Blog Posts by VERA Files

Supposed site of attack

By VERA Files

A crew member of a Taiwanese trawler was killed Thursday morning after being fired upon by a Philippine Navy ship in the disputed area of the South China Sea, media reports in Taipei and Beijing said.

The online Taiwan News said the incident took place at 10 a.m. “about halfway between the southern tip of Taiwan and the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, in an area where territorial rights overlap.”

The report identified the fatality as Hung Shih-cheng, 65, father of the captain of the vessel Kuang Ta Hsing 28 registered in Pingtung County.

The other crew members included Hung’s son-in-law and an Indonesian citizen, reports said.

Tsai Jih-yao, deputy director-general of the Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture, said the fishing trawler, which was fishing for tuna, was so severely damaged it lost engine power.

No official statement has been issued by the Philippine government.

Sought for comment, officials of the Navy, Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

By Darlene Cay, VERA Files

Ever wondered about the artists responsible for such popular animés as Dragonball, Sailormoon and Slam Dunk?

Filipinos would be surprised to know that those artists are not only their countrymen but persons with disabilities (PWDs) at that.

Filipino PWDs are taking Asia by storm at Take One Animation Studio, which prefers to hire PWDs as artists. Take One is a subcontractor of Toei Animation, a Japanese animation company, which makes popular animé series.

“Nuna una, nahihirapan ako. Pero nakasanayan na rin e (At first, I had a hard time. But eventually, I got used to it),” said Charles Rodriguez, 28, who draws not with his hands but with his feet on a small computer tablet that lays on the floor.

Take One President and CEO Eric Tansingco said he has committed to choosing PWDs over non-PWDs when it comes to hiring. “I noticed that when PWDs apply for a job in other companies, they already do not stand a chance when the companies see their disability. So I

By Darlene Cay, VERA Files

The system of legal education needs to be changed from its obsession with topping the bar exams to one where critical thought is encouraged and enhanced, Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said in her speech at the 97th commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines College of Law.

“Almost all law schools in the country gear their curriculum towards preparing their graduates to pass and top the bar examinations. But sadly, it is only a very small minority who devote time and effort to offer multi-disciplinary courses to produce not only skilled practitioners, [but also] passionate advocates," said Sereno, who was her alma mater's commencement speaker.

Sereno graduated valedictorian from the UP College of Law in 1984. She got a rating of 89 in the bar exams but failed to make it to the top 10. The College, known for producing presidents and politicians, has been criticized for failing to consistently top the bar exams.

The last time

By Darlene Cay, Vince Nonato, Ralph Ty, Adrienne Adre and Charry Espino, VERA Files

(First of two parts)

Facade of the UP College of Engineering which houses the ERDT program. Photo by CHARRY ESPINOGraduate student Jose Castillo was one of the tens of thousands of students expecting to graduate late last month from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. After all, except for this thesis, he had completed all the requirements for his Masters of Science degree at the UP College of Engineering.

But Castillo was unable to finish his thesis—through no fault of his own. As a scholar of the government-funded Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program, he was entitled ask UP to purchase equipment for his thesis.

No thanks to the slow procurement process, the boiler he needed was delivered mid-March and the refrigerator has only arrived, too late for the thesis, and for graduation.

Castillo’s problem was narrated by his friend, Richard de Vera, another graduate student and ERDT scholar, who now fears that the same experience might happen to him.

Castillo

Phreatic eruption of Mayon Volcano. Reuters.

By Pablo A. Tariman,VERA Files

After months of festive tribute to Daragang Magayon in theater, music and dance mounted by the provincial government, the country’s celebrated volcano put up its own culminating true-to-life performance with an eruption that caught everyone by surprise Tuesday.

The volcanologists referred to the eruption as “phreatic” described as   steam-driven explosions that occur when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits.

According to a source, the intense heat of such material -- as high as 1,170° C for basaltic lava -- may cause water to boil and flash to steam, thereby generating an explosion of steam, water and ash.

The  phreatic eruption, last seen in 2010, claimed the life of five German nationals and a Filipino guide.

It was bewildering listening to  survivors recounting seeing boulders as big as an entire house coming their way.

Local and foreign tourists fall in love with Mayon and  the

By Eimor Santos, VERA Files

Baliuag, Bulacan—Frederico “Debong” Palines, was one of thousands who swarmed the Labor Day job fair at the SM Mall in Baliuag recently. But he was not there to look for a job. He went to see his work displayed during the job fair, which was made more colorful by his paintings.

Forty-eight years old, a wheelchair user, painter and artist, Palines is a beneficiary of the livelihood program and support of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“Tinulungan nila ko na mabigyan ng gamit, oils, materials (They ([DOLE] helped me have oils and materials),” he said.

And for the third straight year, the DOLE has been exhibiting Palines’ work during its jobs fairs which are held all over Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The exhibits have also been Palines’ claim to fame, which introduce him to potential buyers of his artworks, provide him much needed income and help him become an independent and productive member of society.

It all started when he sent a

Cecile Licad with parents and son with the late former President Corazon Aquino.

By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files

Celebrated pianist Cecile Licad turns a year older on May 11 coping with varied recital and orchestral program that give her very little time to relax and reflect on both her personal and musical life.

She will observe her special day with her family in Manila while glued on the piano for a recital in Germany and her coming June 21 engagement with Nashville Symphony as soloist in the every popular Tchaikovsky No. 1 under the baton of a beautiful conductor named Kelly Corcoran.

From Nashville, she flies to Manila to debut with the ABS CBN Philharmonic on June 29 and later flying to Germany for a challenging recital program.

Her mother, Mrs. Rosario Buencamino Licad, is not worried about this hectic schedule.

“For my daughter, hard work comes naturally. She knows the importance of discipline, and long practice hours are second nature to her. She is a perfectionist but doesn’t gloat or brag about it. To this day, she always says, ‘I can learn anything from

Teddy casino with Ladlad member

By Patrick King Pascual, VERA Files

There is no lack of enlightened politicians who support the cause of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT). But not many dare to come out in the open about it.

For most politicians, supporting the cause of LGBT could spell suicide for their political career. “When other politicians learn that you are supporting the ‘third sex’ they will veer away from your projects and bills and not support you with anything, because for them, LGBTs are not a priority in Philippine politics,” one congressman once said.

But three senatorial candidates say the LGBT cause is a human rights issue that should be the concern of each and every human being, regardless of gender.

Independent senatorial candidate Teddy Casino, formerly Bayan Muna Representative, supports the LGBT’s struggle to attain equal rights and treatment. In his privilege speech delivered in Congress last year, he said: “...it is true that many Filipinos do not really want to talk seriously