The conciliatory words were uttered by Jiang Shusheng, vice chair of the 11th National People’s Congress of China, to Vice President Jejomar Binay when he paid a courtesy call on the latter on Friday.

Jiang’s visit follows that of China’s defense minister, Gen. Liang Guanglie.

Binay said his meeting with Jiang touched briefly on the Spratlys issue and that both agreed that incidents connected to the issue should not become a thorn in bilateral relations.

He said Jiang supported President Benigno Aquino’s call to settle the issue peacefully through talks.

“We should keep a friendly atmosphere and in handling this situation, we should always keep in mind the relationship between our countries and our peoples,” Jiang said in a statement.

The Spratlys, a reputedly oil-rich chain of  islands and reefs, is claimed wholly or in  part by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

China has insisted it has sovereignty over the entire archipelago—which the Chinese call Nansha Islands but which everyone else refers to as the Spratlys—and has moved to “enforce” its claim from time to time by flexing its military muscle in the area.

The most recent incident  was reported last week on the eve of the arrival in Manila of Liang. Chinese jet fighters had reportedly intruded into Philippine airspace in the vicinity of Reed Bank, part of the Kalayaan group of islands in the Spratlys that the Philippines claims.

Initial reports said the fighters were Chinese. But the Armed Forces of the Philippines  said it was still validating the report even as it conceded that it had no capability to detect and intercept the jets.

In March, two Chinese vessels reportedly harassed a Philippine exploration ship at  Reed Bank, prompting the AFP to send planes and Coast Guard ships to the area.

Malacañang had earlier said that the Philippines and China had agreed to hold dialogues on the disputed islands in the South China Sea following a meeting between President Aquino and Liang.

Aquino said he reiterated the Philippines’ position that countries in the region should focus on regional prosperity to ease the tensions caused by the rival claims of China and Southeast Asian countries over the Spratlys group.

Binay took the opportunity to ask Jiang about the status of the proposed “exchange of sentenced prisoners by the two countries.” But he said that no commitment was given by the Chinese official as the proposal was still being reviewed.

The Chinese government in late March executed three Filipinos arrested in China on drug trafficking charges.

The Vice President said that China was looking forward to expanding trade and economic relations with the Philippines, and promoting high-level visits between Manila and Beijing.

The science ministry announced late Friday highly radioactive materials were detected in a 300-kilometre (190-mile) north-south stretch from Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture to Choshi in Chiba Prefecture, the Kyodo news agency reported.

The ministry warned that the contamination could affect the safety of seafood, the report said, without giving figures for the radiation levels detected.

The science ministry said it detected iodine and caesium on the seabed at 12 locations 15 to 50 kilometers from the coastline between May 9 and 14.

The news follows an announcement by environmental activist group Greenpeace on Thursday that marine life it had tested in waters more than 20 kilometers off the Fukushima nuclear plant showed radiation above legal limits.

The anti-nuclear group, which conducted the coastal and offshore tests this month, criticized Japanese authorities for their “continued inadequate response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis” sparked by the March 11 quake and tsunami.

Greenpeace said it detected seaweed radiation levels 50 times higher than official limits, which it charged raised “serious concerns about continued long-term risks to people and the environment from contaminated seawater”.

It also said that tests, which it said were independently verified by French and Belgian laboratories, showed above-legal levels of radioactive iodine-131 and caesium-137 in several species of fish and shellfish.

In the aftermath of the quake small amounts of radiation from Fukushima spread across Asia, deepening concerns for millions of people in countries which had already imposed bans on Japanese produce from near the nuclear plant.

The governments of China, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam reported that radiation had drifted over their territories, although they emphasized the levels were so low that there was no health risk.

Fukushima prefecture has told AFP that no fishing is going on at the moment in its waters.

Japan’s fisheries agency, and neighboring prefectures, have been checking marine products at different spots, and the government has prohibited fishermen from catching some species found to have elevated radiation levels.

Hong Kong said Friday it had detected a small amount of radioactive iodine-131 in a sample of grey mullet but it was well below government limits.

The Hong Kong government did not say whether the iodine could be traced to the Fukushima plant.

A pre-poll opinion survey also found around 40 percent of the electorate undecided over the emotive issue.

The non-binding referendum asks the island’s nearly 400,000 mainly Catholic voters whether parliament should introduce a new law that would allow couples to obtain a divorce after four years of separation.

Malta is one of only two countries in the world—the Philippines is the other—that bans divorce. Chile was the last country to legalize divorce in 2004 after overwhelming public pressure.

Legal separation is widespread in the European Union’s smallest member state, but people cannot normally re-marry.

Marriages can only be annulled by the Catholic Church’s Ecclesiastical Tribunal in a complex and rare procedure that takes around eight years.

The only exception to the divorce ban is for Maltese married to foreign nationals or Maltese who are permanent residents abroad.

Critics argue that legalizing divorce would open the floodgates, increasing the rate of marital breakdowns and destabilizing the family.

The “no” camp, backed by the Catholic Church and the ruling conservative Nationalist Party, has appealed to family values and the indissolubility of marriage vows.

The “yes” camp has urged voters to spare a thought for those who are separated and would like to start another family with someone they love.

Polls opened at 7 am (0500 GMT) and were to close at 10 pm, with early results expected Sunday afternoon after a manual count.

Catholics make up some 95 percent of the population of Malta, which counts one church for every square kilometer.

The archdiocese had a letter read out in parish churches last Sunday saying: “By this vote, the citizen will either build or destroy. A choice in favor of permanent marriage is an act of faith in the family, built upon a bond of love which cannot be severed.”

In addition, priests have reportedly threatened to refuse communion to those who vote “yes” in the referendum.

Lawyer Andre Camilleri, who heads the “no” campaign, says divorce is not a solution to marriage break-ups and warns of the effect on children.

“By enacting this divorce law the state would allow the party — even the one who caused the break-up — to not only separate from his spouse, but actually impose a divorce on him or her,” he said.

But family lawyer Deborah Schembri, leader of the pro-divorce campaign, says people suffering because their marriage had fizzled out had a civil right to be able to get married again and start a new family.

As things stood, she said, they were being forced into cohabitation.

“We are saying give love a second chance. What right do I have to decide on another person’s future? Divorce is an option. These people will have the chance to start afresh,” she said.

Political parties have largely stayed out of the debate during the long run-up to the vote.

The Nationalist Party has taken a stand against divorce while the opposition Labour Party is keeping its options open, leaving the decision up to individual members.

“Divorce has to be treated rationally and not on some religious dogma,” Labour party leader Joseph Muscat said earlier this year.

“I want to live in a European country (which) means having a set of European values,” he said.

The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry called on China to prevent any further incidents within what it described as its exclusive economic zone and provide compensation, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

Hanoi said three Chinese marine surveillance vessels had approached a ship operated by the state oil and gas firm PetroVietnam and cut its exploration cables.

A complaint to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi said the incident “seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty” and a 1982 United Nations convention on the law of the sea.

It also “went against the spirit” of a 2002 agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Beijing and Hanoi have a long-standing dispute in the South China Sea over the sovereignty of the Paracel archipelago and the more southerly Spratlys, both potentially resource-rich rocky outcrops that straddle strategic shipping lanes.

The area where the latest incident allegedly occurred is between the two island chains.

Vietnam has reported numerous cases of fishing boats and equipment being seized by China in disputed areas since 2009.

China’s increasingly assertive role in the South China Sea has raised tensions with other countries in the region as well as the United States

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also claim all or part of the Spratlys.

President Benigno Aquino recently warned that further incidents around the archipelago could potentially spark an arms race, forcing the country to bolster its military.

In March, Manila complained that Chinese patrol boats had harassed a Philippine oil exploration vessel in disputed waters near the Spratlys.

It subsequently filed a formal protest at the United Nations over China’s claims to the Spratly islands and adjacent South China Sea waters.

Food and Drug Administration Director Suzette H. Lazo said the agency was on the lookout for food products from Taiwan that might contain the chemical Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

“The Taiwan government has informed the Department of Health that a company may have imported food products containing additives contaminated by DEHP to the Philippines,” Lazo said in a statement.

“Efforts to trace the local counterpart of this company are currently in progress,” she added.

While the FDA statement did not cite any specific food products, officials in Taiwan, which is  going through a food scare, said the problem was  confined to sports drinks, fruit juices, teas, fruit jams and preserves, food powders and food supplement tablets.

Widely used in the manufacture of articles such as intravenous bags and tubings, blood bags and infusion tubings and nasogastric tubes, DEHP was “found to be illegally added” to a food product raw material intended for emulsification in Taiwan, Lazo said.

She added that while low doses of DEHP were generally safe, high doses or prolonged exposure can have harmful effects.

Children are especially prone to the harmful effects of high doses of DEHP or to repeated exposure which can lead to testicular effects, fertility problems and toxicity to kidneys, Lazo said.

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia with members of the UP Manila Chorale after their performance at the Galerie des pas Perdus, Palais des Nations.

MANILA, Philippines—Internationally-renowned UP Manila Chorale (UPMC) is in Central Europe for a series of performances, the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva said.

The UPMC was in Geneva until May 6 where the group performed in concerts organized by the Philippines Alumni Association of Geneva.

The chorale then proceeded to Germany and will travel to Linz, Austria in June to participate in the International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition.

In Geneva, the UPMC performed in various venues, including the United Nations’ Palais des Nations.

Their repertoire was rich and varied, ranging from traditional Tagalog kundimans to African-American spirituals.

The UPAAG organized the concerts in support of its scholarship program for indigent students at the UP Visayas.

Philippines’ Number 1 is the University of the Philippines, which ranked at Number 62 in Asia. It was followed by the Ateneo de Manila University (No. 68 in Asia), University of Santo Tomas (No. 104 in Asia), and De La Salle University (No. 107 in Asia)

Eleven universities occupied the 201+ ranking in Asia, which included the Mindanao State University, Xavier University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Silliman University, Father Saturnino Urios College, Mapua Institute of Technology, Adamson University, Saint Louis University, Central Mindanao University, University of San Carlos, and University of Southeastern Philippines.

Read more inspirational  stories on GoodNews Pilipinas

President Benigno Aquino (R) receives an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Economics) from Kamphol Adulavidhaya (L) chairman of Kasetsart University Council in Bangkok on Friday. AFP

BANGKOK—In 1973, Benigno S. “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. wrote a letter to his only son from a prison cell. Ninoy, the most controversial opposition politician in the Marcos-era Philippines, ended the letter with, “Serve them [Filipinos] with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength. Son, the ball is now in your hands.”

Though placed in the global limelight in different times and capacities, Ninoy and his wife Corazon, or “Cory”, are the country’s most influential couple. They were most influential to Filipinos not as a pair, but separately. Ninoy, with his fiery eloquence as a politician, stood up against dictatorship and fought on despite the foreseen consequences, and Cory, with her charm and demeanor, assumed the office of president through a revolution of the masses to find a debt-ridden country in transition and badly in need of hope. The People’s Power Revolution was in February 1986, and Cory died of colon cancer in 2009.

Thirty-seven years after the assassination of Ninoy at the international airport that would later bear his name, his son, Benigno S “Noynoy” Aquino, was sworn in as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines in 2010.

President Noynoy, or “P-Noy”, is faced with many challenges. One of the most pressing is the contentious reproductive health (RH) bill, which puts him at odds with the powerful Catholic Church, again bringing to national attention the centuries-old issue of the separation between Church and State. Still another burdensome issue is corruption in the Philippine government, military and police.

President Aquino is on an official visit to Thailand this week. The visit will reaffirm 60 years of close relations between the two countries. Moreover, it will be an opportunity for two countries that share the values of democracy and human rights to rekindle long-standing bonds. The two countries were among the founders of Seato in 1954 and Asean in 1967. The respective capital cities became sister-cities in 1997. Economic relations have prospered, growing to over US$7 billion in 2010.

Beyond economic relations, the area of education deserves much attention. Like Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities in Thailand, the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University in Manila are among the handful of members of the Asean University Network, a collaboration of top educational institutions in Asean that promotes teacher and student exchanges and pooling of resources. In 2010, QS Asian University Rankings, a well-known university rating agency, placed a number of Thai and Philippine universities in its top 200 list for Asia. The order includes Mahidol, Chulalongkorn, Ateneo de Manila, the University of the Philippines, Thammasat, De La Salle, Khon Kaen and Kasetsart.

In every country, there are of course educational institutions of a higher quality than others. With a large number of universities compared to their neighbors in the region, there is no lack of reputable universities in the Philippines or Thailand, despite the misperceptions and generalizations.

But today, there is indeed a need to revive the educational relationship between Thailand and the Philippines. In the past, many Thai students pursued their education in Philippine universities that taught courses in English. This was a low-cost alternative to studying in Western countries. The Filipinos still mention the large number of Thai students of the past, but today it has become a sad recollection of how Thai students came to learn agriculture and other subjects from the Philippines, but now Thailand is doing much better in terms of economic growth and agricultural productivity. Thais, on the other hand, make no mention of the Philippines as an educational destination anymore—at least until educational reform is complete in the Philippines. This is a missed opportunity for both sides.

There is misperception and generalization on the part of many Thais and citizens of other countries. Most judge the quality of a university on the general impression they have of the country. For example, parents tend to think that all universities in countries like the US, UK or Australia are attractive and of the highest quality merely because of their location in the West. On the other hand, top universities in developing countries are overlooked because of the generalization that educational quality is parallel to economic performance and the overall image of the country. People involved in education or studies fields will, however, recognize a quality university in Vietnam, India or Indonesia, while the layman may not.

We Thais are comfortable believing that our top universities are the best. We are familiar with universities in the West but cannot come up with the names of any top university in Malaysia or the Philippines. We Thais are proud that the many foreign students who study in our English-language programs at Thammasat, Assumption, Bangkok University or elsewhere graduate with Thai or Asian-oriented knowledge, as a “niche exposure” to Thai and Asian society, markets and business. But it is not reciprocal when Thais talk about universities in the region, even when we should be taking a more regional outlook as we aim to establish the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

So there remains much to do—an opportunity for Thais and Filipinos to re-learn from each other. There is at present a lack of interest in area studies between both countries. A revamped academic relationship would bring the younger generation in each country closer together.

In Thailand there is a saying that “parents are the first teachers, and teachers are the first parents”. The legacies of fathers and mothers are embodied in their children, and when talking about the Philippines’ current president, we can say that Ninoy and Cory’s legacies are seen in President Noynoy.

With this legacy there is, clearly, high hope for change for the better in the Philippines, from a president who carries the name of the man pictured on the P500 bill. President Noynoy would seem to be bound to perform and serve the country well, not only by the office he holds, but also by his own family history.

But the country is now operating in a different context than dictatorship, revolution or when it began borrowing from the IMF. The Philippines has passed the turbulent years. The goal now is how to most efficiently tap the potential in the country, to prosper again. Laban, literally “fight” in Tagalog, was the catchword for the revolutionary struggle. Indeed, for President Noynoy, the laban continues.

In the context of Philippine-Thai relations, the efforts shall continue in strengthening the economic partnership and reviving the educational relationship. With stronger interest and attention from both sides, there is much that can be done.

Mr. President, the ball is in your hands. Thailand is ready to play, ready for a pass, a dribble and slam-dunk.

Natapanu Nopakun lived in the Philippines between 1986 and 1993 and is a former Fulbright-Asean visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University.

“It was an attack against UNIFIL,” said Italian Gen. Santi Bonfanti, second-in-command of the mission known as UNIFIL, ruling out that the blast was specifically aimed at Italians.

Bonfanti, speaking on Italian state TV, said that one soldier had undergone surgery while another was still in surgery. He said the other soldiers were in good condition.

The explosion struck as the peacekeepers’ vehicles traveled south on the main highway in Sidon, leaving a crater in the road and scattered debris from the charred UN vehicles. Police said the bomb contained up to 25 pounds (12 kilograms) of explosive material. Two civilians also were wounded.

The UN Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack.

The UN will work closely with Lebanese authorities “to have a full and swift investigation on the attack to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Ban said in France, where he was attending the G-8 summit.

The council welcomed Lebanon’s commitment to launch an investigation and punish those responsible.

Italian state TV said the blast was caused by a homemade bomb placed just behind the low concrete barrier lining the highway and that two vehicles in a four-vehicle convoy were struck.

“This is a despicable act that is clearly directed at undermining UN Security Council resolution 1701 and stability in the south,” Singh said. He was referring to the resolution that ended the 34-day Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006, which killed more than 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis.

The peacekeeping force is deployed in southern Lebanon to monitor the border with Israel.

The last bomb attack on peacekeepers was in January 2008, when a roadside bomb struck a UN vehicle traveling along the coastal highway south of Beirut, lightly wounding two peacekeepers.

The deadliest attack was in June 2007, when a bomb hit an armored personnel carrier near the Israeli border and killed six Spanish peacekeepers.

No group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.

Friday’s explosion comes amid rising tensions in Lebanon, which has been without a government since January after the Hezbollah militant group and its allies walked out of the Cabinet. A deadlock between Hezbollah and its Western-backed rivals in Lebanon has delayed the formation of a new government.

There are also concerns that unrest in neighboring Syria, which has seen more than 10 weeks of protests against the autocratic government there, could spill over into Lebanon.

Damascus has long held significant influence in Lebanon.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned the attack and said the US would work with the UN to gather details. He called on Lebanon’s government to “conduct a full investigation into the incident, the circumstances of the attack, and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.”

Asked about Syria’s possible involvement in the attack, Toner said the US didn’t know who might be responsible.

The explosion came the same day that UNIFIL commemorates the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers to honor colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Italian Foreign Ministry officials had initially said one peacekeeper was killed in Friday’s blast, but the joint chiefs of staff’s office later said nobody was killed.

There are nearly 1,800 Italian soldiers, including a naval component, in the UNIFIL mission.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi in a statement expressed solidarity with the wounded “and to our young people involved in the peace mission.”

A minister from the Northern League party that is Berlusconi’s main coalition partner reiterated his party’s line that Italy should reduce its participation in foreign military missions.

“I will keep contending that we are committed in too many missions and in too many countries,” Roberto Calderoli told the ANSA news agency.

Northern League leaders recently criticized Rome’s decision to participate in NATO’s bombing missions in Libya. Italian soldiers also participate in the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Associated Press writer Frances D’Emilio contributed to this report from Rome.

President Benigno Aquino and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva walk towards an honor guard at government house in Bangkok. AFP

BANGKOK—Even members of the international media were intrigued by President Benigno Aquino’s bachelor status.

Some Thai journalists who covered the President’s two-day state visit in Thailand admitted that his being unmarried aroused their curiosity.

At 51 and a son of democracy icons, Aquino is considered as the most eligible bachelor in the Philippines.

“He’s already 51 years old and still single? How come he has no girlfriend? Your President is very handsome,” Jane Lim of the Chinese Xinhua news agency told the Philippine media delegation.

“I think he’s the only president in the world who’s still single. A president cannot be single,” she said.

Lim added in jest: “I would have asked him out, but I didn’t have the [courage].”

Another Thai lady reporter, who asked not to be named because of company policy, said Aquino’s work ethics may have prevented him from pursuing a serious relationship.

“I bet he’s hardworking that’s why he has no time for love,” she said.

The President just laughed off the Thai journalists’ comments, saying he already said his piece on the matter several times before.

“Let’s just eat,” Aquino jokingly replied when asked to react to Lim’s banter.

“You know it’s this simple: If you want me to get married, then maybe you should help me. How? You just let me (and my date) know each other more,” he said, without mentioning any name.

“For those who don’t want me to get married—at last I know you don’t—then continue what you’re doing.”

He said the media’s keen interest on his love life had been discouraging women from going out with him.

The President was recently photographed attending a concert in Makati City with a young woman later identified as Bunny Calica.

“My dates are not applying for a position or appointed for anything. But it’s as if they have to go through something stricter that the CA (Commission of Appointments),” he said, drawing laughter from Filipino journalists.

“Of course, nobody will want (to be treated) like a public official like me.”

Originally posted 5:20 pm | Friday, May 27th, 2011