Zambales mayor hurt, 2 killed in bus collision

The wreckage of the Mitsubishi Estrada pickup that carried Mayor Elvis Soria of San Marcelino, Zambales. The pickup collided head-on with a Daewoo passenger bus that traversed the opposite lane along the national highway in Barangay Pamatawan in Subic town at about 2 a.m. Wednesday. Soria survived the accident but two of his companions died on the spot. ALLAN MACATUNO/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

SUBIC, Zambales–The mayor of San Marcelino town in Zambales province was seriously injured while two others were killed when their vehicle was struck by a bus here on Wednesday, police said. The black Mitsubishi Estrada pick-up truck that carried Mayor Elvis Soria, 52, collided head-on with an approaching Daewoo passenger bus along the national highway in Barangay (village) Pamatawan here 2 a.m., said PO3 Felix Laron, investigator in Subic police station.

The south-bound bus driven by Noly Ebidag Jr., 36, crossed into the opposite lane, and was the reason for the collision, Laron said. Arlan Pascasio, the truck driver, and another passenger, Manuel Rodriguez, were killed on the spot. Soria and his security aide, Ernesto Cudia, survived. According to Soria’s relatives, the mayor was admitted to the intensive care unit of Baypointe Hospital and Medical Center in Subic Bay Freeport but is already in stable condition.

Police arrested the bus driver who admitted he was drunk. Ebidag is now facing charges of multiple homicide, serious physical injuries and damage to property. CDG

‘Floating shabu lab’ intercepted in Subic waters

SUBIC, Zambales – Authorities on Monday (July 11) night intercepted a foreign vessel suspected of being used to manufacture and ship shabu (methamphetamine hydrocloride) into the country. Agents from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP), who led the operation, boarded the vessel off the coastline of this town at about 9 p.m. to search for shabu. Four Chinese nationals from Hong Kong on board the ship and suspected of being involved in drug smuggling were arrested. Police found a plastic bag containing suspected shabu weighing about 500 grams from one of the Chinese.

Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chief of Philippine National Police, arrived here at around midnight to check on the operation.

 “We received an intelligence report that this vessel is being used to transport shabu coming from overseas,” Dela Rosa told reporters. He said the ship could have also been used as a laboratory to produce shabu. Police found a plastic bag containing suspected shabu weighing about 500 grams from one of the Chinese who were arrested in a foreign vessel that was suspected of being used to produce and transport shabu into the country.

According to Dela Rosa, they will check if the seized vessel is connected to the recovered 180 kilograms of suspected shabu in Claveria town in Cagayan province.

Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 July 11, 2016

Now on its 7th season, Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 will be full of bigger challenges and even bigger prizes! Sa muling pagbubukas ng Bahay ni Kuya, anong supresa ang naghihintay para sa mga bagong housemates? Don’t miss the drama, excitement and memorable moments that PBB Lucky Season 7 has to offer! Hosted by Toni Gonzaga‐Soriano, Mariel Rodriguez‐Padilla, Bianca Gonzales‐Intal and Robi Domingo. Available in Europe (except the UK), the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific (except Philippines).

Two firms lose license to mine in Zambales

Environment Sec. Gina Lopez warns there could be more suspensions in the future for mining companies that would violate the law.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The government has suspended the licenses of two mining companies after finding several violations in their Zambales operations. Gina Lopez, the new Environment Secretary and a well-known anti mining advocate, said there could be more such suspensions in the future.

Operations of BenguetCorp Nickel Mines, Inc. and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., were suspended in Sta. Cruz, Zambales on Friday. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said the joint suspension order was needed to "ensure that the environment, particularly the communities, farmlands and water bodies, are not in any way compromised as a result of the mining operations."
Based on its audit, the MGB said the miners had to rehabilitate the farms, fish ponds and bodies of water contaminated by the mine. Their owners must be compensated for the damage.

BenguetCorp Nickel Mines and Zambales Diversified Metals must also address issues with their tree-cutting and earth-balling operations. Moreover, their mined-out areas need to be rehabilitated and closed properly. They must set aside funds with the government as an assurance they will carry out the decommissioning of the mines as planned.

Lastly, BenguetCorp Nickel Mines and Zambales Diversified Metals were accused of leaving roads damaged and unfinished. Their mine haul road must be completed, and all other roads around their hauling operations must be fully repaired, the MGB said. The suspension order was based on a Writ of Kalakasan issued by the Supreme Court, as well as an Executive Order issued by the provincial
government of Zambales. They were prompted by repeated complaints of environmental degradation from various groups.

The parent firm of BenguetCorp Nickel Mines is listed on the stock exchange. Benguet Corp.'s share prices dove 5.47% onFriday, after the suspension was announced. The audit on BenguetCorp Nickel Mines and Zambales Diversified Metals began long before Lopez was appointed the new Environment Secretary. But the suspensions come at a time when the industry is feeling jittery
amid sweeping, anti-mining statements Lopez has made immediately upon assuming her post.

Lopez told CNN Philippines there would be more audits coming. She has signed an order to review all operating and suspended mines this month. "The audit is in line with [President Rodrigo Duterte's] pronouncement to review mining concessions, and in the interest of the common good, and to address the concerns of impoverished communities," she said in a text message on Friday. She assured, \] though, that the audits will be "done under the rule of law," following due process.

Mining shares fell another 1.7% on Friday.

Cebu-born animator co-directs 'Ice Age: Collision Course'

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Philippines once again swells with pride as a Cebu-born animator co-directs the latest installment of one of the most popular animated movie franchises today, Ice Age.
Galen Tan Chu co-directed with Mike Thurmeier Ice Age: Collision Course, the fifth installment of the Ice Age series. He also worked in the animation department of several movies like Horton Hears a Who! and Rio.
“It’s a really phenomenal experience,” Chu said in an interview with CNN Philippines last Friday. “You get to be involved in the process – writing, the creation of the animation, the story of the movie. It’s really great to be able to have that much creative input in the process.”
The animator said that the latest installment is the biggest one yet, drawing inspiration from a scene from the first movie in the series.
“There was a moment in the first Ice Age where they walk past an ice museum, and they come upon a spaceship that’s encased in ice. And so at the beginning of this movie, Scrat’s going to find that very same ship,” added Chu.
Scrat, the saber-toothed squirrel, who is a staple in the series, is usually responsible for triggering cataclysmic events that lead to the adventures of the main characters.
The director said that animation has always been his passion and is thankful that his parents supported his decision to pursue it.
“I decided to go into art school, thinking I would be a 2D animator. This was right around the time when they were able to make full-feature animation films like Toy Storyor Jurassic Park,” explained Chu.
After graduating, Chu began looking for a job. At the same time, Blue Sky Studios, the producer of the film, was searching for animators.
“So they hired me, knowing that I don’t really have that much computer animation experience,” he said. “But it didn’t really matter because as long as you know how to animate, it’s kind of the same thing.”
Chu said he keeps in touch with his relatives and talks to them regularly. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to visit anytime soon.
"I just had a child. She's one year-old now and it's a little hard to travel. I'll probably visit in a little bit, but not just yet," added Chu.
Having spent the first 10 years of his life here, the 40-year-old said he still has a lot of vivid memories of the Philippines. Among the things he said he misses the most about his home country are the beaches.
“The beautiful beaches – my family really loved going to the beach on weekends,” said Chu. “I really miss lechon because you really just can’t get good lechon anywhere else here. I tried, trust me.”
The director also said that he misses the Sinulog Festival which was a big event for Cebuanos like him.
“I really miss seeing the dancers and the costumes,” Chu said. And whether this will be the last movie of the franchise: “We’ll see how this one does. If the audience really embraces it, if they love the characters like
they have in this franchise, we’re open to creating new ones.”
Ice Age: Collision Course opens in theaters Wednesday, July 6.

PNP Chief: 23 mayors on Duterte’s list of officials linked to illegal drugs

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — After naming five active and retired police officers as protectors of drug syndicates and three drug lords, President Rodrigo Duterte may soon identify 23 mayors also allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, the national police chief said Friday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa said the information is from verified intelligence reports received by the President.

“I hope na yung mga mayor na yan ngayon, nag-aarmas na ng husto,” Dela Rosa said. “Gerahin natin yun.”

[Translation: I hope these mayors are now arming themselves well. We will be waging a war against them.]

In his first trip outside Manila as PNP chief, Dela Rosa visited Central Luzon (Region 3), one of the focus areas of the PNP’s anti-drug war.

Central Luzon accounted for the second highest number of suspected drug dealers killed. From June 27 to July 3, PNP figures show 31 have been killed by the police in the region.

Calabarzon and Mimaropa together account for 43 killed, the biggest number.

With 124 taken into custody in the region, Central Luzon also ranked third with the most number of individuals arrested for links to drugs.

Dela Rosa said illegal drugs pass through both seaports and airports in Central Luzon.

“Yung mga private plane na direkta pumapasok dito sa Clark – I don't know how properly ang pagche-check ng mga Customs diyan,” Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: Those private planes that directly fly into Clark – I don’t know how properly the Customs checks them.]

He also said the ships that dock in Subic could be used to smuggle illegal drugs. “We do not know how clean are these ships,” he said. Dela Rosa met and had lunch with more than 600 drug dependents in Bataan who voluntarily turned themselves in. He thanked them for deciding to turn a new leaf but he said he will be tough against those who continue using and dealing drugs.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, regional PNP officer-in-charge, said there are at least a hundred policemen in Central Luzon who could be involved in drug trafficking.

“Yun nga minsan, mahirap mag-operate dahil hindi mo alam kung sino ang kakampi mo o hindi. Yun ang problema namin. So minsan, mag-ooperate kami, biglang magli-leak,” Aquino said.

[Translation: Sometimes it is hard to conduct an operation because you do not know who are with you and who are not. That is our problem. So sometimes, when we conduct an operation, suddenly there is a leak.]

Dela Rosa told Aquino to gather evidence against these officers to pin them down.

WATCH: Liza Soberano shows skin for magazine

MANILA – “This is how Liza Soberano will leave you breathless.” Women’s magazine Cosmopolitan Philippines used this statement as the title of a video showing the photo shoot of its July 2016 cover girl.

“Dolce Amore” star Liza Soberano is seen showing some skin as she posed for the camera, departing from her usual sweet image on television. The 18-year-old actress showed off her slimmer figure in mostly black outfits, with the camera focusing on her back and shoulders. Soberano has been featured in several fashion and beauty publications, but this is the first time that she appeared on Cosmo, a magazine that features sex and beauty tips for modern women.

LOOK: 'Turo-turo' is Duterte's favorite breakfast place

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte eating with his bare hands at a humble "turoturo" or eatery is a common sight for many residents of Davao City. Duterte, the two-decade mayor of the southern city, often jumpstarts his day with a hearty breakfast at a carinderia located near his house at the Doña Luisa Village, a middle-class subdivision. Ermelita Garcia Castanieto, owner of the Thrunks Place eatery, told ABS-CBN News that Duterte has been her "suki" for six years now. Castanieto said the firebrand mayor's favorite foods include sautéed monggo beans, gizzard and pork adobo, pansit, and "paksiw na isda." The turo-turo owner added that Duterte would sometimes foot the bill for all her other customers. Duterte's family earlier vowed to "bring simplicity to Malacañang" if he becomes president. He will be sworn in as the 16th President of the Philippines on June 30.

The suspects, mostly men with baseball caps and dark shades worn on their heads, signed their names on a giant "commitment wall," and pledged to abandon drugs. The suspects were not detained, but they will be "monitored" according to police. Many other drug suspects have turned themselves in large numbers since Duterte assumed office on June 30 but Saturday's surrender was the biggest so far.

Thousands of drug pushers, users in biggest surrender under Duterte

TAGUM CITY - Thousands of self-confessed drug pushers and users turned themselves in to authorities on Saturday in the single biggest surrender so far under President Rodrigo Duterte, police said.

Duterte has vowed to wage a "bloody war" against illegal drugs and since his election win in May, over a hundred suspects have been killed, purportedly for attacking arresting officers. He stepped up his unprecedented campaign this week by naming five police generals as protectors of drug syndicates. He also went on national television to detail an elaborate matrix of drug operations in the country. Close to 4,000 suspects packed an auditorium in this city on Saturday, around 80 kilometers from Davao, where Duterte served as mayor for two decades, police said.

The suspects, mostly men with baseball caps and dark shades worn on their heads, signed their names on a giant "commitment wall," and pledged to abandon drugs.

The suspects were not detained, but they will be "monitored" according to police.

Many other drug suspects have turned themselves in large numbers since Duterte assumed office on June 30 but Saturday's surrender was the biggest so far.

3 bayan sa Zambales, binaha dahil sa habagat

Patuloy ang pag-ulan sa Zambales dahil sa epekto ng habagat, Linggo. Nakaranas ng pagbaha ang mga bayan ng San Antonio, San Narciso at San Felipe. Hindi madaanan ng light vehicles ang Barangay Alusis sa San Narciso dahil sa lagpastuhod na baha.

Nananatili naman sa evacuation center ang 200 residenteng lumikas mula sa San Narciso at San Felipe. Patuloy ang paghahanda ng Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ng Zambales sa posibleng pagtaas pa ng tubig sa mga lugar na apektado ng mga pag-ulan.

KILALANIN: Celebrity housemates ng 'PBB Lucky 7' kumpleto na

VIETNAM - Pasado ala una ng umaga nang makarating sa Vietnam ang "Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) celebrity housemates na sina Juan Karlos Labajo at Jinri Park matapos silang magka-problema sa immigration.

"Parang something's not right kasi wala namang nagsabi na punta ka sa airport tapos uuwi ka rin pala. Nagkaroon lang po ng problema sa paperworks pero naasikaso naman po nila," ani Labajo. Paliwanag naman ni Park: "I'm Korean so I have a Korean passport and they were looking for my immigration card para they know I'm working professionally here in the Philippines. Of course, I didn't know naman na we're going out of the country so hindi ko dala." Kasama rin nilang na-hold sa immigration ang hunk housemate na si Hideo Muraoka. Brazilian-Japanese si Muraoka na nagtatrabaho bilang fashion model at entrepreneur sa Pilipinas.

Dahil sa kanyang work status ay hinanapan rin siya ng visa. "I've been here for about almost five years now and Manila is my home base now. At first, I was curious to see but family said to go try it." Ang mahasa sa wikang Filipino ang isa sa mga goals ni Muraoka sa loob ng "Big Brother" house lalo pa't makakasama niya si Nonong Ballinan isang komedyante na unang sumikat sa "Funny Juan" segment ng "It's Showtime." Kasama rin nila ang teen star na si Elisse Joson na kamakailan ay nakilala sa isang television commercial ng fastfood chain, at si radio host DJ Chacha. Sila ang kukumpleto sa siyam na housemates sa celebrity edition ng "PBB Lucky Season 7."

Learn 6 Foreign Languages Offered by TESDA For Free! No Tuition Fee Needed

If you want to study foreign languages such as Nihonggo, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic and English, you can go to Language Skills Institute of TESDA as they are currently offering these courses for FREE.

Aspiring students who want to learn different languages can take a look on the available schedules for 2016. The enrollment is on first come first serve basis so basically it is better to register for a slot as early as possible.

The Achy Breaky Hearts (2016) HD 720p mp4

The Achy Breaky Hearts (2016) HD 720 Download Here

A woman in her 30s suffering from a dearth of men that meet her high standards suddenly finds herself

having to choose between two very desirable prospects.

'Iranian Hulk' signs up to fight in Syria

An Iranian power-lifter, nicknamed after a Marvel superhero, has become an international social
media star with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Sajad Gharibi has also volunteered
to join Iranian forces fighting alongside the Assad regime in Syria.

An Iranian weightlifter who rose to Internet stardom via social media announced this week he plans to travel to Syria to fight the Islamic State alongside the regime of Syrian President Bashar al‐Assad.

Sajad Gharibi, nicknamed “the Iranian Hulk,” revealed his plan to join other Iranian forces fighting in Syria in a video clip to his 148,000 Instagram followers. His shockingly huge physique and massive muscles earned the professional weightlifter the moniker of the American comic book superhero.

Gharibi has become a popular figure among Iranians after he started posting Instagram pictures and video clips of himself flexing and lifting weights.

But the recent announcement from the 24-year-old behemoth, who is also known as “the Persian Hercules,” brings renewed attention to Iran's ongoing involvement in Syria. Tehran has supplied aid to the Assad regime and dispatched to the battlefront fighters from its elite Revolutionary Guards and Shiite proxy militias.

Game of Thrones: This brilliant tribute video to Jon Snow/Targeryan will set your heart soaring

The 3‐plus minute tribute video traces Jon's struggle all through the story, searching for his identity to eventually being hailed as the King in the North.

As Season 6 of the American fantasy-drama Game of Thrones wrapped up with one of the biggest climaxes ever, fans rejoiced as one of the most popular fan theories was confirmed. Jon Snow is indeed the song of Fire and Ice — the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. So, Jaeherys Targaryen anyone?


In a video that celebrates this very central character in the televised series of George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, Jon Snow’s journey has been brilliantly captured right from Season 1 to 6.

Starting with the resurrection scene of Jon Snow with the prophetic voice of Maester Aemon (should we now call him Great Uncle Aemon?) saying: “Kill the boy, Jon Snow, and let the man be born.”

The 3-plus minute tribute video traces Jon’s struggle all through the story, searching for his identity to eventually being hailed as the King in the North as the Stark banner unfurls on the walls of Winterfell castle. It shows how he truly avenged the Red Wedding, commanding the respect and loyalty of Lyanna Mormont and the other bannermen and eventually won against all odds. The is one GoT video that all Jon Snow fans will definitely relish.

Australia ruling conservatives win tight election

Australia's ruling conservatives have been confirmed winners in last week's general election, after opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten conceded.

Mr Shorten said it was clear PM Malcolm Turnbull's coalition had won, adding that he had already congratulated him.

Votes are still being counted, but the government is expected to win just enough seats for a majority.

However, a strong swing against it has left doubts about its agenda and Mr Turnbull's leadership.

The Liberal-National coalition still remains short of the 76 seats it needs to claim a majority in the lower house, the House of Representatives.

But it should secure at least 74, and also has the support of three independent and minor party politicians - Cathy McGowan, Andrew Wilkie and Bob Katter - guaranteeing budget supply and confidence.

Labor is currently on 66 seats, with five still in doubt.

"It is clear that Mr Turnbull and his coalition will form a government," Mr Shorten said.
"So I have spoken to Mr Turnbull earlier this afternoon to congratulate him and [his wife] Lucy and to wish them my very best."

Escalating ISIS threat in Southeast Asia: Is the Philippines a weak link?

Singapore (CNN) Since videos of Southeast Asian recruits fighting under the black flag of ISIS emerged two years ago, the appeal of the terror group has been gradually growing in the region. Several militant groups in Indonesia have already sworn fealty to ISIS, as did those behind the Jakarta bombing, while in Malaysia, "lone wolf" ISIS sympathizers have been active on social media. Several hundred Southeast Asians are now in Syria and Iraq, where they have formed Katibah Nusantara, which claims to represent Southeast Asians fighting for the ISIS cause. An upsurge in ISIS-related activity in the southern Philippines has heightened concerns that the region could soon become a de facto "wilayat," or province of the "Islamic State."

A great-great-grandmother from Negros Occidental could be the world’s oldest living person

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — A 118-year-old great-greatgrandmother from Negros Occidental could be the world’s oldest living person, once her birth records are verified by the Gerontology Research Group or Guinness World Records.

The Gerontology Research Group is a global organization of researchers who keep track of the world's supercentenarians, or people confirmed to have lived to be 110 years or older. Francisca Susano, who resides in Oringao, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, was born on September 11, 1897 and has more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, according to one of her grandsons Ernesto Susano.

In May, the Guinness World Records confirmed that a 116-year-old Emma Martina Luigia Morano of Vercelli, Italy is the oldest living person. She was born on November 29, 1899, two years after Susano.

During Negros Occidental’s 117th Cinco de Noviembre celebration last year, Susano was the oldest of the 75 centenarians who received ₱100,000 each from the provincial government.

With the Centenarians Act of 2016 signed by former President Benigno Aquino III two weeks ago, Susano could receive another ₱100,000 from the Philippine government. The author of the law and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said about 3,500 Filipinos aged 100 and above are expected to
benefit from it.

Susano said her secret to long life is her love for fresh vegetables from their farm, which she cooks without additives.

Susano can still walk on her own and hears well enough to play the flute.

Winter is ending? 'Game of Thrones' creators talk end of HBO drama

As viewers go through withdrawal following Sunday's season six finale, the series' creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, don't appear to be backing away from talk that there will be fewer episodes on the way in coming seasons.

The pair talked to Deadline about the popular HBO drama on Monday, and said that for them the show is at the beginning of its end. "From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that's what we'll end up with," Benioff said. "Call it 73 for now."

The season six finale, "The Winds of Winter," was the show's 60th hour of television so that means viewers' time in Westeros may be down to about 13 episodes.

HBO, however, has not yet confirmed an episode count for Season 7 and there's been no official announcement regarding seasons after the next one.

And there's 23 million reasons for HBO to want to keep the drama around as long as they can. That's how many average viewers the show brought in this season in weekly over telecasts, encores, DVR, and streams on HBO Go and HBO Now. Game of Thrones has had 10 episodes a season so far. If the fantasy drama has 13 hours of story left, it may go the truncated season route that other popular series like Mad Men and Breaking Bad did to wrap up their runs.

This means the show's final two seasons may have a fewer number of episodes.

As for Benioff and Weiss, the hope is to get out while the getting is good. "We want to leave while all the people watching this show are really into it," Weiss told Deadline.

Habagat to bring rains to Luzon, Visayas

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Typhoon Butchoy (international name: Nepartak) has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but the southwest monsoon or habagat will continue to bring rains to Luzon and Visayas on Saturday.

Butchoy is enhancing the habagat, which will bring monsoon rains over the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Palawan, and Mindoro.

State weather bureau PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. forecast that occasional rains will be experienced over Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, Western Visayas, and provinces of Marinduque and Romblon.

As of 9 a.m., Orange Rainfall Advisory was raised over Zambales, where there is a threat of serious flooding. Orange Rainfall Advisory was hoisted over Bataan, where flooding is considered a definite threat. Yellow Rainfall Advisory was raised over Tarlar, Cavite, Batangas, and Pampanga.

Residents in low-lying areas were warned of possible flooding. Light to moderate rains will affect Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija within the next three hours.

South China Sea tensions at boiling point with region poised for military conflict

CHINA is fighting tooth and nail against an impending ruling over a fiercely disputed strategic zone.

The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration will on Tuesday deliver its verdict on the South China Sea and the scramble for the world’s busiest shipping lanes. But Beijing has said it will reject the tribunal’s decision on the case brought by the Philippines, contesting China’s rapid development of artificial islands and bases on the reef.

The Philippines is just one of several southeast Asian states that lay claim to part of this key transit route, in a war of wills that has sparked fears of a military conflict that could disrupt global trade.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are all involved in the territorial disputes, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo has instructed the military to increase maritime patrols over the waters off Natuna Islands in response to increasing tensions with China, which it claims has up to 20,000 militia
fishermen in the region.

The United States yesterday urged respect for the tribunal’s decision and recommended “all claimants to avoid provocative actions or statements.”

It said this would determine whether the region is ruled by law or “raw calculations of power.”
China has meanwhile expressed outrage at the “Freedom of Navigation” missions that the US and others have been conducting in the South China Sea and says America has no business intervening.
Washington says it is merely exercising its right to sail in international waters and has a stake in ensuring freedom of navigation and commerce in seas that carry more than half the world’s merchant fleet tonnage. Senior Pentagon official Abraham Denmark said the states were providing
critical support for diplomacy. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a joint news conference with UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon that China also wants a “peaceful resolution,” but the arbitration ruling would “only escalate the disputes and tensions.”

CHINA’S NOT LISTENING

The Chinese have been determinedly building runways, ports, observation posts and other installations on artificially enlarged islets to strengthen its claim to the vital trading route.

The huge engineering project to create “carrier-killer” fortresses on top of these islands is causing international concern.

In February, the US Center for Strategic and International Studies shared satellite images of high frequency radar, a bunker, a lighthouse and communication towers under construction on Cuarteron Reef, the southern most of a chain of the seven disputed Spratly Islands. China claims the construction work is purely for civilian use, but Gregory Poling from CSIS told news.com.au it would be “over the top” for non-military purposes in the region.

“It will increase China’s ability to patrol and monitor the South China Sea,” said Mr Poling, head of the CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative. “We’ll see these facilities come online over the course of a year. The effect is going to be exponential in increasing China’s power in the region. It will increase its ability to project power further south.”

Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, proposed dialogue with China following the court’s decision next week, suggesting discussions about issues such as setting up joint ventures for sharing resources in the disputed waterway.

That looks unlikely at this point.

Last weekend China announced it would seal-off an large swath of the contested sea for military exercises in the seven days leading up to the announcement.

And Chinese media on Tuesday said Beijing is ready for a “military confrontation” with the United States in the region.

IS CHINA ‘GOING ROGUE’?

China’s People’s Daily newspaper, Beijing’s official mouthpiece, warned the US of a “price” to pay for its “interference” in the South China Sea.

“There is a bottom line with every issue, and a price will be paid if that line is crossed,” said an editorial. “If the United States, regardless of the cost, chooses the path of ‘brinkmanship’ that pressures and intimidates others, there will be only one result, that is, that the US bears all the responsibility for possibly further heightening tensions in the South China Sea.

“China has a solid-rock position over safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will not want anything that does not belong to it, but it will ensure that every inch of land it owns is safe and sound.”

In February, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, called on the US to “stop sensationalizing the South China Sea issue, stop hyping up tensions and work constructively for regional peace and stability.” She added: “China’s deployment of limited defense facilities on its own
territory is its exercise of self-defense right to which a sovereign state is entitled under international law. It has nothing to do with militarization. It is something that comes naturally, and is completely justified and lawful.”

Beijing’s aggressive stance on opposition to its territorial claims have put the Chinese population on edge, and left no room for a back down.

WHY IT MATTERS

The case at The Hague was launched by the Philippines in 2013 — months after China gained de facto control of the rocky outcrop Scarborough Shoal just over 100 nautical miles from the Philippines’ coast.

The Philippines has asked the court to rule on several issues, including China’s controversial “nine-dash line” — a boundary that carves out the majority of the South China Sea for itself.

This growth in military capabilities will make it harder for not only China’s smaller neighbours to operate in the area, but for the US, Japan and Australia. It will give the Asian superpower control over planes and vessels in the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It is a rich fishing ground and is believed to hold substantial oil and gas reserves.

The sea spans around 3.5 million square kilometres and is bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It is vital to Australia’s interests, carrying the majority of its trade to China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The Chinese radar will work like Australia’s Jindalee over-the-horizon system, bouncing radar waves off the ionosphere. They will be able to spot US stealth aircraft such as the B2 Spirit stealth bomber, F-22 Raptor and the F-35, so they can send in fighters with advanced infra-red seekers.

“It’s more advanced than what anybody else has in the South China Sea,” said Mr Poling. “Vietnam occupies 27 islands but in a far less sophisticated way.

“China has been pretty clear it aims to establish de facto, if not legal, control over the area.”

While other countries may be able to remain on nearby islands, their ability to resupply and fish in the region will depend on China, and mineral and fuel resources could becoming bargaining chips for the state as it gains economic and industrial power.

Dallas Police 'Ambush': 11 Officers Shot, 5 Killed During Protest

by Phil Helsel, F. Brinley Bruton and Alexander Smith

Much of downtown Dallas was in lockdown early Friday after snipers shot 11 officers, five fatally, during a protest over deadly police shootings of black men elsewhere in the country.
Three people were in custody and a fourth suspect exchanged gunfire with authorities in a parking garage at El Centro Community College into the morning, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said.
NBC Dallas Fort-Worth reported the fourth suspect had been "neutralized" at around 2:45 a.m. (3:45 ET). Earlier, he had told police negotiators that "the end is coming" and that "there are bombs all over the place in this garage and downtown," Brown said.
Extensive sweeps of downtown for explosives were underway in the early hours and the FAA ordered a temporary flight restriction over the city. "I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police
department in Dallas," the president said. In what Brown described as "ambush-style" shooting, at least two snipers fired from an elevated positions on police officers minutes before 9 p.m. local time

"We believe that these suspects were positioning themselves in a way to triangulate on these officers from two different perches in garages in the downtown area, and planned to injure and kill as many law enforcement officers as they could," he told a news conference — noting that some were shot in the back.
There may be other suspects at large. "We still don't have a complete comfort level that we have all the suspects," Brown said. Police were in contact with the FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brown said. "There had to be some speculation from us there would be some knowledge of the [demonstration] route," he said.
The search for shooters and clues stretched across hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments. The scene was chaotic, withhelicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on the street corners.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state Department of Public Safety to offer any assistance needed. "In times like this we must remember — and emphasize — the importance of uniting as Americans," Abbott said in a statement.

Brown said investigators are working under the assumption that all the suspects were working together. They have not been cooperative, he said. "We just are not getting the cooperation we'd like to know that answer of why, the motivation, who they are." Four of the five slain officers were Dallas police, and the fifth was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. A civilian was also wounded, authorities said. Around 800 people were at the demonstration, and around 100 police officers were assigned to the event and the surrounding area, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said. The shooting occurred after the demonstration ended and as a march was taking place.
"At 8:58, our worst nightmare happened," Rawlings said. "It is a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas, Rawlings said. A person at the protest said they were "making our second lap" when gunfire
erupted.
"We heard shots, we smelled gunpowder, and that's when everything got really intense and surreal," the witness told MSNBC. "We just started to run and grab kids," he said. A DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) police officer receives comfort at Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas.

The demonstration was in reaction to the police shootings of two black men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge Tuesday and Philando Castile Wednesday in a St. Paul suburb. Thursday night, Dallas police distributed a photo of a man they called a "person of interest." The person in that photo turned himself in, police said. It does not appear he was part of the four suspects later mentioned by Brown.
The attacks reverberated around the country, with officials and fellow police departments expressing condolences and newspapers shock. Attorney General Kamala Harris said the shootings in Dallas were "a grave reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face each day in service of their communities." "I pray for the officers who lost their lives tonight, for their grieving families and our law enforcement brothers and sisters in Dallas," she added in a statement. The demonstration in Dallas was one of several held in cities across the country.

In Saint Paul, Minnesota, a crowd estimated to be more than a thousand strong gathered outside a school where one of those men killed, Philando Castile, workedas a kitchen supervisor.  In Baton Rouge, Louisiana mourners gathered in a "second line" parade for Alton Sterling, who was killed by police on Tuesday in an incident that was recorded on video by a bystander. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into that shooting.
"It can be any brother or sister out here. This ain't just started; they've been killing us," Chermicka Brown, a friend of Sterling's who joined protesters outside the store where he was shot, told NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge.

“The Punisher” takes the Philippines Presidency

Having generated a maelstrom of controversy during his campaign, Rodrigo Duterte has analysts scrambling to understand what his presidency will mean for the Philippines and the region, writes Imelda Deinla. Even before he took the top job, newly-elected President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, gained international notoriety for his crass joke about the rape of an Australian nun and crude insults against the Pope, the United States and Singapore during his campaign sorties.

Many analysts are concerned that a Duterte presidency will lead the country towards economic perdition by damaging its relations with key economic and political allies, and tarnish the Philippines’ international image. Worse, they are alarmed that Duterte’s bellicose personality will further escalate tension with China over the South China Sea dispute.
Initial fears over a possible Duterte presidency soon dissipated after he won by a large margin. The stock market greeted his victory enthusiastically, posting a nine per cent jump, while the Philippine peso rose against other currencies in Asia. Having articulated little of his economic and governance platform during the campaign, there is lingering doubt over what a Duterte presidency will mean for the country and its foreign relations. What will Philippine foreign policy be under Duterte? How will Duterte, a former mayor of Davao City and a public prosecutor, provide leadership in navigating the often complex and delicate process of international diplomacy? And how will his administration deal with China, and work with its neighbors in ASEAN? Domestic policies are shaped by both domestic and international interests. Good leadership is needed to manage competing claims and steer a common vision that serves broader goals and interests. The election discourse clearly underlined a
popular demand for inclusive growth where many ordinary Filipinos expressed their frustration over the elites’ privileges in reaping economic benefits. It brought to the fore the need for a fair and effective legal system, the delivery of public services by competent and apolitical bureaucracies, a safe and secure environment, and a level playing field for economic opportunities. Foreign relations did not get as much attention as domestic concerns in the campaign. However, business unease over Duterte’s remarks on the US, Australia and China reflects that sustaining economic growth depends on favorable external relations. These include the economy’s need for a sustained inflow of foreign investments, and for overseas employment for Filipinos and their dollar remittances. Enhancing regional cooperation and maintaining security and stability is essential in increasing investment and trade flows that will in turn generate domestic growth and jobs.

Duterte’s newly released 8-point Economic Agenda, and early pronouncements on increased diplomacy with China and a state visit to Indonesia, point to a measured approach to intertwined domestic and international issues. If this is the case, it will sustain macroeconomic policies and governance reforms that stimulated growth and generated foreign investor confidence under the Aquino administration. The difference with the Duterte administration is the commitment to accelerate long-promised reforms, and allow the majority and marginal sectors to benefit from economic growth. Priority measures will accelerate infrastructure growth, enhance economic competition by addressing structural barriers of monopolies and concentration, create a more competitive business environment, and improve the ease of doing business. These are programs that were started by the past administration but have lagged or been constrained by political rent-seeking and corruption. The bungled attempt by Telstra in the Philippines to invest in telecommunications was largely blamed on a ‘duopoly’ in this sector, and a weak competition and regulatory regime. Duterte’s transition team has promised a more transparent administration, and have vowed to implement freedom of information in the executive department and tackle issues of unfair playing fields and corruption in government. A Davao Job Fair is planned for recruiting the best and brightest to fill over 400 top jobs in the bureaucracy.
Duterte’s economic agenda makes big promises, putting constitutional amendment as a top priority by proposing a shift from the current presidential-unitary system of government to a parliamentary-federal system and proposing a review of nationalist restrictions on foreign ownership that have so far only benefited the entrenched elites in the country.
At the micro level, the economic program will address problems in land administration and management, where disputes over land have been one of the major causes of conflict and violence. Moreover, a progressive tax system and expansion of the conditional cash transfer system are aimed at facilitating a ‘trickle-down’ of wealth to the poor and marginalized sector. Strengthening regional cooperation and fostering stronger relations with neighbors seem to be high on Duterte’s agenda, as evidenced by the announcement of a state visit to Indonesia.

ASEAN should also be a priority for the new President; the Philippines will assume the Chair of the organization in 2017. It is an opportunity to enhance trade relations under the umbrella of the ASEAN economic community which, in recent years, have influenced governance and regulatory strategy in the Philippines such as reforms in customs administration and trade facilitation.
The Philippines is not a key player in intro-regional trade but has good prospects for benefiting from possible freedom of movement of skilled labor given its vast supply of educated and English-speaking professionals. A revitalization of the BIMP-EAGA, an ASEAN initiative in which Duterte and Davao have played a major role

since the 1990s, is expected to be injected with more vigor as the new President is known to support economic initiatives that would stimulate development in Mindanao. It is also good time to seek greater cooperation from ASEAN to strengthen its position on the South China Sea issue. However, it is not yet clear what Duterte means by ‘more diplomacy’ except by stating the need ‘to talk’ with China. Duterte will have to manage this carefully, given that the Philippines had also strengthened ties with the United States under the Aquino presidency to counter China’s growing aggressiveness in the disputed area.
There are high expectations of the Duterte administration on both the domestic and international fronts although it is too early in the day to judge whether he can meet these. But his ‘can-do’ and ‘problem-solving’ attitude has captivated a broad spectrum of Filipinos and President Rody, as he wants to be called, may well just surprise the critics.

South China Sea’s judgement day (Ruling on dispute between China and the Philippines will be meaningful, even if it doesn’t quickly lead to resolution By: Kerry Brown)

A significant judgement is expected some time this month in the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Brought by the Philippines against China, it will be the first time that legal experts in an international court will opine on matters related to the contesting claims in the South China Sea.
 
Not that anyone should expect UNCLOS’s judgment, when rendered, will do much to clear things up overnight, or even in the short to medium term. Firstly, China is not offering a counter-submission and will not recognize the current process if a judgment is issued against it. Secondly, this court has no decision-making powers over territorial rights. That needs to be done through the International Court of Justice, and all the disputing parties have to agree to bring a case to this body –
something that has so far proved impossible. The main likely outcome of this current case will be to strengthen the principle that international law has a role to play in the ultimate resolution of the
contesting claims. Whether Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and other actors in this issue will line up with the Philippines and agree with this, let alone China, is a moot point. All of them have different agendas.  But for all of them, except China, it is in their interests to do so.
This is because, with the Philippines, they share one major bone of contention, which this judgment might clear up a little more – and that is about the now infamous nine-dash line asserted by China, which stretches almost 1,500 kms from the coast of Hainan, China’s most southerly point. This violates the principle of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) allowing separate countries 200 Nautical Miles of space around their coastal regions, skirting the edges of Malaysian, Vietnamese, Philippine and, at some point, Indonesian, territory. Broadly, the Philippines is stating that the nine-dash line violates this and needs to be questioned, and, even better for them, shown to be invalid.
The most benign interpretation of the nine-dash line is that it is a hangover from an era in which maritime law was non-existent and which understanding of sovereign borders was in its infancy. The historic origin of the line comes more from the Republic of China (in charge of the Mainland up to 1949, and now based in Taiwan) This alone means that no country involved is going to lie down and simply concede on this issue. At the moment, a complex series of claims, based on different arguments, spreads across the various features of the area. What constitutes an island has become important because of the stipulation under UNCLOS that this gives rights to extensive maritime areas around it – up to 200 nautical miles. Thus the attempts to define even features which most of the time are submerged under water as islands. Since 2009, spats between contesting parties, some of them including the Philippines, have increased. Most of these have involved fishing or lifeguard
vessels. But everyone knows they are proxy for harder, military assets. Even the United States has been increasingly sucked in, protesting neutrality but evidently keen to see China’s space pinned back and its grand claims circumscribed. More’s the pity, however, that the US is not a signatory to UNCLOS, somewhat eroding its moral authority here.
One of the most striking features of this hugely complex issue, however, is that it pits two views of the world in a head on collision. Very broadly, the Philippines are claiming that international law is dominant, and that it needs to be the common language by which to resolve all these issues. For China, however, the prime claims are historic, and these take precedence.  While not wishing to over-simplify this issue, this is the fundamental challenge for the South China Sea disputes – its
contesting parties are operating in different conceptual universes and are unwilling, or unable, to speak the same language to each other. This makes resolution, as things stand at the moment, almost impossible. China is likely to simply dismiss an unfavourable judgment from The Hague this month, if it comes, as illegitimate because history, not modern law, takes precedence here. Despite this, tactically just one legal judgment spreading a little legal light on the issues in the region would be significant. It would, ever so slightly, increase the role of law, not history or political might, as the most sustainable route to an eventual resolution of the South China Sea travails. For that reason, the Philippine move is an important one, and its outcome, beyond all the arcane details and the confusing context, potentially highly meaningful.

200 people evacuated due to Zambales floods

OLONGAPO CITY– As many as 200 people were moved to various evacuation centers in three towns of Zambales province due to southwest monsoon rains that were intensified by Typhoon Butchoy (Nepartak) as it sped to Taiwan, local officials said.

They compose 51 families residing in in low-lying areas in nine villages in the towns of San Antonio, San Felipe, and San Narciso, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC). Most of the villages were submerged in as deep as 3 to 4 feet of floodwaters. The water in the Namatacan Dike in San Narciso town had reached critical levels as of 8 a.m. while strong water currents damaged the Gabor Dike in San Felipe before noon, PDRRMC reported.

Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso suspended classes in all levels in the province. The inclement weather also caused power interruptions in the towns San Felipe and Palauig. Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino suspended government work and classes in all levels in the city.

Vice Mayor Duterte bares ISIS threat in Davao City

Davao City has received threats from ISIS, the international terrorist organization responsible for various deadly attacks in different countries that left hundreds of people dead, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte confirmed Thursday.
In a press briefing in Davao City, Duterte as saying that he has already communicated with the police and military to look into the veracity of the information.
"We are intensifying the gathering of information. We cannot disclose details or confirm anything as of yet," he said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it has yet to verify the supposed hreat. "I haven't received any similar report but as always terrorist threats are part of our intelligence units monitoring efforts," said AFP chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya. This was echoed by AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla. "We have no information on this yet," he said in a text message to GMA News Online. For his part, Lt. Gen. Leonardo Guerrero said they have yet to receive information
indicating that Davao City is under any threat from the ISIS. "As far as we are concerned, wala kaming nare-recieve na information about yung direct threat coming from ISIS dito sa city. Aalthough alam naman natin na itong Davao City continues to be on the list of yung cities under threat ng terrorism," Guerrrero said.
Asked if the vice mayor may have other source from where he got the information,
Guerrero said: "Oo pero nandun naman yung general assessment natin na talagang being a progressive city, saka being the place of residence ng ating presidente ... expect
natin talaga yung level of threat tataas."Duterte, son of President Rodrigo Duterte and the city's acting mayor while Mayor Sara Duterte, his sister, is on leave, has ordered tightened security in the whole
city. He also urged residents to be vigilant. Specifically, the vice mayor directed policemen to secure key entry and exit points to the city and coordinate with police units from nearby provinces.
"Whether the information is real or not, whether there is an actual threat from ISIS or none, what is important is that the people are now informed," Duterte said. "And because of that, all of us are vigilant now." "The public and all concerned agencies have been alerted and are doing everything to avert the threat from ISIS. Kailangan nating magbantay. I repeat, we are still verifying this information," Duterte added. Last month, the Davao City Police released a terrorist watchlist ahead of the thanksgiving party of then President-elect Duterte on June 4, after they received reports that members of the ISIS-linked Islamiyah Movement are currently in Mindanao.
Davao City Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz said Islamiyah Movement had been involved in bombings in Cotabato and Cagayan de Oro City and kidnappings in the Island Garden City of Samal.
The thanksgiving party, which was attended by at least half a million people, went
smoothly.

US destroyers sail close to Chinese-held islands in South China Sea as court case looms

Manilla has challenged Beijing over its claims on south china sea whose ruling will be given be an arbitration court on July 12.

US destroyers have sailed close to Chinese-held reefs and islands in the disputed South China Sea in recent weeks, US naval officials said on Thursday, patrols likely to fuel tension ahead of landmark ruling over Beijing’s maritime claims.
The destroyers Stethem, Spruance and Momsen have been patrolling near Chinese-held features in the Spratlys archipelago and the Scarborough Shoal, which is near the Philippines, the officials said. The patrols were first reported by the Washington-based Navy Times newspaper.

Pressure has been rising in the region ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague.

China has refused to participate in the case and vowed to ignore the rulings which the United States insists are binding and an important test of Beijing’s willingness to adhere to international law.

While not close enough to be within 12 nautical miles – a so-called freedom of navigation operation that would require high level approval – the destroyers operated within 14 to 20 nautical miles of the Chinese-occupied features, the Navy Times reported.
The USS Ronald Reagan and its escort ships have also been patrolling the South China Sea since last week. Pacific Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Clint Ramsden said he could not go into operational or tactical details but that the patrols were part of a “routine presence”.
“All of these patrols are conducted in accordance with international law and all are consistent with routine Pacific Fleet presence throughout the Western Pacific.” US navy officials said Chinese naval ships, and sometimes fishing vessels, frequently track US ships in the South China Sea but it is not yet known if the presence of the destroyers attracted particular attention. Manila is challenging the legality of Beijing’s actions and claims in the South China Sea – the first legal case involving the South China Sea. With legal experts expecting the ruling to go Manila’s way, at least in part, us and
other regional naval officials are bracing for tension in the weeks and months after the ruling.

Duterte meets with Chinese envoy ahead of arbitration ruling

MANILA – Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua on Thursday paid a
courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte, as the two nations seek to mend ties
following rocky bilateral ties during the Aquino administration over the South China
Sea dispute.
Zhao's visit came 5 days ahead of the July 12 release of a landmark ruling by the
United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on the dispute.
Foreign policy experts believe that the Philippines will get a favorable ruling.
A defiant Beijing said it will not recognize any decision, arguing that the course
taken by the Aquino administration in resolving the dispute was illegal.
Newly installed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to mend broken ties
with the Chinese while not giving up the Philippines' claim to the vital waterway.
While the Aquino administration had dismissed having bilateral talks with China,
Duterte expressed openness to such.
Duterte earlier said that while a favorable ruling for Manila would be a “moral
victory,” he believes it would also put the government in an “awkward position.”
“It should be a soft landing for everybody, kung meron man, we don’t taunt or flaunt
it… We will study progressively kung paano natin magamit,” he said in a televised
Cabinet meeting immediately after he was sworn into office. 

Lightning kills 2 in Zambales town

SAN MARCELINO, Zambales—Two construction workers here were struck by lightning and
killed on Tuesday beneath a tree where they took shelter from a strong downpour, police said.
Wilbert Hipolito, 23, and Ariel Gumanid, 21, both residents of this town, were building a perimeter fence in Barangay (village) Rabanes here when heavy rain fell at 4 p.m., said Senior Insp. Geoffrey Javier, San Marcelino police station commander.
Javier said the two decided to take cover under a Madre de Cacao tree but were hit by lightning.
The two were taken to San Marcelino District Hospital but were declared dead on arrival at about 5 p.m.
Last June 24, a farmer out in the field of Sta. Cruz town in Zambales also died after he was struck by lightning. Manuel dela Penia, 38, was found lying dead in a farm in Barangay Guisguis by residents there at 8:30 p.m. Dela Penia was struck as he rushed home when heavy rain fell at 5 p.m.
Villagers brought Dela Penia to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival,
police said.

 

TV Patrol 06 July 2016

Iba, Zambales History

History
 
Iba was founded by the order of Augustinian Recollect priest in 1611 as the village
of Paynauen. The early inhabitants of the town are called Zambales. They were
later joined by the Ilocanos who migrated to the town which resulted in
intermingling of customs and traditions. The Aeta people settled in the hinterlands
and the majority of them dwelled in the Mount Pinatubo area. In 1860, the
administration of the town was turned over to the Dominican priests until the civil
government came to power. There are no available records as to when Paynauen was
renamed to Iba.The municipality was named after the sour fruit "Iba", commonly known as kamias.

The permanent capital of Zambales was moved from Masinloc to Iba because of its
strategic location being on the central part of Zambales. On August 28, 1901,
American Civil Governor William Howard Taft held the historic session of the second
Philippine Commission establishing the Province of Zambales under the American rule
held at Roman Catholic Church of Iba.

Geography

The municipality of Iba is bounded by the municipalities of Botolan to the south,
Palauig to the north, the province of Tarlac to the east, and the South China Sea to
the west. Like most of the municipalities in the province, Iba is geographically
bound by the coast in the west with the Zambales Mountains in the eastern portion of
the municipality. Iba is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north-west of Manila.

Religion
 
The majority of the people in Iba, Zambales are Roman Catholics. The largest
minority religion is Iglesia Ni Cristo followed by various Protestant denominations.

Ecclesiastical District

The seat of the Ecclesiastical District of Zambales North of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
is located in Iba. The INC district administration and district office oversees
several locales and extensions from different municipalities in the northern part of
Zambales province.

Diocese of Iba

The Cathedral of Iba, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, is the seat of
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church of the diocese is a 17th-century
Baroque church built by the Augustinian Recollects. It is located adjacent to the
Provincial Capitol Building. The current bishop of the diocese is Most Reverend
Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D..

Conversion to Cityhood

The League of Cities of the Philippines has the expanding disagreement in opinion
against the conversion of sixteen municipalities into constituent cities. The LCP
had tried to influence President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify as call for
immediate attention a draft of a law imposing a suspension on the conversion of
additional towns into cities.

Local Government Code states that before a town could be classified as a city, it
must have an annual income of at least Php100 million and a land area of at minimum
100 square kilometres (39 square miles) or a population of 150,000.

Senator Angara advocates House Bill 24 filed by Zamboanga Sibugay Representative ANN
Hofer giving automatic cityhood to capitals of provinces without cities by freeing
the capital towns of provinces from the income needs of the cityhood.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the major economic activity in Iba during the summer period. It
has become a popular destination for summer vacationists and tourists due to the
pristine and beautiful beaches that line the shorelines of Iba, and adventure
trekking to the unique 3-series of Iba waterfalls. Its pollution-free beaches due to
the absence of industrial-polluting activities in the locality, make it one of the
best places in the Philippines.
In response to the growing number of both local and foreign visitors, investments in
beach resorts have increased in the last fifteen years. Today there are about 50
beach resorts in Iba.

Festivals

Zambales Mango Festival
The festival is a celebration of a bountiful harvest of mangoes and other
agricultural products which the province is known for. It is also aimed to highlight
the attractions and places of interest in all of its towns. As a way of promoting
and giving thanks for a good harvest, the people of Zambales annually celebrate the
six-day Mango Festival in March or April in Iba.

Paynauen Festival
A summer festival in Iba featuring local traditional arts and culture first
celebrated in the 1980s, Paynauen Festival (also spelled as Paynawen) has become a
yearly tradition and a tourist attraction lasting for about seven days. Paynauen's
festivities include street dancing, singing competition, boxing events, sports
events, sand castle building, carabao race, kite flying contests, Miss Paynauen
competition, cooking contest, barangay booth displays, products display and sales,
ballroom dancing, traditional parade, concerts and many others.

The festival is held late April, during the summer season where thousands of
visitors flock to Iba for beach activities. Led by the Iba Tourism Council, Paynauen
is supported by the local government, different civic organizations, volunteers and
the private business sector.

Pagasa Update: Typhoon "BUTCHOY"

As of 4:00 PM today, 06 July 2016, the eye of typhoon "Butchoy" was located based on the all available data at 615 km East of Basco Batanes (19.8N, 127.8E) Maximum Winds 0f 210kph near the center and gustiness oup to 245 kph. Forecast to move Northwest at 30 kph.

TCWS number 1 Batanes group of Islands.

Zambales Wikipedia

Zambales is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region in the
island of Luzon. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north,
Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, Bataan to the south and the South China Sea to the
west. With a land area of 3,830.83 square kilometres (1,479.09 sq mi), Zambales is
the second largest among the seven provinces of Central Luzon. The province is noted
for its mangoes, which are abundant from January to April.
Zambales does not have a functional airport - the closest airport is Clark
International airport. Subic Bay International Airport, which is located in Cubi
Point in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is no longer functional for international or
domestic flights.


The Freeport Zone (SBMA) is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos,
beach resorts, parks, beachside huts and cottages and historical sites.
The province's name came from the word zambal, which is a Hispanized term for
Sambali. Zambal refers to the language spoken by the early Austronesian inhabitants
of the place. A contending version states that the name was derived from the word
samba, meaning worship, because the Spanish supposedly found the native inhabitants
to be highly superstitious; worshiping the spirits of their ancestors.

History
 
The area now occupied by Zambales was first explored by the Spanish in 1572, led by
Juan de Salcedo. Among the earliest towns founded were Subic (1572), Botolan
Masinloc became the province's first capital. However, the capital was moved among
the last three towns above during its history before settling in Iba, due to its
strategic location. Seven of the province's original northern towns, which included
Bolinao, Infanta and Alaminos were later transferred under the jurisdiction of
Pangasinan because of their distance from the capital. The first civil governor
of Zambales during the American era was Potenciano Lesaca from 1901-1903.
Zambales lies on the western shores of Luzon island along the South China Sea. Its
shoreline is rugged and features many coves and inlets. The Zambales Mountains in
the eastern part of the province occupies about 60% of the total land area of
Zambales. Subic Bay, at the southern end of the province, provides a natural harbor,
and was the location of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay until its closure in 1992.
The summit and crater lake of Mount Pinatubo lies within Botolan municipality in
Zambales, near the tripoint of Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac provinces.This
volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991. The former summit of
the volcano was obliterated by the eruption and replaced by a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide
caldera, within which Lake Pinatubo is situated. With an average depth of 800 m lahar.

Language
 
Sambal, Tagalog, and Ilokano are the three main languages of Zambales. Ilokano
has 115,337 native speakers, Sambal has 114,637, and Tagalog has 250,637 (plus
24,995 non-native speakers). More than 119,126 spoke other languages as their
parent tongue, such as Kapampangan and Pangasinense, including non-Philippine
languages such as English. About 75 percent of the population speaks and
understands English to varying degrees of fluency, and road signs are written in
that language.

Barangays

The 13 municipalities and 1 city of the province comprise a total of 247 barangays,
with Santa Rita in Olongapo City as the most populous in 2010, and Owaog-Nibloc in
Botolan as the least. If cities are excluded, Calapacuan in Subic has the highest
population as of 2010.