Two US warships spotted in Palawan
A tugboat approaches the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier George Washington docked after its arrival at a Manila bay October 24, 2012. The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived on Wednesday in …
Two more warships from the United States were sighted dropping anchor in Palawan on Friday.
Lt. Col. Niel Estrella, spokesperson of military’s Western Command (WesCom), confirmed the presence of the naval vessels in Puerto Princesa.
Estrella said attack ship USS John McCain and guided missile destroyer USS Mustin arrived in the Philippine island on Monday.
“They are here for port calls. Foreign naval ships regularly visit us as part of fellowship and to enhance friendship between allied nations,” Estrella explained.
But Philippine and American government officials failed to declare these ships as part of security entourage for the five-day goodwill visit of aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
On Wednesday, USS George Washington was escorted by attack ship USS McCampbell and guided missile carrier USS Cowpens as US Strike Carrier group docked in the port of Manila for a friendly visit.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said the visit include courtesy calls, reception, ship’s tour, community services projects, and goodwill games between Filipino and US counterparts.
USS John McCain, USS Mustin, USS McCampbell and USS Cowpens are all part of US Seventh Fleet that is based in Yokosuka, Japan as a strike group for its flagship, USS George Washington.
The docking of the US warships in Palawan, which has territorial jurisdiction over disputed Spratly’s Group of Islands, came at the same time Chinese Navy were also spotted in West Philippine Sea.
Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), or Naro
Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), or Naro, is set up on its launch pad at Naro Space Centre in Goheung, about 485 km (301 miles) south of Seoul October 24, 2012. South Korea called off the launch of a space rocket on October 26, 2012 after a glitch in the Russian-built booster halted preparations five hours before the scheduled lift-off in its third attempt to put a satellite into orbit. Picture taken October 24, 2012. REUTERS/Korea Aerospace Research Institute/Handout (SOUTH KOREA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
This, as the Philippines slipped further down international consultancy firm FutureBrand's "Country Brand Index" which ranks the world's nations based on global perceptions.
The country was placed 95th out of 118 in the latest report, compared to its rank of 78th out of 115 last year.
The Philippines' performance put it last among its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Singapore ranked 12th in the global list, followed by Thailand (26th), Malaysia (36th), Vietnam (69th), Indonesia (78th), Laos (81st) and Cambodia (87th).
The report uses research and insights from 3,600 "opinion-formers and frequent international business or leaisure travelers," FutureBrand said.
It assesses countries in terms of value systems, quality of life, ease of doing business, heritage and culture, as well as tourism.
FutureBrand further said that the ranking reflects global awareness and familiarity of the countries and how these translate to preference or consideration.
Switzerland emerged as the best country brand this year, switching places with Canada, which now ranks second.
Rounding out the top 10 are Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the United States, Finland, and Norway.
At the bottom of the list, meanwhile, are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Iran, Libya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Syria, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.
Although placing the Philippines low compared to its neighbors, FutureBrand highlighted the archipelago as one of the Asia Pacific countries whose brands are "on the rise."
"In a world moving towards an improved economic, political and social order through openness, equality and shared wealth, the Philippines is poised to take on both a regional and global leadership role," the report said.
It also highlighted recent state efforts to improve public infrastructure to boost the economy and address service delivery.
"Through strong partnerships with other powerhouse countries and policies rooted in the principles of democracy, human rights and good governance, the Philippines is considered a friend to all and an enemy to none," the report said.
Maintaining an identity while improving connectivity, the report noted, will be crucial in developing a country brand amid the changing global environment.
"As the global chain of production grows, consumers seek out items that recommend a sense of place," FutureBrand said.
"For those that follow country brands, this trend signals a shift wherein a country brand, in its most literal form, shares equal billing with a product brand," it added.
Countries should also pay attention to rapid urbanization, highlighting the importance of city brands in building a country brand.
"Cities act as a true gateway to a nation, and are integral in shaping national identity," the report said.
"The quality and impact of these emerging cities will determine how tourists, investors and global citizens judge the countries they call home—and the brands behind them," it added.
Lt. Col. Niel Estrella, spokesperson of military’s Western Command (WesCom), confirmed the presence of the naval vessels in Puerto Princesa.
Estrella said attack ship USS John McCain and guided missile destroyer USS Mustin arrived in the Philippine island on Monday.
“They are here for port calls. Foreign naval ships regularly visit us as part of fellowship and to enhance friendship between allied nations,” Estrella explained.
But Philippine and American government officials failed to declare these ships as part of security entourage for the five-day goodwill visit of aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
On Wednesday, USS George Washington was escorted by attack ship USS McCampbell and guided missile carrier USS Cowpens as US Strike Carrier group docked in the port of Manila for a friendly visit.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said the visit include courtesy calls, reception, ship’s tour, community services projects, and goodwill games between Filipino and US counterparts.
USS John McCain, USS Mustin, USS McCampbell and USS Cowpens are all part of US Seventh Fleet that is based in Yokosuka, Japan as a strike group for its flagship, USS George Washington.
The docking of the US warships in Palawan, which has territorial jurisdiction over disputed Spratly’s Group of Islands, came at the same time Chinese Navy were also spotted in West Philippine Sea.
Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), or Naro
Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), or Naro, is set up on its launch pad at Naro Space Centre in Goheung, about 485 km (301 miles) south of Seoul October 24, 2012. South Korea called off the launch of a space rocket on October 26, 2012 after a glitch in the Russian-built booster halted preparations five hours before the scheduled lift-off in its third attempt to put a satellite into orbit. Picture taken October 24, 2012. REUTERS/Korea Aerospace Research Institute/Handout (SOUTH KOREA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
PH slips in 'brand' index, lowest from Southeast Asia
If the Philippines were to join a dating game along with 117 other countries, it is among those who are likely to walk home alone.This, as the Philippines slipped further down international consultancy firm FutureBrand's "Country Brand Index" which ranks the world's nations based on global perceptions.
The country was placed 95th out of 118 in the latest report, compared to its rank of 78th out of 115 last year.
The Philippines' performance put it last among its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Singapore ranked 12th in the global list, followed by Thailand (26th), Malaysia (36th), Vietnam (69th), Indonesia (78th), Laos (81st) and Cambodia (87th).
The report uses research and insights from 3,600 "opinion-formers and frequent international business or leaisure travelers," FutureBrand said.
It assesses countries in terms of value systems, quality of life, ease of doing business, heritage and culture, as well as tourism.
FutureBrand further said that the ranking reflects global awareness and familiarity of the countries and how these translate to preference or consideration.
Switzerland emerged as the best country brand this year, switching places with Canada, which now ranks second.
Rounding out the top 10 are Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the United States, Finland, and Norway.
At the bottom of the list, meanwhile, are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Iran, Libya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Syria, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.
Although placing the Philippines low compared to its neighbors, FutureBrand highlighted the archipelago as one of the Asia Pacific countries whose brands are "on the rise."
"In a world moving towards an improved economic, political and social order through openness, equality and shared wealth, the Philippines is poised to take on both a regional and global leadership role," the report said.
It also highlighted recent state efforts to improve public infrastructure to boost the economy and address service delivery.
"Through strong partnerships with other powerhouse countries and policies rooted in the principles of democracy, human rights and good governance, the Philippines is considered a friend to all and an enemy to none," the report said.
Maintaining an identity while improving connectivity, the report noted, will be crucial in developing a country brand amid the changing global environment.
"As the global chain of production grows, consumers seek out items that recommend a sense of place," FutureBrand said.
"For those that follow country brands, this trend signals a shift wherein a country brand, in its most literal form, shares equal billing with a product brand," it added.
Countries should also pay attention to rapid urbanization, highlighting the importance of city brands in building a country brand.
"Cities act as a true gateway to a nation, and are integral in shaping national identity," the report said.
"The quality and impact of these emerging cities will determine how tourists, investors and global citizens judge the countries they call home—and the brands behind them," it added.
Tagalog Is Canada’s Fastest Growing Language
MANILA, Philippines --- Tagalog is now the fastest growing language in Canada, according to a new census undertaken by the Canadian government.
Results of the 2011 Census of Population: Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians released by Statistics Canada (StatCan) further showed that Tagalog is now the fifth most common non-official language spoken in Canadian households.
"Nearly 279,000 people reported speaking Tagalog most often in 2011, up from 170,000 five years earlier," the survey said.
StatCan noted "the home languages showing the strongest growth between 2006 and 2011 were primarily Asian," and the "the population that reported speaking the Philippine-based language Tagalog increased by 64 percent, the highest growth."
Survey results show that Vancouver has one of the largest Canadian populations that speak Tagalog with 47,600 using it as their primary language at home in 2011.
Also, Tagalog is now the most common immigrant home language in Edmonton and the second most common in Calgary, after Punjabi.
More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue.
In his report to the DFA, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan said "Canada is some kind of a promised land as economic growth in Western Canada has created a wealth of new opportunities for Filipinos and many new immigrants are travelling to Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina for jobs."
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