Filipino flight attendants treat passengers to safety dance

Flight attendants for a Philippine airline have treated passengers to some festive cheer with a dancing safety demonstration complete with Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You in the background. 

Manila-based Cebu Pacific airline gained fame by dancing through their safety routine to the backing of Lady Gaga, but this time have updated it for the holiday period.

The airline says the choreographed dance helps passengers pay more attention to the demonstration, which instructs passengers of how to use their seat belts and life jackets.

Candice Iyog, an airline spokesman, said: "Now that it's Christmas, we wanted to bring a little more fun into the flight."

She added that passenger reaction had been good.

Video of the routine shows four attendants in orange shirts and khaki shorts dancing away on select flights. It has since become popular on YouTube, being watched more than 30,000 times.

They airline made headlines back in October when performances featuring Lady Gaga and Katy Perry went viral on YouTube.
Cebu Pacific Airlines is the largest airline in the Philippines and is renowned for its low cost fares and gimmicks that include in-flight games and giveaways.

Australia issues travel warning for Philippines after Aussie Warren Rodwell kidnapped

Australian Warren Rodwell is missing in the the Philippines with fears he was abducted by Muslim militants. 

THE AUSTRALIAN Government has issued a travel warning for parts of the Philippines as the search for a Sydney man who was kidnapped at gunpoint from a seaside town continued yesterday. 

Warren Rodwell was snatched from his home late Monday in the town of Ipil on the main island of Mindanao and authorities appear to be no closer to tracking down his armed captors.

Local police said the 53-year-old was shot in the foot during the abduction as he wrestled with up to six gunmen.

Police recovered an empty bullet casing and found blood outside the property, the Mindanao Examiner reported.

"Rodwell was shot in the foot while trying to fight off the kidnappers, who are members of a local gang, but with links to the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province," Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang said without further elaborating.


The Abu Sayyaf terror group was founded in 1990 with al Qaeda funding and has been blamed for the Philippines' worst terrorist attacks, including a ferry bombing that killed more than 100 people in 2004, as well as the beheading of foreigners. It is part of a Muslim separatist rebellion which has been raging for 40 years.

Cabangbang said security forces have launched a massive search for Mr Rodwell, who was born in Sydney but has spent the past decade teaching English across Asia.

He was living in Ipil, in the southern Philippines, where he and Filipino wife, Miraflor Gutang, 27, also known as Grace, ran a store. She reportedly walked out on him after an argument only days before he was kidnapped, The Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing information from police.

Ipil acting Mayor Alberto Alcoriza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Mr Rodwell had been warned about the dangers of the region and offered security protection -- but told authorities he could protect himself.

"He told us then that he'd fight back in case he encountered security problems," Mr Alcoriza said.

Mr Rodwell is the 10th foreigner to be kidnapped in the southern Philippines this year.

The Australian Government has established a consular task force to deal with the kidnapping, while in an increased travel warning, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Transport urged people not to travel to central and western Mindanao, and reconsider plans to visit eastern Mindanao, because of the threat of terror attacks and kidnapping.

It said, "If you are in central and western Mindanao, you should consider leaving. If, despite our advice, you decide to visit central or western Mindanao, you should put in place robust measures to ensure your personal security."

ANGELES CITY The Center of Nightlife For Many

Angeles City is the centre of nightlife for many. Angeles City offers 24-hour entertainment in its many pubs, bars and restaurants but it is after dark that Angeles city really comes to life, especially for singles seeking a companion with whom to explore the rest of the Philippines. Angeles City / Clark History Angeles City in history was the place where to escape the seasonal flooding that plagued the provincial capitol of Pampanga - San Fernando City - for centuries. Angeles City, built on higher ground then San Fernando, and away from the flood plains, became famous as the playground for U.S. Forces stationed at the adjacent Clark Air Base - "Clark Field" (renamed Clark International Airport and very recently renamed, Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA)). The area surrounding historic Clark Field and Angeles City is marked with shrines and monuments to many wars, conflicts and disasters, from the Philippine American War (1899-1902) through World War II and to more recent times. You can still find sections of railroad track in Angeles City and on Clark Field that transported prisoners of war, who survived the infamous Bataan Death March (1942), North to La Union from where they were loaded into Hell Ships and shipped to Japan for slave labour. Most recently Clark Field and Angeles City were covered in layers of ash from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (1991), and the surrounding valleys & plains were swamped by lahar flows - changing some of the landscape beyond recognition. During World War II the rice fields adjacent to the modern Clark International Airport were dotted with airstrips from where the first kamikaze flights, by the Japanese Air Force, took to the air. Flying is still a significant part of life and sport around Angeles City, although kamikaze flights are now banned. In Angeles City / Clark Field many of the World's best commercial pilots are now trained in flight simulators, as well as in real aircraft. The Angeles City Flying Club offers pleasure flights and full flying training courses in ultralight / microlight aircraft. Angeles City Hotels Angeles City hotels come in all shapes and sizes, giving the choice of anything from backpacker pension houses to 5-star luxury hotels, some with jacuzzis in every room. Hotel bookings in Angeles City hotels are easy if you contact Swagman Travel Service. Things To Do In Angeles City / Clark Things to do in Angeles City / Clark include visiting Mount Pinatubo, which remains a significant tourist attraction - being the site of the World's largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century. Mount Pinatubo offers hiking enthusiasts superb hiking tours. Hiking too strenuous? you can take flying tours from Clark Field, flying into the Mount Pinatubo crater. Take home some spectacular photographs of Mother Nature's awesome power. Ask Swagman Travel Service about arranging adventure tours, hiking or flying to Mount Pinatubo. Meet also the Aeta, the indigenous people of the area, many of whom were displaced by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and now eke out a living around Clark Field, selling attractive handicrafts and novelties in both Clark and Angeles City. Visit Angeles City and Clark Field also for motor racing, drag racing, horseback riding, golf, casinos and the annual international hot air balloon festival, which takes place on Clark Field every February. Angeles City Nightlife Angeles City nightlife (in the city itself) is very modest but nightlife along Fields Avenue, Balibago, is legendary for its variety & color. Angeles City nightlife in the area of Fields Avenue, is the major attraction for many. Fields Avenue features scores of bars overflowing with minimally dressed receptionists and Guest Relations Officers, all aiming to remove a traveler's boredom and loneliness. Dive into the Angeles City nightlife for the coldest-cheapest beers, warmest welcomes and coziest casinos. Also along Fields Avenue (and in the adjacent streets), more than a kilometer of pubs, bars and restaurants aim to satisfy every taste and whim, at any time of day or night. Some of the best value-for-money restaurants in the Philippines, offering a mouth-watering choice of North American, European, Australian & Asian cuisine, can be found in Angeles City's Fields Avenue, Balibago area . . . and most are less expensive than alternatives in Metro Manila.

Philippines row over sex tourism remark by US envoy

 

Teenage girls have been targeted by sex traffickers in the Philippines

The US ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas, has apologised for saying that 40% of male tourists visit the country for sex.

His remark during a conference last month led to a local outcry, with officials unhappy at their country being portrayed as a sex haven.
The US embassy confirmed Mr Thomas had now expressed regret for his comments.
In a text message to a Philippine minister, he said he should not have used the statistic without proof.
Washington has been asking Manila to do more to prosecute foreigners - including Americans - accused of involvement in child prostitution and human trafficking.
The Philippine government has been trying to revitalise the country's tourism industry, which for years has lagged behind those of other Asian countries.

Angeles City

Angeles City is in the Pampanga province of the Philippine Islands on the large island of Luzon. The home of the former Clark Air Force Base, which is now known as the Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City is now home to many retired expatriates (expats) who live there due to the low cost of living and the high entertainment value.

The title of being the entertainment capital of North Luzon is due to the active nightlife in Angeles City. Its entertainment district comes alive as the sun sets in the west. This area is lined with bars and clubs where one can spend the night partying. The place has been described as asleep during the day and awake at night on more than one occasion - even though there are plenty of great fun and shopping spots around the city as well. Other than partying every night, there are other destinations and things to do in Angeles and around in Pampanga.

Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Nesat

 

Teams are gradually clearing the streets of debris left by the typhoon

A huge clean-up operation is under way in the Philippines after Typhoon Nesat battered the capital Manila and the main island, Luzon.

The death toll rose to 18 with 35 still missing after heavy rain and powerful winds triggered storm surges.
Most deaths occurred in and around Manila, officials said.
Nesat is now in the South China Sea with 120km/h (75mph) winds and due to reach China's Hainan Island on Thursday evening or early Friday.
Power supplies were gradually being restored to central Manila on Wednesday, officials said, and services on the Metro resumed.
However, more than a million people in Luzon remained without power.
Emergency teams were clearing away fallen trees, debris and broken-down cars while schools and offices reopened.
Civil defence chief Benito Ramos said crews were also repairing and clearing 61 road networks across Luzon damaged by landslides, debris and flooding.
Some areas are still under water including Manila Ocean Park and Taft Avenue. The US Embassy, which was flooded on Tuesday, remained closed.
City Mayor Alfredo Lim said huge waves had breached the sea wall allowing water from Manila Bay to engulf wide areas.
"This is the first time that this kind of flooding happened here," he said.
Flooding in Luzon was made worse when the government released water from four dams that had reached critical levels in Bulacan province.
Meanwhile, another tropical storm brewing in the Pacific Ocean could hit the Philippines within the week, the state weather bureau warned.
"We need to finish emergency work in the aftermath of Nesat before this storm comes," Mr Ramos said.
"We are praying for the skies to clear a little bit today."
Nesat, which had a diameter of 650km (400 miles) and carried gusts of up to 170km/h (105 mph), made landfall just before dawn on Tuesday on the Pacific coast.
The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons but Nesat is thought to be the largest this year.
It comes almost exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana killed more than 400 people.

Powerful Typhoon Nesat hits Philippines

A powerful typhoon has struck the Philippines, triggering floods and cutting power in the capital Manila and throughout the main island, Luzon.

Typhoon Nesat also forced the closure of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the US embassy, and the ground floor of Manila's main hospital was flooded.
At least seven people have been killed, including several children.
As Nesat approached, the authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 in central Albay province.
The typhoon is expected to continue slowly across the country, before blowing across the South China Sea towards southern China on Thursday.

There has been really heavy rain and wind here since last night. The typhoon seems to have been moving from east to west of the island of Luzon and affecting large parts of it. And when you think that Luzon is home to more than half the Philippine population it means that a lot of people have been affected.
There are a lot of very poor people in the country, and I was filming in some of the poorer areas of Manila yesterday, in low-lying slums. There was a little rain during the day and already the homes were being flooded.
Now we're a day on and it's been raining solidly since then. There must be real fears for people living in those kinds of areas.

Crushed

Nesat made landfall just before dawn on Tuesday in the eastern Isabela and Aurora provinces on the Pacific coast.

The storm - with a diameter of 650km (400 miles) and wind gusts of up to 170km/h (105mph) - is now making its way across Luzon, Kate McGeown in the central Luzon province of Zambales reports.
Many roads have been flooded and flights cancelled, and local media are urging people against non-essential travel, our correspondent says.
An adult and three children were crushed to death as a building collapsed in a northern Manila suburb on Tuesday, AFP news agency quoted the Office of Civil Defence as saying.

 

Two men were said to have died north of the capital in a landslide and weather-induced accident.
There is waist-deep flooding in parts of the capital.
Reporters described huge waves crashing into Manila Bay's seawall, with water overflowing into Roxas Boulevard and flooding streets and parks around the US embassy, which was evacuated.
The ground floor of Manila hospital was flooded, and staff were forced to move patients to the first floor.
"We've heard of Manila Hospital being flooded, but we're struggling to reach the area even though we've co-ordinated with them already to help in an evacuation plan," Philippine National Red Cross secretary general Gwen Pang told AFP.
A five-star hotel was also evacuated, reports said.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents living inland along the Marikana river were evacuated as it threatened to overflow.
Government offices, schools and universities were closed.
In Isabela province, four coastal towns under threat from storm surges have been evacuated.
Four fishermen are missing, and more than 50 more have been rescued after their boats capsized in rough seas.
There are fears that the death toll may rise further.
Late on Monday, the first reported casualty of the typhoon was a baby who fell into a swollen river in the eastern province of Catanduanes.

 

Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated in Luzon

Earlier, about 110,000 people in several towns of the Albay province were ordered to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere.
"We can't manage typhoons, but we can manage their effects," provincial Governor Joey Salceda was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons, about 20 a year, but Nesat is thought to be the largest this year.
It comes almost exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana killed more than 400 people.