November 4, 2014 Edition

Survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan see the bunkhouses in Palo, Leyte as both a blessing and a curse. About the size of 4 ping-pong tables, each bunkhouse is temporary shelter for an estimated 420 families or about 1,880 persons in Palo alone. Lacking amenities like furniture and TV sets, the bunkhouses at least provide a roof and shelter from the rain. Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla said families will be transferred to permanent shelters soon as the bunkhouses are “very temporary – very, very temporary.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Post-Yolanda/Haiyan, rehabilitation efforts in Eastern Visayas are “moving faster” than what was seen after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Aceh, Indonesia 10 years ago, Stephen Groff, ADB Vice President on East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said. The ADB expects reconstruction in the Eastern Visayas to take 4-5 years, the usual time it takes for areas in similar situations to recover, Groff said. Reconstruction efforts are expected to gain momentum in 2015, he added, even as there is expected tension between doing things fast and doing them right.

Read the full story on Rappler.

President Benigno Aquino III said that if Vice President Jejomar Binay is unhappy with his administration’s policies he’s free to leave. Binay had previously accused Aquino allies of plotting a demolition job against him, had also criticized the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program, and the “unfair” treatment of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In reaction, Aquino said that as a member of the Cabinet, Binay should offer solutions to improve systems or simply feel free to “no longer join our movement.” Hours later, Binay in a statement, said he will “continue to be a team player.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on Vice President Binay’s reaction saying he will be a team player is also on Rappler.

Former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the wake of her one-year-old grandson, the son of her daughter Luli and husband Luigi Bernas, on Monday night. Her grandson died Sunday, November 2, due to a heart ailment at the Philippine Heart Center. Arroyo was allowed by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to leave the government-run Veterans Memorial Medical Center to attend the wake and was back in detention at about 10:30 pm. She has filed a motion for a 9-day stay in her La Vista residence to attend the wake daily and the burial of her grandson.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Republicans appear headed for a takeover of the US Senate in the November 4 elections but final results may not be known until December or even 2015 next year. Three forecasters give the Republicans the edge in the Senate with a 70%-77% chance of winning. There are prospects of a a runoff in Louisiana and Georgia where winners are required to obtain more than 50% of the vote. Remote Alaska, with its unpredictable and tight race, could also add to the delay. If Republicans take over, US President Barack Obama will serve his last two years in office facing a hostile Congress.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story is on the Washington Post.

Following investigations into exaggerated fuel efficiency of 2012 and 2013 car models sold in the US, South Korean makers of Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay $100 million as settlement. According to the US Department of Justice, this marks the largest civil penalty under the 4-decade Clean Air Act. The settlement involved the sale of nearly 1.2 million vehicles and sends a strong message that “cheating is not profitable, and that any company that violates the law will be held to account,” Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

From close friends to enemies. That’s what Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado have become. Promised the mayorship in 2010 but instead handed over to Binay’s son, Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, Mercado said he was presented conditions by the Binays in exchange for their support. These included not removing anyone from City Hall, allowing “SOP” or bribes to continue, and doing whatever the Binays pleased. He refused. The Binay camp however said Mercado “abused the trust and confidence” of the Binays. Mercado, who spoke of Binay’s inability to keep his word, also said that one of the Vice President’s weaknesses was also his inability to “say things directly.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

22-year-old Second Lieutenant Jun Corpuz died on Sunday, November 2, in a clash with the Abu Sayyaf in Sumisip, Basilan. He had just graduated in March as a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Siklab Diwa” Class of 2014. Corpuz was a platoon leader of Alpha Company, 64th Infantry Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division. It was his first assignment. While patrolling on foot, his platoon spotted high ground that could be used as staging ground for attacks. The Abu Sayyaf however got there first and engaged them in an intense gun battle. Corpuz and his men were overwhelmed.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on Aquino’s vow to wide out the Abu Sayyaf is also on Rappler.

Loss of memory and brain power may be caused by shift work, which disrupts the body’s internal clock and had been previously linked to ulcers, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Researchers who tested current or retired workers who did night work or shifts that alternated between morning, afternoon and night, found an association between shift work and “chronic cognitive impairment.” The association was stronger for those who did shift work that exceeded 10 years – equivalent to 6.5 years of age-related decline. A reversal of effects on the brain after leaving shift work could take at least 5 years.

Read the full story on Rappler.

He crossed the Chicago skyline on a tightrope suspended between 3 skyscrapers on Sunday, November 2 without a safety harness. US daredevil Nik Wallenda – already the first person to cross the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls on a high wire – broke two world records for crossing the steepest tightrope incline in under 7 minutes, and doing the highest blindfolded walk in a little over a minute. Wallenda is a 7th generation member of the Flying Wallendas circus family.

Read the full story on Rappler.