FRENCH LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Don Miguel Perez Rubio, President Benigno Aquino III’s chief protocol officer, usually utters “Hello, Mr. Brown" whenever he passes by the old balete tree in front of the state entrance of Malacañang Palace. “Mr. Brown," Perez Rubio told reporters Monday, is a benevolent kapre who calls the more than a century old tree his home. A kapre is a Philippine mythical creature described as a tall, hairy male who always smokes big tobacco pipe. Perez Rubio said he utters the greeting to avoid any misfortune that might befall him if he ignores “Mr Brown," whom he said had once raised a security guard high off the ground. He said the creature also once scared a limousine driver by towering over his car. So far, no one has been hurt by “Mr Brown." And perhaps he will not have a reason to, especially now that President Aquino has officially proclaimed the aforementioned balete tree (Ficus concinma) as a Heritage Tree. On Monday, President Aquino led the ceremonial ...

Cinq jours après la catastrophe, malgré les nombreuses et fortes répliques, l’électricité était pratiquement entièrement rétablie sur les provinces affectées par le tremblement de terre qui a touché deux provinces du centre du pays. . Routes et ponts étant impraticables, c’est par voie aérienne, grâce à l’utilisation d’hélicoptères, qu’hommes et matériels ont pu être acheminés. The five transmission structures affected by the strike of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the Visayas are now back to service, system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has announced. "In spite of aftershocks, heavy rains and damaged bridges and roads, NGCP pursued its restoration efforts by resorting to helicopters and motorcycles to reach the areas that were inaccessible to line trucks," the company has noted. The transmission firm reiterated that "five transmission structures along the Amlan-Bindoy-Guihulngan 69kV (kilovolt) transmission line were affected by ...

Tout le monde ne peut s'en souvenir, mais avant le milieu des années 80, Boracay n'était qu'un désert de sable. La plage à la mode se trouvait du côté de Roxas, du côté des ''Gigantes Islands''. As my feet touched the Boracay sand, the aria of Grizabella from “Cats” started playing in my head as memories of old Boracay fill my weary mind. Am I getting old, or is there a new generation of tourists invading the island? Why is it that every time I visit, I can’t stop comparing things with how it used to be? Don’t get me wrong; I would love to share the beauty of the island, but apparently the new generation of tourists seems to take things for granted. Is it me, or is this generation too brainwashed into thinking that everything is disposable? I am not the only one who shares this sentiment. People who have previously experienced—take note I said experienced, not visited—the island feel the same way. I would pick up comments from people in the next table or...

Ce que l'on peut regretter de la part de médias occidentaux, c'est de faire encore et toujours dans le sensationnel en ce qui concerne les événements qui se déroulent aux Philippines. ''Fort tremblement de terre de magnitude 6,9 aux Philippines dans la région des visayas. La secousse qui s'est produite entre les îles de Cebu et de Negros a jeté la panique dans Cebu-City la capitale des Visayas. On déplore au moins un mort, un enfant écrasé par un mur qui s'est effondré et de nombreuses et fortes répliques, etc. Le lendemain l'on pouvait lire : le nombre des morts est en augmentation et de fortes répliques sont toujours ressenties ... Puis, plus rien. Alors que, comme toujours aux Philippines, c'est souvent plusieurs jours après une catastrophe que l'on se rend compte de l'ampleur de celle-ci. Mais là, plus personne, plus de journalistes pour en parler. Je suis certain aujourd'hui vendredi 10 février, quatre jours après l...

Globally endangered green turtles are enjoying a baby boom on remote Philippine islands as a three-decade protection programme starts to pay off, environment group Conservation International said Wednesday. The project is a key part of worldwide efforts to rebuild green turtle populations, and could help see the species' status upgraded from endangered to vulnerable in a few years, CI Philippines' executive director Romeo Trono said. "We are seeing very stable increases in their populations around the world and... this is a very important contribution," Trono told AFP, referring to the Turtle Islands sanctuary that straddles the Philippine-Malaysia sea border. On Baguan, one of the nine islands that make up the sanctuary, 1.44 million turtle eggs were laid last year, the highest number since records started in 1984, according to Conservation International. With one percent of green turtles generally surviving until adulthood, last year's baby boom will lea...