

This figure is worse than during Pol Pot Khmer Rouge regime, Adolf Hitler's reign of terror, and worse than what the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels can do.

Those poor journalists were among 58 people killed, on their way to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town, for the gubernatorial election.

For some unknown reasons, the Phillippines Police and Armed Forces, refused to escort and protect the convoy, despite being requested - a stupid decision that led to the worst atrocities commited against media practitioners and mankind in the 21st Century.

Esmael Mangudadatu, the guy whose very own political ambition led to this mass murders, also did not take part in the convoy for he knew that death will greet him on arrival at the gate of hell, instead of a nomination form.

The stupid Esmael stupidly let other innocent people including journalists, to die for his own stupid political greed and clamouring!!!!!




A video tribute to the UNTV journalists who were among the 57 murdered in the worst election-related massacre in the Philippines in the Ampatuan town of Maguindanao province on .

Now, another journalist was killed in Puerto Princessa in Palawan, Southern Phillippines on Monday 24th January 2011 by hitmen or contract killers who are willing to kill anyone for a mere 150,000 pesos, considering that a 3rd of Philippines population lives on less than 45 pesos a day.

For those cold blodded murderers, lives mean nothing to them. Just pay them 150,000 pesos and they will blow up anyone head and kill anyone you wish, including those who stole your girl friend.

Gerardo Ortega, 47, a radio journalist was shot in the head while shopping in a clothing store in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan island, on Monday morning, 24th January 2011, shortly after he finished his daily broadcast.

The gunman, Marlon de Camata, was detained while trying to escape the scene, police said.

The identities of the men who approached De Camata as well as their supposed "boss" were still being verified and could not be publicly released due to the sensitivity of the investigation, Amurao said.

However, he said police suspected Ortega's efforts to expose illegal mining led to his death.

"We are looking at that as a possible motive. Ortega's hard-hitting commentaries were targeted against mining companies he had accused of destroying Palawan's environment," Amurao said.

He described Ortega as a staunch environmentalist who regularly went to church and was well-liked on the island.

Puerto Princesa mayor Edward Hagedorn said that the murder weapon was positively traced to a lawyer formerly employed by an ex-governor who Ortega had repeatedly criticised as corrupt.

Hagedorn said Ortega was clearly killed because of his anti-corruption and pro-environment crusade.

Perhaps journalists need to be equipped with this super gun below:

Dancing sexy flight attendants on board Cebu Pacific airlines become internet sensations!!

The girls training / rehearsing the dance steps



Cebu Pacific Airlines (CEB), is a popular low-cost carrier that promises to give "low fare, great value" to every passenger who wants to fly.

The airlines is looking for new flight attendants, and among the requirements are - you have to dance on board the aircrafts but dancing skills are not required..!!

CEB recently shot to YouTube fame after a passenger posted a video of their flight attendants dancing to a mashup of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" and Katy Perry's "California Girls."

The dance, which was professionally choreographed, was actually a supplement to the usual safety demonstration conducted before takeoff.

"Cebu Pacific has always been known as a fun airline. We were looking for something new and different, to show that flight safety doesn't have to be boring," Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog told GMANews.TV in an earlier report.

CEB is hiring flight attendants to augment their workforce, as they are expecting four brand new airbus deliveries monthly starting October.

“We are scheduled to add more flights to Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Seoul in time with our Airbus A320 aircraft deliveries, and we need more cabin crew to handle our additional capacity," said Iyog.

However, non-dancers need not worry because the safety demo hit was just "something they thought of doing."

"We had no idea it would become this big," said Iyog, who clarified that the new hires would not necessarily be dancing.

"First of all, not everybody can dance. I don't think we can require those who have two left feet to perform," she said.

Meanwhile, the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) has scored the dancing flight attendants as sexist.

“While it may look like a harmless publicity stunt to attract passengers at first glance, in the long run the stereotyping of flight attendants as entertainers will surely have a negative and sexist impact in the minds of the public, at the expense of the unwitting female-dancer-flight attendants," said FASAP.

While selected flights will still feature the safety demo dance, what CEB looks for in its applicants is the right attitude.

"They have to embody our culture of fun as an airline," Iyog told GMANews.TV.

Yesterday, CEB hired 300 flight attendants in a one-day walk-in recruitment at the Crowne Plaza.

More than a thousand applicants went through the initial interview but only 300 were given their pre-employment documents at the end of the application process.

Yesterday's walk-in recruitment was the fifth in the last two months.

Successful applicants will go through a 58-day training period, so those who were hired yesterday will be flying in December or January. "We hire for attitude and we train for skill," said Iyog.

The walk-in recruitment is a lot more convenient than the regular screening process, which requires applicants to go back and forth.

At the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila Hotel in Quezon City yesterday, all the concerned departments were present, from the People Department (HR) to the In-Flight Services Team.

"It's easier because they know where it is, the location is better and the venue is much bigger than our office," Iyog told GMANews.TV, explaining that they still receive applicants through the normal weekly recruitment because their hiring for cabin crew is continuous.

The qualifications for being a CEB flight attendant include:

a dynamic personality that embodies CEB’s culture of fun;

height of at least 5’3" for females and at least 5’7" for males;

weight that is proportional to height;

clear complexion, good eyesight, and good set of teeth;

college education;

proficiency in Filipino and English, and

willingness to be assigned outside Metro Manila.

Applicants are advised to bring along their updated resumé and recent 2x2 photo. The screening is on first-come first-serve basis.

Iyog added, “We have already successfully trained 120 flight attendants this year, and our 70th batch will soon graduate by the end of September. After rigorous training on safety and service, and competency checks, Batch 70 with 19 females and 9 males will be welcomed into the CEB family."

CEB currently has a fleet of 10 A319, 11 A320 jets and eight turbo-prop ATR 72 aircraft. It expects to take delivery of a total of 24 brand-new Airbus A320 until 2014.

Source - GMA news

7 Hong Kong Tourists killed by Lone Bus Hijacker in Manila, Phillipinnes

Here Mendoza was seen freeing a number of hostages including an eldery man, children and eldery women. The sharpshooters of the Phillippines SWAT team had golden opportunity to end the siege without loss of lives among the hostages had they took advantage of the situation where Mendoza was standing on the doorstep of the ill-fated bus - with his M16 hanging down..



The Shootout.... Pity the innocent passengers/tourists



The tragic aftermath....


It was a sad day for those Hong Kong tourists. They were looking for a good time in Manila, Phillipinnes but instead experienced the most harrowing moments in their life.

This shows that kidnapping in the Phillipinnes not only happened in the jungles of Basilan and Jolo by the Abu Sayyaf or other pure lawless elements - but also in the middle of Manila's concrete jungles.

The Phillippines SWAT is also not good and not professional in rescuing the hostages - they fires indiscriminately, it is possible that some hostages died not because of the kidnapper's bullets but due to the SWAT team own bullets.

This firing indiscriminately while on a hostage rescuing mission also happened during the Abu Sayyaf hostages crisis in 2000 and 2001. According to the hostages, the Phillipinnes army, fired at random - endangering the life of the hostages!! They should follow USA's SWAT Special Weapons and Tacticals Teams - who will never fire blindly, but will deploy the highly trained sniper teams - capable of firing accurately on small moving targets from a distance of 1 kilometre!!!

Ten things the Philippines bus siege police got wrong

BBC the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that a security analyst, Charles Shoebridge who has worked in counter-terrorism with the British Army and Scotland gave his opinions on that tragic crisis.

Shoebridge said the officers involved in Manila's bus siege showed great courage - but they were not properly trained or equipped for the task.

Here are 10 areas where, in his view, they could have done better.

1. Determination

The first officers who tried to storm the bus were driven out by gunshots from the hostage taker, former policeman Rolando Mendoza. "They showed great courage to go on board. It's very crowded, just one aisle down the middle of the bus. But once you get on board it's not unexpected you are going to be fired at. Squads like this have to be made up of very special people, specially trained and selected for their characteristics of courage, determination and aggression. In this case they acted as 99% of the population would have, which was to turn round and get out. They didn't seem to have the necessary determination and aggression to follow the attack through."

2. Lack of equipment

The police spent a long time smashing the windows of the bus, whereas explosive charges (known as frame charges) would have knocked in windows and doors instantly. "They had no ladders to get through the windows. They smashed the windows but didn't know what to do next," Mr Shoebridge says. "They almost looked like a group of vandals." Their firearms were also inappropriate - some had pistols, some had assault rifles. Ideally they would have carried a short submachine gun, suitable for use in confined spaces.

3. Lost opportunity to disarm the gunman

Mendoza's gun was not always raised. There were numerous opportunities to restrain the gunman, Mr Shoebridge believes. "The negotiators were so close to him, and he had his weapon hanging down by his side. He could have been disabled without having to kill him."

4. Lost opportunity to shoot the gunman


The video of the drama also shows there were occasions when the gunman was standing alone, during the course of the day, and could have been shot by a sharpshooter. "You are dealing with an unpredictable and irrational individual. The rule should be that if in the course of negotiations an opportunity arises to end the situation decisively, it should be taken," Mr Shoebridge says. Either this possibility did not occur to the officers in charge, he adds, or they considered it and decided to carry on talking.

5. Satisfying the gunman's demands

"I wondered why the authorities just didn't give in to all of his demands," says Charles Shoebridge. "A promise extracted under force is not a promise that you are required to honour. Nobody wants to give in to the demands of terrorists, but in a situation like this, which did not involve a terrorist group, or release of prisoners, they could have just accepted his demands.

He could be reinstated in the police - and then be immediately put in prison for life for hostage taking." The Philippines authorities did in fact give in to the gunman's demands, but too little, too late. One message promised to review his case, while he wanted it formally dismissed. A second message reinstating him as a police officer only arrived after the shooting had started.

6. Televised proceedings

The gunman was able to follow events on television, revealing to him everything that was going on around him. This was a "crucial defect in the police handling", Mr Shoebridge says. He adds that police should always consider putting a barrier or screen around the area, to shield the scene from the cameras and keep the hostage taker in the dark.

7. No element of surprise

It was clear to the gunman what the police were doing at all times, not only because the whole incident was televised, but also because they moved "laboriously slowly", Mr Shoebridge says. The police did not distract him, so were unable to exploit the "crucial element of surprise".

8. Safeguarding the public

This boy, a bystander, was hit by a stray bullet At least one bystander was shot, possibly because the public was allowed too close. The bullet from an M16 rifle, as carried by the gunman, can travel for about a mile, so preventing any risk of injury would have been difficult, Mr Shoebridge says, but a lot more could have been done. "When you saw the camera view from above, it was clear there was little command and control of the public on the ground," he says.

9. Using the gunman's brother to negotiate

Relatives and close friends can be a double-edged sword, Mr Shoebridge says. While they may have leverage over the hostage taker, what they are saying cannot be easily controlled. In this case, the gunman's brother was included in the negotiations - however, at a certain stage he became agitated and police started to remove him from the scene. The gunman saw this on television, and became agitated himself. According to one report he fired a warning shot.

10. Insufficient training

In some parts of the Philippines, such as Mindanao, hostage taking is not an uncommon occurrence, so the country has some forces that are well trained in the necessary tactics. The detachment involved in Monday's incident clearly was not, says Mr Shoebridge. After smashing the windows, one of the officers eventually put some CS gas inside, though "to what effect was not clear" he says. A unit involved in this work, needs to be "trained again and again, repeatedly practising precisely this kind of scenario," he says.


On Tuesday 23rd August 2010, Phillipinnes security forces stormed a bus packed with Hong Kong tourists to end a dramatic hostage crisis that unfolded live on global television, leaving eight people and the gunman dead.

The day-long ordeal on Monday 22 August 2010, began when a disgruntled ex-policeman armed with an M-16 assault rifle and dressed in combat pants hijacked the bus in Manila's tourist district in a desperate bid to get his job back.

Negotiations broke down after nightfall when the gunman, former senior police inspector Rolando Mendoza, began shooting and commandos were forced to storm the bus, firing dozens of bullets of their own into the vehicle. 'I shot two Chinese. I will finish them all if they do not stop,' Mendoza told a local radio station as the police assault was about to get under way.

Police said a sniper shot Mendoza dead after he used his captives as 'human shields' in the final moments of the 12-hour standoff.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino said eight tourists were confirmed killed, while the Red Cross reported another seven were in hospital with unspecified injuries. Nine hostages, including children, were freed at various times throughout the day from the bus that was parked at Rizal Park, a popular tourist destination just a few blocks from police headquarters.

The Filipino bus driver jumped out of a window and escaped moments before police stormed the vehicle, with his escape and the rest of the crisis broadcast live on television.

China condemns Manila hijack

As expected, CHINA on Tuesday strongly condemned a Philippine bus hijacking that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead as an 'atrocity', and urged Manila to ensure Chinese citizens are safe.

The Chinese embassy said: 'The Chinese government strongly condemns the atrocity by the hostage-taker, expresses grave condolences to the victimised Hong Kong compatriots and conveys profound sympathy to the bereaved families.'

'The Chinese side has urged the Philippine side to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese citizens in the Philippines,' it said in a statement.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino said early on Tuesday that he has sent an apology to Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang for what had happened, adding that he has ordered the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to extend all possible assistance to the victims.

The president made the remarks at a press conference after meeting with police officials and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, reported Xinhua news agency.

Philippine hostage crisis ended here on Monday night with eight hostages were killed, seven injured, one of whom is in critical conditions, Philippine government officials said.

Philippine president steps into airline row

Hope this does not happen in your place... Thousands of passengers in Manila, Phillippines were stranded in the airport for hours, not because of flight delays or technical issues or the weather factors - but there is not enough pilots to fly the aircraft!!!

Apparently 25 pilots - 13 captains and 12 first officers suddenly quit the airlines for better paying jobs as pilots in other airlines companies.. Pheww.. The situation is so serious till now that the Phillipines President, Beningno Aquino himself has to personally intervene to avoid further inconveniences to the passengers and more importantly to save the nation's aviation industry!!!

Well, Phillipines Airlines, PAL is quite a huge airlines company.

The aircrafts fleet includes :

Boeing 777-300 ER - 2 aircrafts

Boeing 747-400 - 5 aircrafts

Airbus A340-300 - 4 aircrafts

Airbus A330-300 - 8 aircrafts

Airbus A320-200 - 16 aircrafts

Airbus 319-100 - 4 aircrafts

The newsreport here :

MANILA, Phillipines 1st Aug 2010 :

President Benigno Aquino said on Sunday his government would intervene in a labour dispute between pilots and flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) which had caused flight cancellations.

Aquino said ministers from the departments of justice, transportation, labour and his chief aide would on Monday meet separately with airline executives and representatives from the pilots' union to resolve the row.

"Hopefully we will be able to come up with a resolution so that the riding public is not inconvenienced and the economy does not suffer because of what is an inter-company dispute," Aquino told reporters.

In a statement Sunday, PAL said it rejected the resignations of more than two dozen pilots and gave them a week to return to work or face civil and criminal charges.

At least 16 domestic and international flights had been cancelled, including three to Hong Kong, after 13 captains and 12 first officers flying its Airbus A319s and A320s that form the backbone of its fleet quit.

"They left without giving PAL ample time to train replacements," the airline said. "Some of them even owe PAL millions of pesos for the cost of training (them)."

PAL apologised to the public for the inconvenience, but said the resignations were unforeseen.

"Many of them simply did not show up for work and just handed in their resignation letters," PAL said.

It said most of those who quit had been poached by foreign airlines it did not name, at salaries three times those offered by PAL.

Aquino said labour officials would study whether the pilots had breached their contracts.

"If this was not warranted, then they lay themselves also open to appropriate charges," Aquino said.

The Association of Airline Pilots of the Philippines, which represent the PAL pilots, could not be reached immediately for comment.

The beauty of Philippines women!!!

Philippines National Army vs Abu Sayyaf

After several high profile kidnappings, The Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the southern Philippines is back in the limelight.

This time The Abu Sayyaf is engaged in a close quarter ground battle with the Philippines National Army in Basilan.

Infact the battle was so close that it was almost hand to hand combat and reinforcement via air attack cannot be called in.

Todate, 53 died including 23 Philippines army personells and at least 30 Abu Sayyaf guerillas.










The rest of the news below by Reuters.

A battle pitting Philippine troops against Muslim guerrillas on a remote southern island killed at least 53 people, the military said on Thursday, but analysts said the clash is unlikely to have sidelined the rebels.

Soldiers killed at least 30 guerrillas during an assault on Wednesday on a base of Abu Sayyaf rebels in the interior of the southern island of Basilan, Brigadier-General Rustico Guerrero, marine commander, told reporters.

"Based on this one incident alone, it would be premature to make a conclusion on the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf," Mars Buan, an analyst at the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy, told Reuters.

"In the past, the Abu Sayyaf has suffered bigger number of casualties, but it has remained as one of the serious threats in the south."

Twenty-three soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded in eight hours of fighting, Guerrero said, describing it as one of the biggest battles since 2007, when 15 soldiers and 40 rebels were killed on Basilan.

"We launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf's main training base on Basilan, but we were met by heavy resistance," he said.

The guerrillas fled into the island's heavily wooded interior, said Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, navy commander on Basilan. Security forces on Thursday resumed pursuit operations against remnants of the 150-man rebel group.

"It was close quarter combat, the two sides almost came into hand-to-hand battle," Pama told Reuters. He said the proximity meant the military could not call in air strikes.

"What's more important for us was we've disrupted their crude bomb factory and training base."

UNHOLY ALLIANCE

Analysts expected intensified operations against the Abu Sayyaf, but foresaw no decisive development in the conflict.

Buan said the Abu Sayyaf's loose structure meant an encounter on Basilan would not affect militants on nearly Jolo island.

Rex Robles, a retired navy commodore and a security analyst, said the rebels were both familiar with the territory and enjoyed the support of the local community.

"There are so many armed groups operating there, not just the Abu Sayyaf," Robles said. "I would not be surprised if some rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front come to the aid of the Abu Sayyaf. Some of them are related by blood and marriage."

The Abu Sayyaf is the smallest but most deadly of several Muslim groups fighting for independence in the south of the Roman Catholic state. It is estimated to have about 350 hard-core followers based mostly on Basilan and Jolo.

It has links with Jemaah Islamiah, a pan-Asian radical Muslim group blamed for attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings and the bombings of two hotels in Jakarta last month.

Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the worst militant attack in the Philippines, the sinking of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 in which 100 people were killed.

It has also been in the spotlight for high-profile kidnappings, most recently of three Red Cross officials on Jolo who were later freed. Newspapers said large ransoms were paid, although officials have denied making any payments.

Former Philippines President, Corazon "Cory" Aquino, died aged 76..

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a "people power" revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76.

The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired nonviolent protests across the globe, including those that ended Communist rule in eastern Europe.

But she struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her own family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term.

Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as "Tita (Auntie) Cory."

"She was headstrong and single-minded in one goal, and that was to remove all vestiges of an entrenched dictatorship," Raul C. Pangalangan, former dean of the Law School at the University of the Philippines, said earlier this month. "We all owe her in a big way."

Her son, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said his mother died at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (1918 GMT Friday).

Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue her chemotherapy.

Supporters have been holding daily prayers for Aquino in churches in Manila and throughout the country for a month. Masses were scheduled for later Saturday, and yellow ribbons were tied on trees around her neighborhood in Quezon city.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is on an official visit to the United States, said in a statement that "the entire nation is mourning" Aquino's demise. Arroyo declared a period of national mourning and announced a state funeral would be held for the late president.

TV stations on Saturday were running footage of Aquino's years together with prayers while her former aides and supporters offered condolences.

"Today our country has lost a mother," said former President Joseph Estrada, calling Aquino "a woman of both strength and graciousness."

Even the exiled Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, whom Aquino freed from jail in 1986, paid tribute from the Netherlands.

Aquino's unlikely rise began in 1983 when her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila's international airport as he returned from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary.

The killing enraged many Filipinos and unleashed a broad-based opposition movement that thrust Aquino into the role of national leader.

"I don't know anything about the presidency," she declared in 1985, a year before she agreed to run against Marcos, uniting the fractious opposition, the business community, and later the armed forces to drive the dictator out.

Maria Corazon Cojuangco was born on Jan. 25, 1933, into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Paniqui, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Manila.

She attended private school in Manila and earned a degree in French from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York. In 1954 she married Ninoy Aquino, the fiercely ambitious scion of another political family. He rose from provincial governor to senator and finally opposition leader.

Marcos, elected president in 1965, declared martial law in 1972 to avoid term limits.

He abolished the Congress and jailed Aquino's husband and thousands of opponents, journalists and activists without charges. Aquino became her husband's political stand-in, confidant, message carrier and spokeswoman.

A military tribunal sentenced her husband to death for alleged links to communist rebels but, under pressure from U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Marcos allowed him to leave in May 1980 for heart surgery in the U.S.

It was the start of a three-year exile.

With her husband at Harvard University holding court with fellow exiles, academics, journalists and visitors from Manila, Aquino was the quiet homemaker, raising their five children and serving tea. Away from the hurly-burly of Philippine politics, she described the period as the best of their marriage.

The halcyon days ended when her husband decided to return to regroup the opposition. While she and the children remained in Boston, he flew to Manila, where he was shot as he descended the stairs from the plane.

The government blamed a suspected communist rebel, but subsequent investigations pointed to a soldier who was escorting him from the plane on Aug. 21, 1983.

Aquino heard of the assassination in a phone call from a Japanese journalist. She recalled gathering the children and, as a deeply religious woman, praying for strength.

"During Ninoy's incarceration and before my presidency, I used to ask why it had always to be us to make the sacrifice," she said in a 2007 interview with The Philippine Star newspaper. "And then, when Ninoy died, I would say, 'Why does it have to be me now?' It seemed like we were always the sacrificial lamb."

She returned to the Philippines three days later. One week after that, she led the largest funeral procession Manila had seen.

Crowd estimates ranged as high as 2 million.

With public opposition mounting against Marcos, he stunned the nation in November 1985 by calling a snap election in a bid to shore up his mandate. The opposition, including then Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, urged Aquino to run.

After a fierce campaign, the vote was held on Feb. 7, 1986. The National Assembly declared Marcos the winner, but journalists, foreign observers and church leaders alleged massive fraud.

With the result in dispute, a group of military officers mutinied against Marcos on Feb. 22 and holed up with a small force in a military camp in Manila.

Over the following three days, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos responded to a call by the Roman Catholic Church to jam the broad highway in front of the camp to prevent an attack by Marcos forces.

On the third day, against the advice of her security detail, Aquino appeared at the rally alongside the mutineers, led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, the military vice chief of staff and Marcos' cousin.

From a makeshift platform, she declared: "For the first time in the history of the world, a civilian population has been called to defend the military." The military chiefs pledged their loyalty to Aquino and charged that Marcos had won the election by fraud.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a longtime supporter of Marcos, called on him to resign. "Attempts to prolong the life of the present regime by violence are futile," the White House said. American officials offered to fly Marcos out of the Philippines.

On Feb. 25, Marcos and his family went to the U.S.-run Clark Air Base outside Manila and flew to Hawaii, where he died three years later.

The same day, Aquino was sworn in as the Philippines' first female leader.

Over time, the euphoria fizzled as the public became impatient and Aquino more defensive as she struggled to navigate treacherous political waters and build alliances to push her agenda.

"People used to compare me to the ideal president, but he doesn't exist and never existed. He has never lived," she said in the 2007 Philippine Star interview.

The right attacked her for making overtures to communist rebels and the left, for protecting the interests of wealthy landowners.

Aquino signed an agrarian reform bill that virtually exempted large plantations like her family's sugar plantation from being distributed to landless farmers.

When farmers protested outside the Malacanang Presidential Palace on Jan. 22, 1987, troops opened fire, killing 13 and wounding 100.

The bloodshed scuttled talks with communist rebels, who had galvanized opposition to Marcos but weren't satisfied with Aquino either.

As recently as 2004, at least seven workers were killed in clashes with police and soldiers at the family's plantation, Hacienda Luisita, over its refusal to distribute its land.

Aquino also attempted to negotiate with Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines, but made little progress.

Behind the public image of the frail, vulnerable widow, Aquino was an iron-willed woman who dismissed criticism as the carping of jealous rivals. She knew she had to act tough to earn respect in the Philippines' macho culture.

"When I am just with a few close friends, I tell them, 'OK, you don't like me? Look at the alternatives,' and that shuts them up," she told America's NBC television in a 1987 interview.

Her term was punctuated by repeated coup attempts - most staged by the same clique of officers who had risen up against Marcos and felt they had been denied their fair share of power. The most serious attempt came in December 1989 when only a flyover by U.S. jets prevented mutinous troops from toppling her.

Leery of damaging relations with the United States, Aquino tried in vain to block a historic Senate vote to force the U.S. out of its two major bases in the Philippines.

In the end, the U.S. Air Force pulled out of Clark Air Base in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced its evacuation and left it heavily damaged. The last American vessel left Subic Bay Naval Base in November 1992.

After stepping down in 1992, Aquino remained active in social and political causes.

Until diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2008, she joined rallies calling for the resignation of President Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption.

She kept her distance from another famous widow, flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, who was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991.

Marcos has called Aquino a usurper and dictator, though she later led prayers for Aquino in July 2009 when the latter was hospitalized. The two never made peace.

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas!!!