logo
‘Everything is gone': fire engulfs hundreds of shanty houses in Manila

‘Everything is gone': fire engulfs hundreds of shanty houses in Manila

03:17
'Everything is gone': fire engulfs hundreds of shanty houses in Manila 'Everything is gone': fire engulfs hundreds of shanty houses in Manila Published: 11:51am, 25 Nov 2024
A large fire engulfed hundreds of shanty houses in a downtown slum area of the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday.
Drone footage shared by the city government's disaster management office showed the extent of the fire, which razed houses along the port area.
Authorities have not announced any cause of the fire, but past blazes have been related to faulty electrical wiring.
The Philippines has a patchy record in enforcing fire safety in buildings, homes and offices.
In August, 11 people died after a five-storey apartment building burned down in Manila's Chinatown.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

61 Filipinos successfully complete separate skills training programs
61 Filipinos successfully complete separate skills training programs

Daily Tribune

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Tribune

61 Filipinos successfully complete separate skills training programs

A total of 61 Filipinos successfully completed their respective skills training programs during two separate seminars held on Friday, May 30, at the Philippine Embassy and the Majestic Hotel in Bahrain. The skills training in Baking and Haircutting, Manicure, and Pedicure were among the continuous initiatives in extending Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with better knowledge and skills that would be applicable to career improvement, financial self-sufficiency, and integration upon returning Philippines in the future. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Welfare Officer Juvilyn Anns Gumabay and Migrant Workers Office Officer in Charge (OIC) Celia V. Cabadonga commended the graduates on their endeavor to become better persons and encouraged other OFWs to grab similar chances in the future. Morning session In the morning session, 32 Filipinos graduated from a baking skills training, while in the afternoon, 29 others completed training in hairdcutting, manicure, and pedicure. Participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to enhance their capabilities while working abroad, highlighting the importance of such programs in broadening employment options and building long-term security for themselves and their families. Attendee Ofelia Madriaga, 61, from Pamplona, Cagayan Valley, and a member of the Filipino community organization Pinay Ikaw Na (PIN), was among the proud attendees of the recent training.

U.S. Army celebrates 250 years of service with Schofield celebration
U.S. Army celebrates 250 years of service with Schofield celebration

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

U.S. Army celebrates 250 years of service with Schofield celebration

This week the U.S. Army is commemorating its 250th birthday with a series of celebrations around the country. The Army, tracing its roots to rebels that fought the British, is older than the nation itself. On Oahu on Monday, soldiers from every unit in Hawaii—a few thousand troops—gathered at Schofield Barracks on Weyand Field at dawn for an early morning run at the same time that comrades currently deployed to the Philippines also were running. The Army also dedicated a new gym facility honoring the family of a well-known Oahu veteran. As the sun rose, Gen. Ronald Clark, the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, addressed soldiers at Schofield as well as in the Philippines—where it was just after midnight—in a live-feed broadcast to them before they began the run. Clark told his troops 'you stand on the front lines of freedom, on the forward edge—the tactical edge—of our Army. You are the theater Army of the Pacific in the most challenging time in the history of this region in our lifetimes. So thank you for what you do. Thank you for the manner in which you do it and the leadership that you provide every day, and the example you set for the United States of America.' Troops based out of Schofield and Fort Shafter have been conducting several exercises in the Philippines amid simmering tensions with China. In recent months, Hawaii Army units have been in the country for annual training exercises training with Philippine forces as well as bolstering infrastructure around Philippine military bases. The South China Sea—a busy waterway that nearly one-third of all global trade travels through—has become increasingly militarized over the past decade. Beijing claims nearly the entire sea as its exclusive territory over the objections of neighboring countries, and the Chinese military has harassed and sometimes attacked fishermen and other marine workers from neighboring countries—especially the Philippines. The 25th Infantry Division's Command Sgt. Maj. Shaun Curry, a veteran of the Army's elite Ranger Regiment, said that soldiers in the Pacific today face very different challenges than he did in Iraq and in Afghanistan—lessons he and his comrades learned the hard way. Curry said that 'when I went to combat for the first time, no one in my unit had deployed. I had a platoon leader, fresh out of college, I had a platoon sergeant who had been in the Army, close to a dec ­ade at that point, and neither one of them had seen combat.' His generation of soldiers fought long, drawn-out wars and often deployed multiple times. But much of that generation is now moving on to civilian life with only more senior troops having memory of what it's like. Curry said currently only about 20 % of the 25th Infantry Division has ever deployed to an active conflict zone. But Curry also said watching the conflict in Ukraine, where drones and other tech are changing the game, means everyone has to learn and adapt to keep up. Curry, who hails from Wisconsin, has been with the division since 2020 and said he's come to feel close to Hawaii. His daughter attended University of Hawaii at Manoa and his son attended UH Hilo and recently joined the Hawaii National Guard. 'This field here, Weyand Field, is named after the commanding general that took the division into Vietnam, ' Curry said. 'But this field is also on the Leilehua Plains. So for kamaaina, this is where the warriors came to trade, and then they went up to the top, and that's where they fought. So this is something that is sacred to the Hawaiian people and something we need to take responsibility for.' After the run, the 25th held a cake-cutting ceremony with the division's oldest and youngest serving soldiers cutting it with an Army saber. As soldiers ended the run to return to their duties, Curry and division commander Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans prepared for another ceremony. Friends of the family of the late Command Sgt. Maj. Henry Lee gathered at a new gym named in his honor. Lee was born in 1930 in Castner Village, just outside of Schofield, attending Leilehua High School before enlisting in 1946 at the age of 15. His career would take him to Europe and Asia, but it ultimately brought him back to Hawaii to serve with the 25th. In 1968 during a deployment to Vietnam with the division, he earned a Purple Heart when a helicopter he was in was shot down. Lee was the first Korean American to become an Army command sergeant major. After leaving the Army he continued his education in Hawaii and became an educator, teaching social studies at Nanakuli and Wai ­anae public schools and went on to a long career of public service, ultimately retiring in 1989 but continuing to be civically engaged until his death in 2023 at age 92. '(His service ) exemplifies a life well lived, the generational leadership manifests itself today on the plains of Leilehua, on the fields in the jungles in the Philippines, here at Schofield Barracks, across the Pacific and across our ohana, ' Evans said. 'Command Sgt. Maj. Lee's family exemplifies generational leadership that has been passed down from one generation to the next and is represented by you all here today.' Lee's son, Henry Lee Jr., told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser 'Dad has 24 years in the service and all his contributions, and we're just so happy that they were able to honor him this way. … We grew up in the military over the years, so this is a part of our life.' The Army will continue holding events, including a public community day around Fort DeRussy in Waikiki until the service's actual birthday on Saturday.

Amnesty PH cites red-tagging as part of ‘deteriorating' rights situation
Amnesty PH cites red-tagging as part of ‘deteriorating' rights situation

GMA Network

time10 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Amnesty PH cites red-tagging as part of ‘deteriorating' rights situation

Laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act, the practice of surveillance and red-tagging of human rights defenders show that mechanisms of repression are deeply embedded in the system,' Amnesty International Philippines said on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Screenshot from Amnesty International Philippines video Amnesty International Philippines on Tuesday said the human rights situation in the country is 'deteriorating,' citing widespread impunity, shrinking civic space, and the persistent red-tagging of human rights defenders. In a statement, Amnesty International Philippines acting director Jepie Papa said the affected human rights defenders include journalists, indigenous cultural community leaders, and environmental activists. 'Laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act, the practice of surveillance and red-tagging of human rights defenders show that mechanisms of repression are deeply embedded in the system,' Papa said. 'The international community has already seen this, with HRDs, development workers, and journalists sharing their personal stories. Their voices must be heard, and their safety must be guaranteed,' she added. Red-tagging is the act of labeling and accusing individuals and organizations of being subversives, communists, or even terrorists if they are critical of the government. At Amnesty's press conference to launch its "Report 2024/25: State of the World's Human Rights" the same day, Philippine National Police (PNP) Human Rights Affairs Office representative Police Brigadier General Jerry Protacio said the police have no legal mandate to engage in red-tagging. 'Regarding on the issue of repression of dissent, the PNP does not possess any legal mandate to engage in the practice commonly referred to as red-tagging whether against individuals or groups,' he said. 'On the issue of enforced disappearance there are several individuals allegedly victim of forced disappearance. There are already temporary protection order issued to the Supreme Court in favor of those missing activities,' he added. According to the rights group, the freedom of expression and association in the Philippines also is under attack. 'Laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act, the practice of surveillance and red-tagging of human rights defenders show that mechanisms of repression are deeply embedded in the system,' Papa said. 'The international community has already seen this, with HRDs, development workers, and journalists sharing their personal stories. Their voices must be heard, and their safety must be guaranteed,' she added. Millions of Filipinos are still 'left behind' even when the Philippine economy improves during the end of 2024 and first quarter of 2025, according to Amnesty International Philippines. 'What really drives poverty and insecurity? This is the human rights issue, we cannot talk about progress while millions go hungry, live in slums, or fear violence for standing up and speaking out,' Papa said. 'Economic, social, and cultural rights are not optional—these are basic rights. Growth that excludes or disenfranchises marginalized sectors cannot be called progress,' she added. The climate crisis in the country is growing, according to Amnesty International Philippines. This issue is affecting indigenous cultural communities, farmers, fisherfolks, among others. Amnesty International Philippines also noted the 'political chaos' in the 2025 mid-term elections. 'Filipinos need institutions that withstand celebrity politics, institutions that uphold accountability no matter who is in the Senate and Congress,' Papa said. Meanwhile, the organization said the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) was a 'brief respite' for the family of victims. 'By rejoining the Rome Statute, fully cooperating with the ICC, and prosecuting perpetrators outside of Duterte's case, the Philippine government through the Department of Justice (DOJ) can show that it can carry out credible investigations and deliver its promises of 'real justice in real time',' Papa said. — BM, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store