Philippines Ebola free, Aquino on OFWs, space probe | The wRap

Today on Rappler.

• A Filipino peacekeeper who arrived from Ebola-hit Liberia has a fever but the health department says the Philippines remains Ebola free.
• At the ASEAN summit, President Aquino calls on host countries to protect overseas Filipino workers.
• After making history by landing on a comet, scientists say the space probe is ‘working well.

 

PEACEKEEPER FROM EBOLA-HIT LIBERIA HAS FEVER
The Department of Health or DOH says one of the Filipino peacekeepers who just arrived from Liberia has a fever. Fever is one of the symptoms of Ebola but the DOH says the Philippines remains free of the deadly virus. The DOH says it’s possible the peacekeeper is suffering from a relapse of malaria. 133 Filipino peacekeepers are in Caballo Island on a 3-week quarantine after arriving from Liberia November 12.

 

AQUINO PUSHES HOST COUNTRIES TO PROTECT OFWs
With an estimated 10 million overseas Filipino workers, President Benigno Aquino urges host countries to better protect migrant workers.
Speaking in Myanmar at the ASEAN Plus Three summit with Japan, Korea and China, Aquino says migrant workers contribute significantly to the economies of their host countries.
He adds, “We have a collective responsibility and moral duty… to protect their human rights.”

 

AIMING FOR ZERO HUNGER: NOT AN EXPENSE BUT AN INVESTMENT
Senator Grace Poe says ending hunger should be considered an investment for the future, not an expense. During Rappler’s #ZeroHunger forum, Poe quotes a a Social Weather Stations poll that found 43% or an estimated 9.3 million Filipino families consider themselves food-poor.

 

SENATOR GRACE POE: Goldman Sachs said that in 2050 the Philippines will be 13th largest economy. But for us to be able to be competitive at that point the work force should be intelligent enough, able enough – and they will not reach that potential if at the very beginning they are already hungry. If the government is shying away from subsidies, incentives, we should be able to look at it as an investment for the future.

 

DOING BUSINESS IN ILOILO CITY
Businessman Felix Tiu says Iloilo City is emerging as a bright spot for trade and commerce.
Tiu says the local economy grew by 50% since 2010, with the investments going largely to infrastructure and the BPO sector.

 

FELIX TIU, ILOILO CITY TRADE AND INVESTMENT BOARD HEAD:
The economy in Iloilo is very vibrant right now. Iloilo has been like a sleeping city before. We are very lucky and blessed that some of the big names in the industry here in the Philippines came to Iloilo.

 

One major development, the Iloilo Convention Center, is under scrutiny over allegations it was overpriced. Senate President Frank Drilon faces a plunder complaint over his project, but he denies the allegations. The senator says the government even saved money since the 1.74-hectare lot was donated by Megaworld. Tiu says Megaworld’s move makes sense.

 

FELIX TIU, ILOILO CITY TRADE AND INVESTMENT BOARD HEAD: This Megaworld investment, they give this ICC to the city and to the Department of Tourism to jumpstart their investment there because it’s a mixed use development, they will have hotels, malls, and that is a very good start to having business conferences.

 

EUROPEAN PROBE ‘WORKING WELL’ ON SURFACE OF HOST COMET
A day after the European probe Philae made its historic landing on the surface of a speeding comet, ground. Philae touched down 3 times on the low-gravity comet. But it still managed to send back data for the European Space Agency flagship mission.

 

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