June 1 - 15, 2017
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
Philippine Flag planted over Benham
(Philippine) Rise
To mark its sovereignty over
Philippine Rise (formerly Benham
Rise), the Philippines planted the
national flag there on Monday,
June 12, celebrating the 119th In-
dependence Day.
Divers from the Philippine Na-
vy’s newest ship, the BRP Davao del
Sur, set the flag on a concrete base
57 meters below the water surface.
As the divers hoisted the Philippine
flag underwater on Philippine Rise,
another flag was also raised above
deck of the Navy’s biggest and
newest ship, the BRP Davao del
Sur. The Philippine Coast Guard,
Breaking Point
Continued from PAGE 7
old friend, our chances of indepen-
dence from this new “colonizer” is
as far as the islands on which this
volcanic ridge stands. Raising the
Philippine flag on it last Indepen-
dence Day celebration is a farce
- it’s like shooting blanks, simply
because the President himself has
declared the Philippines will freely
give Benham Rise, or Philippine
Rise, as he “thoughtfully” renamed
it, to China any time it raises its
weapons to claim it.
There is no real independence
for the Philippines. Our forefathers
have fought long and hard for
1896 to happen, and us just giving
it away with just one threat is an act
of cowardice. I dedicate this Fa-
ther’s Day to our heroes who knew
what it was like to taste freedom
Bulong Pulungan
Continued from PAGE 7
Cebu, Iloilo, Palawan, and around
Metro Manila.
Lea joined the orchestra in
the CCP for a one-night show. This
stage, she reminded her audience,
was where she first sang profes-
sionally and auditioned for Miss
Saigon which made her an inter-
national star at 17 years old.
Last April Lea had sang in
Utah, where the Brighton Young
orchestra is based and was such a
hit there too, the conductor Kory
related.
So the second teamup was
just perfect and we were part of
the enthusiastic audience clamor-
ing for “more, more.” Lea obliged
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources and civilian volunteers
participated in the event.Aurora
Rep. Bellaflor Amhara-Castillo and
Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil
attended the event as guests of
honor.
The flag that was planted in
the Philippine Rise was a stan-
dard 0.9 m x 1.35 m, and is made
of fiber glass to withstand damage
by saltwater. The pole, made of
stainless steel, is 14 meters tall.
Scout Ranger and member
of the Presidential Security Group
Maj. Christopher Constantino, ,
despite the adversities. They knew
what it is to have palabra de honor,
unlike the current leaders who are
running the country today, ready to
tuck their tails between their legs
at the sight of Chinese boatmen in
the South China Sea.
When Quezon said, “I prefer a
government run like hell by Filipinos
to a government run like heaven by
Americans,” he was not kidding. He
got his wish, but the cost of inde-
pendence is not cheap, and can be
negotiated. Unfortunately, you get
what you bargain for. Despite the
blood our heroes paid to gain in-
dependence, we have squandered
it aimlessly, and no longer hold to
an identity of heroes. We can only
hope that someday we will be bet-
ter, and we will be truly called a
proud and independent nation, the
way we ought to be called.●
served as one of the lead divers. He
said that despite some glitches, the
divers were able to plant the flag
underwater in about 19 minutes.
The undersea plateau is locat-
ed off eastern Luzon, in the Pacific
Ocean.
The 13-million-hectare sub-
merged region is within the Philip-
pines’ exclusive economic zone.The
United Nations granted the Philip-
pines’ claim to Philippine Rise as
an extension of the country’s con-
tinental shelf
in 2012.
C h i -
nese survey
ships were
spotted
in
the area for
about three
months last
year and the
sightings
prompted
President
Duterte to
assert Phil-
ippine sover-
eignty over
the
region
and rename
it Philippine
Rise through
Executive
Order
No.
25,
which
he signed on
May 16.●
How Our Fathers Fought
to the sheer delight of the packed
house.
Lea grows more confident ev-
ery time she performs and it is al-
ways a “new” Lea we hear in her
concerts—witty repartee, beauti-
ful-sounding vocals, and still get-
ting better and better. Are we gush-
ing? Yes. My daughter Sandee just
loves Wicked and she swears Lea
sings Gravity better than the origi-
nal Broadway. Of course her songs
from Disney’s Mulan and Aladdin
are precious jewels!
Thanks to Haidi Fajardo of the
Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter
Day Saints for inviting us to watch
the most travelled school orchestra
in the world and our own Lea Sa-
- mb.com
longa!●
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