STOP THE KOREANS! The Koreans are Skinning Subic!

http://mamomoondok.multiply.com/journal/item/15/The_Koreans_are_Skinning_Subic
If you are having a hard time reading the article on that site because of the background- I copied and pasted it here:

The Koreans are Skinning Subic! Dec 2, '08 11:48 AM
for everyone
(http://mamomoondok.multiply.com/journal/item/15/The_Koreans_are_Skinning_Subic)

If you like Subic not because of what it is, but because of its lush greens, age old and huge trees, birds, monkeys, butterflies, the clean air, the natural park, and the verdant mountains, I'd like to let you know that very soon, 300 AGE OLD & FOREST TREES WILL BE CUT, and another MOUNTAIN WILL BE CLEARED IN FAVOR OF A CASINO PROJECT by the KOREANS. First it was their housing project. And they got away with it. By the blessing of this sick government. Now, because the Koreans have sensed that it is very easy in the Philippines to get away with our conservation laws, and we are not very particular about keeping our trees, and the management of Subic is not very much concerned nor appreciate their trees, and the DENR is silent (as lame duck), THE CASINO PROJECT WILL COME, AND THE TREES WILL GO.

I think the deeper root to the problem is not the approval of the project, but the inability of the Subic ecology/natural department & DENR to know their specific jobs, and their inability to appreciate the importance of trees in sustaining the ecological balance. The Philippines is the fastest region in Asia in losing its forest, (RP lost forest fastest in Southeast Asia--EU official.. Country also 7th in the world By Veronica Uy, INQUIRER.net) contributing to the decline and extinction of many of its diverse and unique flora and fauna. With the incompetence of those in charge, and the attraction of easy money, wealth without hardwork, they DESTROY OUR NATURAL TREASURE, IN FAVOR OF GAMBLING! What kind of government is this? and what kind of authorities do we have?

I appreciate Arch Jun Palafox on his stand. Arch Palafox is a world-renowned architect who developed and designed famous parks, malls, and establishments, including the Ayala Land projects. His understanding on the importance of trees is very much inculcated in his designs, and the preservation of the environs, always first and foremost, as his love for his country. He gave up $1M project for his disagreement against the Koreans in killing the trees. A challenge to our fellow architects, really. Money or what? The Koreans know they could not do this in Korea. But they know it is easy in this country.

"Amethya dela Llana-Koval, head of the SBMA Ecology Center, said the project site is within the central business district of the free port zone that is not classified as a protected area"- according to the article. But until where and when will she stop issuing these statement? If any investor would come and identify a new site, would she say the same? Does she know that it is almost impossible to revive and age-old tree? Even the highest care given in handling and balling does not guarantee survival, when a tree is old. Have they done this before? Can she show us how? I've been planting trees all my life, from seedlings to balled, but it is almost impossible to revive an age old tree. It is not that easy. She is sugar-coating and telling us in a way- come what may, she has the blessing of the project. Ouchh!!

Hanggang ngayon pa ba ay alipin pa rin tayo ng mga banyaga? Hanggang kailan matatapos ang ating pagiging sunud-sunurin sa naisin ng mga banyaga dahilan lamang sa pera? Sa pera na ang ituturo sa atin ay ang pagsusugal at pagbebenta ng laman ng ating mga lakambini? Hangang kailan matatapos ito? Marami pa naman mga bakanteng pwesto sa Subic, bakit ninanais nila ito ilagay sa bundok na kung saan kailangang putulin ang mga mahigit pang 300 na puno, na matatanda pa sa ating mga ninuno? Bakit hndi bigyan pansin ng ating pamahalaan ang iba pang industriya na magiging kapakipakinbang sa ating mamayan? malinis at marangal? Nagtatanong lang po, at naghihinagpis sa mga nangyayari sa ating inang bayan.

Here's the LINK TO THE ARTICLE: http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/theenvironmentreport/view.php?db=1&article=20081129-175207

Tips on the importance of trees: (in case Llana-Koval and DENR sec, and his people do not know this):

One huge tree saves 200gallons or 800 liters of water. Cut those trees, and there's 240,000 liters of fresh water turned to flood, enough to supply fresh water to 50 families. 3-4 trees converting 2.5kg of CO2 to oxygen. That's almost 200kg of CO2 cleaned from space everyday, or equivalent to cleaning 200 households CO2 waste. BUT IT IS MORE THAN THE TREES. The life sustained in the undergrowth, the wildlife hosted for their breeding, adn food..the ecology, IT IS LIFE.

PLEASE, LET US JOIN HANDS, and spread the word!

How Come the Muslim World Overlooked This?

Koreans burn the Holy Qur'an (Koran) in a protest against the abduction and murder of Koreans in Iraq. The generalization of Islam as a violent religion is false and idiotic.

Oh dear, I hope the following Arab/Muslim news agencies haven't heard of this:

Afgha.com www.afgha.com/
Ain Al Yaqeen www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/
Akhbar Alkhaleej www.akhbar-alkhaleej.com/
Al Arabiya　http://www.alarabiya.net/english.htm
Al Jazeera　http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
Arabic Media Internet Network　http://www.amin.org/eng/index.html
Arabic News www.arabicnews.com/
CNBC Arabia www.cnbcarabia.com/
Egypt Today　http://www.egypttoday.com/
Gulf in the Media www.gulfinthemedia.com/
Iran Daily www.iran-daily.com/1384/2495/html/
Jordan TV www.jrtv.jo/jrtv/index.php
Kabul Press www.kabulpress.org/
Petra News www.petra.gov.jo/arabic/main.asp

Islam is about peace. Sadly some people are so narrow-minded to see that.

Global English Cafe

http://globalenglishcafe.wordpress.com/
Please support and check out our new online school - Global English Cafe. This is just a temporary website. If you have friend or relatives willing to learn English online through Skype, and email, contact us now at gec@pldtdsl.net.

For reasonably priced (cheaper than most actual and other online schools), fast, convenient, mobile and highly convenient way to learn a new language!

The Dog Eaters - Korea Sparkling Cuisine

Korea

Gaegogi literally means "dog meat" in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. The nureongi (누렁이) variety, which has a golden coat and differs from dogs raised as pets which Koreans may keep in their homes, is most often commercially raised for consumption, though a number of other breeds are also sold for food, including some commonly considered as pets.

Dogs have been consumed in Korea dating back to antiquity. Dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. One of the wall paintings in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwangghae Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site which dates from 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse.

Dog meat is usually consumed during the summer months and is either roasted or prepared in soups. The most popular of these soups is gaejang-guk, a spicy stew meant to balance the bodies heat during the summer months, this is thought to ensure good health by balancing one's "ki" or vital energy of the body. A 19th century version of gaejang-guk explains the preparation of the dish by boiling dog meat with green onions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots. The dish is still popular in contemporary Korea during the summer months.

In 1988, during the Summer Olympic games, the government of South Korea closed all restaurants serving gaejang-guk to better improve the countries image to western culture visitors. Brigitte Bardot, a prominent head of a French animal rights organization which is named after her, launched a crusade during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Seoul, Korea, to have dog meat outlawed in Korea. She promoted people to boycott the games in the government did not outlaw the sale of dog meat in restaurants in Seoul. This concept seemed out of place to those people in Southern China, Southeast Asia and parts of Latin America where dog meat is seen as an affordable meat source, especially in China where records of dog consumption date back to 500 B.C. where recipes of dog dishes were listed in the Li Ji for ritual consumption. In 1995 organizers of the largest dog show in England decided to not accept the sponsorship of Samsung, the Korean based electronics company when the International Fund for Animal Welfare claimed that two million dogs were processed for food in Korea annually.

As of 2003, approximately 4,000-6,000 restaurants served soups made from dog meat in Korea. The soups cost about US$10 while dishes of steamed dog meat with rice cost about US$25. Although technically illegal to sell dog meat in Korea, restaurateurs still do so even though they risk losing their restaurant licenses. In 1997 one dog meat wholesaler in Seoul was brought up on charges of selling dog meat illegally, but was later acquitted by the court which ruled that dog meat was a socially accepted food.

Sometimes the dogs killed for consumption are first tortured, in order to increase the "fight" or adrenaline in the meat. A dog that dies painfully is believed to have softer meat, and impart the energy of its death to the consumer. Methods of inflicting painful death include slow hanging and beating. In recent years some people have changed their attitude towards eating dog meat from 'personal choice 'to 'unnecessary cruelty'. Animal rights activists in South Korea have protested against the custom of eating dog meat.

There are several dishes made with dog meat as a primary ingredient such as bosintang or called gaejangguk, gaesuyuk and gaesoju. Bosintang is a soup or stew-like dish seasoned with garlic and perilla leaves, while gaesuyuk is a boiled dog meat. Gaesoju is a fermented drink that is distilled by cooking the dog in a double boiler.

Korea's Animal Protection Law (2007)

http://www.koreananimals.org/animals/apl/2007apl.htm



Philippines-

In the capital city of Manila, Metro Manila Commission Ordinance specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food. More generally, the Philippine Animal Welfare Act 1998 prohibits the killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles except in the following instances:

1. When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an established religion or sect or a ritual required by tribal or ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities; however, leaders shall keep records in cooperation with the Committee on Animal Welfare;
2. When the pet animal is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;
3. When the killing is deemed necessary to put an end to the misery suffered by the animal as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;
4. When it is done to prevent an imminent danger to the life or limb of a human being;
5. When done for the purpose of animal population control;
6. When the animal is killed after it has been used in authorized research or experiments; and
7. Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as determined and certified by a licensed veterinarian.

Nevertheless, as is reported from time to time in Philippine newspapers, the eating of dog meat is not uncommon in the Philippines.

DogMeatTrade.com,an organization working in the Philippines to eliminate the eating of dogs in the country, estimates that 500,000 dogs are killed annually in the Philippine Islands for human consumption.

In the Province of Benguet, Resolution 05-392 has been passed declaring, among other things, "it has been an evolved cultural practice of indigenous peoples of the Cordillera the butchering of animals, dogs included, as part of their rituals and practices leading to its commercialization to a limited extent, and had become an inevitable common necessity in their way of life"; and resolving, among other things, "to seek the help and assistance of the Committee on Animal Welfare, Department of Agriculture, the Regional Police Office, Cordillera Administrative Region, the Provincial Police Office, Benguet Province, for the proper observance of the said rights of indigenous peoples"

Philippine Animal Welfare Act of 1998
http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno8485.htm

Korea to Hire Filipinos, Indians as Cafeteria Servers?? Fuck This.

Whoever talks to the cafeteria lady? Korea, and specifically Gyeonggi Schools want exactly that.They want highly competent Filipinos, which even the United States is running after, to serve kimchi during lunchtime? Are you kidding me? At what? 600,000 Won? That's just like 600 USD and with rent in an ugly apartment in a city in Gyeonggi about 300 USD/month ++ bills, does Korea think that we are some kind of slaves?

Since "Non-native English Speakers" cannot teach English in Korea (Only citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa are allowed to teach in Korea and I have met some of them personally.) so definitely- Filipinos can't teach there unless they are married to some uneducated Korean farmer. Filipino teachers which are highly prized even by native-English speaking countries like the United States can't teach in Korea while 111,000 Koreans went to the Philippines last year to study English. Stupid you think? Me thinks so too.

English Education in Korea is totally fucked. How can you learn English when all your TV Stations on Cable are basically Korean? All the newspapers are in Korean?? It's hard to get around because most of the maps are in Korean! Even the damn computer programs are in freaking Korean? And you hire a country boy from a countrytown in the US or Canada who spells pagoda as "pogoda" and says he is "hurted" (based on true experience) just because he is a native English Speaker? English speaking is not English teaching.

Apparently, South Korean officials are in deep shit now for signing the FTA with the US over beef imports (haha- US sent them beef with Mad Cow Disease) - and their President who champions English instruction apparently can't read English and the stipulations of the agreement.

I have met some nice people in Korea during my stay but I think the country is totally screwed when it comes to this department. The people are just not ready for a global culture. On one of my nights I stayed in Korea, I was passing through a hair salon in Icheon (Gyeonggi-do) one night and saw this sign "Live Hair Salon" and me and my hunny thought that was funny - so I snapped a photo of the sign. Out came this hairstylist about to go home, demanding why was I taking photos of the place (in Korean) and since I don't know how to speak in Korean - she launched into a tirade - "These fucking foreigners who comes to Korea and not speaking in Korean." Emphasis on "fucking"- she used the "shibalo"- a very bad curse in Korea. I got my revenge the next time we passed through that place. I'll post the video.
                                                               "Live Hair Salon"
That's Korea for you folks.

Read on.





Gyeeonggi Schools to Hire English-Speaking Workers
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

The Gyeeonggi Provincial Office of Education said it will encourage schools to hire English-speaking Indians and Filipinos for jobs at cafeterias or stores within schools to give students more chances to speak English.

``We will encourage schools to hire Indians and Filipinos for English zones and school stores to give students opportunities to use English during lunch and break times,’’ it said in a statement. It expects schools to hire them at relatively lower costs than native English speakers. About 50 schools in the province will initially test run the scheme.

However, the statement of the education agency has invited criticism from embassies and civic organizations as well as other education offices.

``Cheap doesn’t mean low quality. We have many high-quality English teachers in the Philippines,’’ said Jed Dayang, spokesman of the Philippine Embassy to Seoul.

A source from Indian embassy also said that Indians will not come to Korea to work at stores at schools, mentioning that there are many high-quality English teachers working in the U.S., Japan and China.

A supervisor from Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also pointed out it is discriminative. ``So Americans are not allowed to work at English zones and stores?’’ she said.

Regarding this, Hwang Ik-joong, senior supervisor of the Gyeonggi Education Office told The Korea Times, ``We meant to use foreigners who can speak English well but cannot teach English in Korea due to immigration regulations that only allow foreign teachers by nationality.’’

Additionally, the education office plans to increase the number of native English-speaking teachers from 1,272 to 1,952 by 2010 so that all schools will have at least one native English teacher, at a cost of 24 billion won ($24 million).

The education authorities will also strengthen training programs for foreign teachers. Under the plan, supervisors from the education office will monitor and assist foreign English teachers during the classes to help improve their teaching skills.

Meanwhile, the education office plans to increase the number of Korean English teachers who can conduct classes only in English from current 56 percent to 70 percent through traininig programs by the end of the year. It will ultimately make all English teachers teach only in Enlgish by 2011.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/03/113_21557.html
-------------------------------------------------------------

^^ They can't even spell 'English' right.

"The entire Korean peninsula is like a human appendix (interestingly it looks like that too), you are not sure why it is there since it serves no purpose other than potentially killing you when your appendix bursts (sic Nuclear instability)."

Visit to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, WSBI Conference, Dongbu Savings Meeting

All in Seoul

Rainy Day Icheon

One of those cold rainy days in Korea..

View of the Jung-gu District, Seoul From Lotte Hotel

View of the Jung-Gu District from the Garnet Room (37F) of Lotte Hotel in Seoul

Filipino Kid wins English Speaking Union (ESU) International Public Speaking Contest

Just because we are not "Native Speakers of English" doesn't mean that we can't whip the asses of so-called "native english speakers" that countries like Korea hire to teach its population and instead hire teachers that spells "Pagoda" as "pogoda" and "hurted". This is the second time a Filipino wins the top plum since it joined the ESU competitions in 2002. With the Philippines, one of the main players in BPO and Contact Center services- the country has a huge pool of highly skilled, well-educated English-speaking population that counts as one of the biggest in the world. Why not? Even the Philippine Constitution is in English, the executive, legislative and judicial proceedings are all in English, all the major newspapers are in English.



Filipino wins UK contest with fish mucus, fungus
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:31:00 06/02/2008

MANILA, Philippines—While London was abuzz with the premiere of "Sex and the City" last month, a Filipino wowed Brits with a speech on fish mucus and foot fungus.

Gian Karlo Dapul, 16, won this year's International Public Speaking Competition conducted on May 9 by the English-Speaking Union (ESU) for his speech titled "Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus."

"I wasn't confident of winning. I wasn't planning on winning," Dapul told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Thursday. "On the plane I was just thinking: 'Yehey, I get to stay in London for a week.'"

The incoming senior at the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City was one of the youngest contestants, yet he bested 57 speakers from more than 30 other countries, including the United States, England and Australia.

Dapul is the second Filipino to top the competition after then University of the Philippines student Patricia Evangelista won in 2004, proving anew that foreigners can speak English well. Evangelista now writes a column for the Inquirer newspaper, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

The competition is one of the ESU's most popular international programs. The ESU is an international charity founded in 1918 with the aim of fostering international understanding through the English language.

Dapul acknowledged that the other competitors spoke more eloquently of their topics -- teenage sex, communism, the bane of Internet, yearning for peace -- but reckoned that the content of his speech gave him the edge.

Improbable items

He delivered a speech on the wonders that scientific research could do for the country's public health, citing for instance, researches on the curative powers of fish mucus and foot fungus.

"Although I'm only 16 years old and an incoming fourth year high school student, I know that my country has more problems than any Mathematics book. Strangely enough, the answers to some of our problems are fish mucus and foot fungus," he said in his speech. "These seemingly improbable items are products of what we call scientific research."

Dapul went on to point out that nudibranch, a soft-bodied sea creature, has been used in tumor research, that samples of fish mucus have certain antibacterial properties, and some types of infectious fungi that coat a person's toes "form beneficial relationships" that support plant growth.

"New challenges are coming, and they will always confront us. What we need is an army of scientific researchers that will help find the solutions in advance. I want to be part of the army that would cross the new frontiers first," he said.

By accident

In the interview with the Inquirer, Dapul said he learned of the ESU national competition in Manila by "accident" from a classmate -- a fellow member of the high school debating team --who prodded him to join for kicks. He almost didn't make it.

He signed up, but forgot all about it until the night before the April 8 competition.

"I checked it out, and shucks, I found out it was going to be held the next day. What's more, I didn't know I had to deliver a prepared speech. So I panicked," Dapul said.

So he locked himself in his room the whole night and wrote his speech in some five hours, finding the topic of scientific research "perfect" for the ESU theme of "New Horizons, New Frontiers."

"I crammed for my speech," he said, recalling that he wrote down his major ideas in bullet points.

The next day, Dapul, the fourth of six children, asked his mother Rosanna to drive him to the contest venue on the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City -- the first time he told his parents about the competition.

There, he found himself pitted against college students. But to his surprise and his parents', he was named one of the eight finalists that day, and the winner, the next day.

"We were all surprised. They were just telling me to do well so I could land second or third place," he said.

The national contest was initiated by a Philippine chapter of the ESU, which has been sending representatives to the international competition each year since it was formed in 2002 by a group of Filipino writers.

As the winner, Dapul represented the country in the ESU's international public speaking competition in London, and delivered essentially the same -- but more polished -- speech.

Last speaker

On May 5, Dapul traveled with his father Santi to London, and stayed for a day at the home of his brother Omar before he checked in at a hotel, an accommodation provided by the ESU.

During the semifinal heats at the ESU headquarters in Dartmouth House, the young Dapul was bracketed with 14 others, including native speakers of English from the United States, England and Australia. He was the first speaker.

"After my speech, I watched the others. They were really, really good. I felt nervous for the first time," he recalled.

In the end, only he and another Chinese student in their bracket moved on to the finals, along with six others, later held that day at the US Embassy. This time, he was the last speaker. After his speech, he fielded questions from the audience.

Scientific romance

"In the finals, I was more confident. As they say on 'American Idol' (reality talent show), the last spot is the winning spot. It gave me confidence because I saw what I was up against," he said.

"They had good delivery, but I had better content. That's what I told myself then," he added.

After he was declared the winner, Dapul was presented a winner's cup and a silver gavel. The cup stayed at the ESU headquarters for display. In November, he will be presented with a certificate at the ESU awards ceremony by Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace.

Choosing scientific research as a topic was just natural for him, said Dapul, who has been a consistent director's list scholar and an officer of the student council since his freshman year.

By focusing on the topic, he was able to highlight potential researches, particularly those dealing with cures to diseases, waiting to be discovered, tested and applied.

Likes trains

"I thought that if people saw how our research can actually help, not only here but also internationally, the government might notice and start funding the research," he said.

Of his London experience, Dapul relished the rollicking fun he and the other students had while touring the city, including visits to the House of Parliament and a theater.

"The most exciting part was commuting on [subway] trains. I'm not really fond of the attractions. The trains were intersecting. It was easy to get on and off. It was very convenient," he said.


Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Food and Beer Korea!

63 Tower - Seoul

One of the highest towers in Seoul. Check out the pollution over the city.

I'm scared of heights. Period.

Korean Hooker Street

A stroll through Icheon's Red Light.

Korea Sparkling

Incheon, Seoul, Icheon-more to come..

Korea Bound

Start:	May 17, '08
End:	May 25, '08
Location:	Seoul and Icheon, Korea

I am going to attend the 14th World Savings Banks Institute Asia Pacific Regional Group Meeting, 8th World Savings Banks Institute Asia Pacific Contact Persons' Meeting, Meetings at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul and our partner bank- Dongbu Savings Bank.

Will be staying with my hunny in Icheon (yes, not Incheon). :P

First International Flights to Western Visayas Land in Mardi Gras town

We have been saying this all along- Kalibo and Boracay are the real destinations in Western Visayas and NOT Iloilo nor Negros. How and why Iloilo and Silay Cities got the International Airport status is totally unimaginable. Last May 11th, Asian Spirit started its maiden non-stop voyage from the port city of Incheon, Korea and landed in the town of Kalibo, a town famous for the grandest, most riotous and the wildest among all the Philippine festivals - the Atiatihan Festival held every Third Week of January and also serves as the gateway to one of the top 10 best beaches in the world and the queen jewel of Philippine tourism- Boracay Island.

Before this flights, Kalibo Airport has already been accepting chartered flights from Russia and other countries in the past. With Asian Spirit providing the first flights, it is expected that other airlines (Cebu Pacific, PAL, Air Asia and other budget airlines perhaps?) would be likely to follow. Now, I wonder who would be using the Iloilo International? Or the Silay International? If I am a tourist, I would definitely choose the airport closer to my destination which in this case would be Boracay. I wouldnt want to travel at least 4-5 more hours by land when I can cut my travel time to one hour right? In the case of Iloilo Airport, my hunch is that it will be converted into a cargo airport like Subic which does make sense since most of the major businesses in the region is located in Iloilo, but as a tourist airport, I really dont see any potential for that airport -there are not enough tourist destinations in Iloilo- except for the scattered heritage houses, and churches. Silay Airport is a bit redundant then if you have the Iloilo Airport for international cargo. The main tourist destination in Negros is Apo Island off Dumaguete, which is too far from Silay.

Anyway, here is a news report from Sun Star Iloilo regarding the first Kalibo Flights:

1st international flight lands in Kalibo

KALIBO -- A historic day and a dream come true in the province of Aklan and the municipality of Kalibo.

This was how Aklan Representative Florencio T. Miraflores described the landing Friday at the Kalibo Airport of Aklan's first international flight.

The landing of the Asian Spirit plane here from Incheon, South Korea to Kalibo was also Western Visayas' first international flight.

The McDonnel Douglas MD82 plane touched down the Kalibo Airport at 11:50 a.m., loaded with passengers from South Korea, who were welcomed at the airport reception area by Aklan's officials.

Representative Miraflores said that with the landing of the first international flight in Aklan, it is foreseen that the Kalibo Airport will be further developed into its true international status.

He recalled that when he was the governor of the province and the chairperson of the Regional Development Council, he fought for the conversion of the Kalibo Airport to an international one, but then Iloilo was selected to be the site.

This did not deter him and the other Aklan leaders to pursue the dream, " and finally, today, this is the realization of that dream," he said.

Miraflores also acknowledged the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for providing the budget for the Instrumental Landing System and the Navigation Aid, which enabled the Kalibo Airport to be ready for international flights.

"This first international flight is just the start of better things to come to Aklan. If Kalibo will be developed into its true international status, Governor Marquez and I could go to Malacaang and say "Madame President, here is the proof that the best destination is Kalibo and not Iloilo.

Then if we are given more funds, we can extend the terminal, although a budget of P50 million has been included already for the extension of the departure and arrival area for international flights.

We still think this is not enough, as we should prepare for the influx of more tourists. We expect Asiana, Korean Airlines and PAL to come in because we have proven today that Kalibo is ready for business in the international market," Miraflores said.

Miraflores also said that his and Governor Marquez' next step is to request the Air Transportation Office to grant the Kalibo Airport an international gateway status so anytime, day and night, the airport could be used.

For his part, Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez said the province' opening to international flights will immensely boost Aklan's status as a world tourist destination. He also said that a booming tourism industry would help alleviate poverty, which is a must in Aklan.

On the other hand, Alan Java, Area Manager, Area Centerpoint of ATO in Iloilo City said he could not help but agree that the unity of Aklan leaders beat all the odds, "because today is a milestone in history of aviation industry in Region 6, that despite the allocation of P6 billion for Iloilo International Airport, Kalibo was the first to receive an international flight."

Java also conveyed the congratulatory greetings and assurance of ATO Assistant Secretary Nilo Jalico to continue "this endeavor started until this airport really becomes the gateway of the entire Panay Island and Western Visayas to the international community as far as international flights is concerned. While Iloilo is still planning big flights, you have done it."

DOT Regional Director, who also gave a message in the short program after the arrival of the inaugural flight, emphasized the importance of doing things together as shown by Aklan's leadership.

He said the flight was a historic event in the sense that not only was this the first international flight from a regional destination but this also Aklan's contribution to the development of the tourism industry in Western Visayas.

"Despite the waiting in the wings of international airports in Iloilo and Bacolod, I guess they have to learn something from what you have done here," Trompeta said.

The Asian Spirit flights, according to an airline official, will land in Aklan twice a week - every Friday and Monday. The plane is a 165 seater. Travel time from South Korea to Kalibo is four hours. (Venus G. Villanueva-PIA)

HELLO WORLD! WELCOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY TO WESTERN VISAYAS- WELCOME TO KALIBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT!