SBMA to support Ayta tribe in biodiversity conservation

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be a partner of the Magbukun Ayta tribe here in their effort to protect and preserve their indigenous environment and culture.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma pledged the agency’s support to the Magbukun tribe on Saturday at the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project, which will be implemented with the support of the local government unit of Morong and the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID), places the Ayta tribe at the forefront of conservation efforts since they live in the conservation site, which forms a part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“We will be giving our all-out support to this endeavor not only because the project will be implemented within the Freeport Zone, but also because we at the SBMA consider environmental protection our fundamental advocacy,” Eisma said at the sidelines of the ceremony.

She recalled that the SBMA has initiated the social-fencing concept at the Freeport to make residents of upland areas in the zone be part of the overall strategy to preserve Subic’s natural environment.

Eisma also noted that the SBMA has been successful in a similar program with the Ambala Ayta tribe at the Pastolan village in the Subic Bay Freeport, for which the agency has been recognized as the best in social responsibility initiative.

“What we have successfully done for the Pastolan Ayta tribe, we also hope to do with the Magbukun folk,” she added.

Under the ICCA program, residents living within or nearby the conservation area will serve as protectors of the environment, while the local government unit will take the lead in implementing conservation and protection activities.

According to the UNDP, ICCAs are spaces de facto governed by indigenous peoples or local communities with evidently positive outcomes for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity.

Some ICCAs are situated in remote ecosystems that have had minimum human influence, while others encompass areas of various regulations and magnitudes within regions strongly affected modified by human occupation.

The ICCAs can be classified as sacred areas or ritual grounds for the indigenous communities residing near it and may include forests, mountains, shorelines, wetlands, fishing areas, and other bodies of water.

The UNDP hopes that through the ICCAs, the continuation, revival or modification of traditional practices or even new initiatives may succeed in protecting and restoring natural resources and cultural values in the face of new threats or opportunities. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe, assisted by some local government officials, launch the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (center, front row) join members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe during the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma with elderly Ayta members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe during the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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US Navy missile cruiser docks at Subic following WPS patrol

The USS Shiloh, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy, docked at this premier Freeport yesterday after conducting routine operations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The ship arrived here two days after the release of the United Nations (UN)-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected China’s claims over much of the WPS.

The USS Shiloh was part of the group of the US Carrier Strike Group 5, including the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

The patrolling US Navy fleet also included the USS Chancellorsville, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON), and aircrafts from Carrier Air Wing (CVW).

A report from the US Navy stated that the routine operations in the WPS are conducted to maintain and improve readiness and develop their cohesion as a strike group.

Meanwhile, the John C. Stennis Strike Group and the Carrier Strike Group-5 (CSG-5) conducted Dual Carrier operations.

According to the Rear Admiral John Alexander, commander of Task Force 70, the Dual Carrier operations is done to maintain interoperability between the ships and aircrafts.

He added that these forward-deployed ships are operating in the WPS to maintain the area “open for all to use.”

“The U.S. Navy has flown, sailed and operated throughout the Western Pacific in accordance with international law for over a century, and will continue to do so,” Alexander said. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
The USS Shiloh, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy, is moored at the Alava Wharf of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a routine port call Thursday (July 14) morning. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

http://www.mb.com.ph/us-navy-missile-cruiser-docks-at-subic-following-wps-patrol/

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Coast Guard releases North Korea ship

After almost three weeks of being detained at the Port of Subic, the Philippine Coast Guard released the North Korean cargo ship M/V Jin Teng and its 21 crewmen last Holy Thursday.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said that there was no deliberate intention to set the vessel and its crew free during the Holy Week when almost everyone was preoccupied with vacation and Lenten activities.

Philippines Coast Guard officials inspect North Korean freighter Jin Teng in Subic Bay in this handout photo from the coast guard on March 3, 2016. (Reuters/ PCG handout via Reuters)

“It just so happened that we received the order to release the ship M/V Jin Teng so we implemented (it),” Balilo said.

Transportation and Communications Undersecretary for Operations Edwin Lopez signed the release order, he added.

The vessel and its crew were detained on March 3 while unloading palm kernel and other agricultural products. Although the inspectors found nothing illegal when it was first checked on March 3, it was held at port following an order from the United Nations.

Inspectors who checked the ship noted that some of the fire hose boxes were empty and not ready for immediate use, a few emergency light bulbs were either busted or not working, the ballast air vent heads at the main deck were corroded and some electrical switches in the sub panel board at the engine room with 440 volts were without insulation materials.

Balilo said the defects have been remedied and the foreign ship was given clearance by the Coast Guard’s Port State Control before they were allowed to leave.

The North Korean ship’s release was in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The 4,355 gross ton M/V Jin Teng was flying a Sierra Leone flag registry and was one of 31 vessels owned by North Korean shipping firm Ocean Maritime Management Company (OMM) that was ordered blacklisted by the United Nations on suspicion that it was used in smuggling weapons of mass destruction.

Throughout its stay at the Port of Subic, the Bureau of Immigration did not issue shore passes to the 21 North Korean crewmembers.

The ship’s next port of destination is Shindao, China. (Evelyn Macairan, The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/03/27/1566570/coast-guard-releases-north-korea-ship

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UN lifts sanctions on 4 ships once linked to North Korea

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has decided to lift sanctions on four ships originally linked to a North Korean shipping company after determining that there were no ties to the company as China claimed.

Two U.N. diplomats confirmed Tuesday that the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea has taken the ships off the U.N. blacklist. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also confirmed the move in a statement provided by a spokesman from China's U.N. Mission.

One of the ships that had sanctions lifted is the Jin Teng, which was on the list of 31 ships linked to North Korea's Ocean Maritime Management company whose vessels have carried arms and illegal goods to the country.

It was inspected and detained in Subic Bay, a former U.S.-run naval base in The Philippines, soon after the Security Council imposed its toughest-ever sanctions on North Korea on March 2.

The Philippines Coast Guard said it was coming from Indonesia and loaded with palm kernel expeller, which is a byproduct of palm oil production that has several uses, including as feed for farm animals. It said the ship's documents showed the cargo was for consignees in the Philippines and no new cargo would be loaded at Subic Bay.

China asked the sanctions committee to remove the four ships from the list after discovering that they were not part of Ocean Maritime Management's fleet.

The United States and China, North Korea's traditional ally, spent seven weeks negotiating new sanctions in response to the North's fourth nuclear test in January and rocket launch in February.

They include, among other things, mandatory inspections of cargo leaving and entering North Korea by sea or air.

PHOTO:
The Jin Teng, docked at the Port of Subic

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/a1c266e9cb16484e931a1735caf8af4b/un-lifts-sanctions-4-ships-once-linked-north-korea

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Palace: NoKor ship stays until probe is completed

MALACAÑANG yesterday said the North Korean vessel being held at the Subic Bay Freeport would remain under Philippine custody until the investigation is completed and a decision is reached on what to do with the ship.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Philippines is committed to upholding a United Nations Security Council resolution that restricts the movement of vessels that may be used in transporting equipment or armaments that the UN seeks to restrict.

“The Philippine government is complying with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270 on the imposition of sanctions pertaining to North Korea. For this reason, the M/V Jin Teng has been impounded in the port of Subic, Zambales...It was decided that the Coast Guard will continue to hold the vessel at port until the ongoing inquiry and investigation has been completed. It was also agreed that the crew may be allowed to leave if justified by the results of the investigation,” Coloma said.

He said an interagency body composed of the foreign affairs, transportation, and justice departments, along with the Bureau of Immigration and Philippine Coast Guard has met with the National Coast Watch Center to discuss further actions on the vessel.

Last Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said no date has been set as to when the 21 crew members of the vessel would be allowed to leave the country.

The Jin Teng is registered and flagged under multiple countries but is said to be one of the 31 listed vessels owned by North Korea. It arrived in Subic Bay on March 4 and was impounded by the Philippine Coast Guard.

The UN resolution, which was passed after a North Korean nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket test in February, requires all member states to inspect all cargo ships to and from North Korea.

It also bans all exports including coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore, rare earth metals, and all types of aviation fuel to North Korea. (Jocelyn Montemayor, Malaya)

PHOTO:
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/palace-nokor-ship-stays-until-probe-completed

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PHL waits for UN response on impounded North Korean ship

THE Philippine coast guard said it was closely watching a North Korean vessel and its 21 crew members on Sunday, as officials waited for a response from the United Nations days after the ship was seized in compliance with new sanctions.

The 6,830-ton cargo ship, the Jin Teng, is being held at Subic port, northeast of Manila, where the Philippine coast guard is guarding the freighter and monitoring its crew, said coast guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo.

“We will probably keep it in Subic pending our request for guidance on its disposition,” he said.

The ship’s 21 North Korean crew members remain onboard but are otherwise not restricted, he told AFP.

“They are just on the ship. They are remaining there. They have provisions of their own. They won’t try to escape,” Mr. Balilo said, adding there was no need to provide them with any supplies yet.

Earlier this week, a government spokesman said the North Koreans would eventually be deported, but there has been no confirmation when that would take place.

The Philippines said on Saturday, authorities had impounded the vessel in accordance with fresh UN sanctions introduced in the wake of Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

It was the first reported enforcement of the sanctions, the toughest to date, which were adopted late Wednesday by the UN Security Council.

Mr. Balilo said the coast guard has inspected the ship twice, once using electronic sensors to search for weapons. However, no contraband has been found.

A team from the UN is expected to inspect the ship in Subic, a former United States naval base, foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said earlier.

The Jin Teng arrived in the Philippines from Palembang, Indonesia, on Thursday afternoon, just hours after the latest sanctions were unanimously passed.

In response to the UN’s move, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-emptive use at any time. (AFP)

PHOTO:
This general view shows the North Korean cargo ship Jin Teng, anchored at the former US naval base at Subic port, north of Manila, on March 4. (AFP)

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Philippines impounds North Korean ship under UN sanctions

The Philippines said on Saturday it had impounded a North Korean vessel in response to tough new United Nations sanctions introduced in response to Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

The 6,830-tonne cargo ship Jin Teng will not be allowed to leave Subic port, northeast of the capital Manila, where it had been docked for three days and its crew will be deported, presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon said on state-run radio station Radyo ng Bayan.

It was the first reported case of the sanctions -- the toughest to date, which were adopted late Wednesday by the UN Security Council -- being enforced.

"The world is concerned over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part to enforce the sanctions," Quezon said.

A team from the UN is expected to inspect the ship in the port, located near a former United States naval base, foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said.

Jose told AFP the ship was impounded "in compliance with the UN resolution" and did not depend on the results of the inspections.

The Jin Teng, carrying palm kernels, was searched for the second time on Saturday, this time using electronic weapons sensors, coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo told AFP, adding the 21 crewmen were "very cooperative".

Balilo said no explosives, drugs or banned substances have been found so far.

North Korea has no embassy in the Philippines. Its embassies in Thailand and Indonesia were unavailable for comment when contacted by AFP.

There are no other North Korean ships docked in Subic, according to the coastguard.

The Jin Teng arrived in Subic from Palembang, Indonesia Thursday afternoon, just hours after the latest sanctions were unanimously passed.

In response to the UN's move, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-emptive use at any time.

On Friday, the European Union also tightened sanctions against North Korea by adding 16 people and 12 entities to a list of some 60 individuals and groups who were hit with travel bans and asset freezes. (AFP News)

PHOTO:
The cargo ship Jin Teng will not be allowed to leave Subic port, where it had been docked for three days and its crew will be deported.

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North Korean cargo ship inspected in Subic Bay

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine coast guard inspected a North Korean cargo vessel that docked at a port northwest of Manila in one of the first such checks since the U.N. Security Council imposed further sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear program.

The MV Jin Teng was inspected in Subic Bay, a former U.S.-run naval base, after it arrived Thursday from Balembang, Indonesia, loaded with palm kernel expeller, Coast Guard Commander Raul Belesario said Friday.

Belesario, who heads the port control division that includes Subic, said five coast guard personnel accompanied by two bomb sniffer dogs boarded the vessel Thursday. The inspectors did not find any suspicious materials but spotted minor deficiencies including missing fire hoses, a corroded air vent, and electrical switches without insulation.

Another inspection will be done before the ship sails for southwestern China’s Zhanjiang port, and the ship will only be allowed to depart if the deficiencies have been rectified, he added. The vessel’s departure date is unclear.

As of Friday, cargo was still being unloaded from the ship. Palm kernel expeller is a byproduct of palm oil production and has several uses, including as feed for farm animals.

The ship’s documents showed the cargo was for consignees in the Philippines and no new cargo would be loaded at Subic Bay, Belesario said.

The Security Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the toughest sanctions on North Korea in two decades, reflecting growing anger at Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test and rocket launch in defiance of a ban on all nuclear-related activity.

The United States and North Korea’s traditional ally China spent seven weeks negotiating the new sanctions. They include mandatory inspections of cargo leaving and entering North Korea by sea or air, a ban on all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to Pyongyang, and expulsion of diplomats from the North who engage in “illicit activities.” (Associated Press)

PHOTO:
Crewmen of the North Korean cargo vessel Jin Teng stand on the middle of the deck as it unloads its cargo while docked at Subic Bay, in Zambales province, northwest of Manila, Philippines, Friday, March 4, 2016. The Philippine coast guard inspected a North Korean cargo vessel that docked at a port northwest of Manila in one of the first such checks since the U.N. Security Council imposed further sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear program. (AP Photo/Jun Dumaguing)

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