Philippine News Digest 17

Contents:

• Asian-American population blooms
• Greek faces 5 raps for molesting boys in Isabela
• P200 a month all that’s needed to feed poor kids
• Mangyans’ lands target of landgrabbers
• Asian-American population booms

The United States’ Asian American population grew at about five times the national rate from 1990 to 2000. They now comprise 4.2 percent of the US population, up from 2.8 percent in 1990. New York and Los Angeles had the most number of Asian Americans. Chinese was the largest Asian American ethnic group identified, followed by Filipinos. Asian Indian was the third ranking ethnicity. Source: Peter Hong, Today, 5 March 2002.

Greek faces 5 raps for molesting boys in Isabela

Police arrested Michael Deligiannes, a Greek national, while he was molesting two boys aged 11 and 12 in a hotel in Santiago City February 19. The prosecutor’s office here then charged him with rape and violations of the anti-child abuse law or Republic Act 7610. It was also learned that aside from the two boys with him when he was arrested, he also allegedly abused three more boys. The Department of Social Welfare and Development took custody of his two victims while the other three boys were brought to their parents. Deligiannes was temporarily released from jail after he posted a P120,000 bail bond. Source: Villamor Visaya Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau, 4 March 2002.

P200 a month all that’s needed to feed poor kids

It only takes P8 a day, or an average of P200 a month to help malnourished children improve his or her learning capability in school, according to non-governmental organizations trying to replicate in the country the “Feed a Child” project of US Senator George McGovern. The project seeks to discourage uneducated women who, because of poverty, are dropped by their parents from school or who, because of malnutrition, end up learning less. Source: Tonette Orejas, Philippine Daily Inquirer Central Luzon Desk, 4 March 2002.

Mangyans’ lands target of landgrabbers

A Mangyan center in Occidental Mindoro was burned down by alleged landgrabbers February 2 to scare them so they will leave their ancestral land, according to Sister Lilia Frondoza who has been working in the community since 1997. The fifty indigenous families living in the complex has been reduced to 30 since the February 2 incident. Properties destroyed by fire were estimated to be worth P200,000. The Mangyans were already given the certificate of ancestral domain claim but is still waiting President Arroyo’s promise to give them titles to the lands measuring 70,000 hectares. Source: C Jimenez, Today, 1 March 2002.