New fast craft to shorten travel to Calapan

By Madonna Virola
Inquirer Southern Luzon

9:04 pm | Sunday, May 26th, 2013

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CITY OF CALAPAN—Travel time between this city and Batangas will soon be an hour shorter, on board a brand new and modern roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel.
The new vessel, called a “FastCat Ferry” operated by the Filipino-owned Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp. (APFC), will take only about an hour and a half to cross Calapan from Batangas and vice versa, down from the usual 2.5-hour travel time with existing Ro-Ro vessels plying the same sea route.
Lower fare rates
The fare rates for FastCat Ferry would also be lower, ranging from P120 to P300, depending on the seat classification, said Christina Guevarra, APFC’s vice president for marketing.
The current fare for Calapan to Batangas ranges from P182 to P330.
“We chose the ports of Batangas and Mindoro because they are the biggest ports when it comes to traffic volume, connecting vessels up to Visayas and Mindanao,” said Peter Gonzales, president and chief executive officer of APFC during the soft launch here of FastCat Ferry on April 29.
Fully automated
The vessel is not only fully automated but has complied with all the safety standards, from design to build and operation, set by the International Association of Classification Societies and by the International Maritime Organization,  Gonzales said.
A FastCat Ferry can accommodate almost 300 passengers, all numbered seats, in compliance with Maritime Industry Authority  regulation on passenger capacity; and can carry seven to eight buses and light trucks and about 20 cars.
FastCat Ferry will likewise be the only vessel in the Philippines that has systems for the handicapped. “We have an elevator for handicapped; [a] provision for pregnant women and old people, [and] a special area to put their wheelchairs on,”  Gonzales said.
Pastrana emphasized that the vessel, having met all requisite standards, would address  safety issues  that have been hounding the Philippine maritime industry, noting that next to Indonesia and Bangladesh, “we are rated with the worst in maritime accidents.”
“It’s about time that we in the shipping industry modernize our fleets for the benefit of the people, and to offer to the ordinary people a chance to bring their goods from one point in Mindanao all the way to their market in Luzon using the Ro-Ro systems, with facilities for reefer vans,” Gonzales added.

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Philippines Campaign Urges Politicians to Put Children First

Philippines Campaign Urges Politicians to Put Children First

• Written by  Madonna T. Virola
• Tue,14 May 2013 | 11:10

Members of BATA MUNA (Children First) perform in a concert urging politicians to put children first. (Photo: Madonna T. Virola)

Filipinos will go to the polls this month for the midterm elections.

But critics say that the issue of children’s rights is missing from the political agenda.

Bata Muna or “Children First” is a nationwide network of 30 children’s organisations that has been campaigning across the country to educate voters on the importance of child welfare.

Their campaign seeks to put children at the center of the up-coming elections.

The campaign ended with a musical concert in Cubao, Quezon City.

At least 1,000 children are here for the concert, which includes bands and dances, as well as children’s talk shows.

On stage, young artists dressed as super heroes, are dancing and playing songs about children’s issues.

16-year-old Geralyn Tapere from the group ‘Children Talk to Children’ is on stage, reading out a list of issues affecting young people.

“Corporal punishment, child labor, early pregnancy, malnutrition, truancy, poverty, lack of consultation with children, dangerous environments, disaster and conflict, child trafficking, poor education and children with disabilities.”

According to the international NGO Save the Children, nearly half of the Filipino population are children.

But political candidates rarely include them as part of their electoral manifestos. Out of 36 Manila-based politicians running in the up-coming election who were invited to the event, only 9 showed up.

This is the first time that such an event has been held, says Rowena Cordero from Save the Children.

“This is just the beginning because previous elections rarely include issues of children. Candidates would probably use children, kiss babies, or have children in their posters, or say that they are for children, but in actuality those are just words or gimmicks or part of their propaganda.”

Most of the children at the concert are not yet eligible to vote. But Geralyn promises to pass on the message to her parents at home.

“I will tell my parents to choose candidates with a platform for children. And to the candidates, I hope they aren’t empty promises. Since I was small, I’ve seen lots of promises being made on TV, but so far nothing has changed. Some children are still very poor, they can’t go to school... so I don’t trust the politicians.”

Rowena Cordero from Save the Children urges politicians to put child welfare on their agenda... and asks voters to scrutinize their candidates’ track record and hold them to account.

“So we hope that in the coming months after the elections and even after the years, we will be able to again engage those who have won political seats and monitor their track record in terms of how they are performing their responsibilities and how they are also integrating issues of children in their own programs and in their agenda. I think that’s where change will matter most for children.”

After the concert, 20-year-old Jessica Oraya says she’s now ready for her first election.

She will support candidates who are not corrupt and who have concrete plans for children, especially those from poor communities.

“I will also check their family background and research what they have done in the past for children. So it now depends on the candidates, whether or not they listen to us. If they can’t be responsible for children when elected, what will happen to us, the next generation?”