Filipinos in Korea get evacuation alert..Embassy in Seoul is coordinating with members of the Filipino community

Manila: Filipinos in South Korea had been alerted to the possibility of evacuation in the event that tensions on the Korean Peninsula take a turn for the worse.

Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez in his Twitter account @dfaspokesperson, issued a heads-up notice for Filipinos in South Korea on the developing situation on the peninsula.

“A state of heightened awareness remains in force for Filipinos in Korea,” Hernandez said.
The official also noted that the Philippine Embassy in Seoul is coordinating with members of the Filipino community (FilCom) on the steps being taken — including possible evacuation — in light of the fast developing situation

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2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers - What are the Philippines’ chances?

The last time around, the Philippines made waves in the Asian Football Confederation, coming just a win shy of going the distance, to the 2012 Challenge Cup Finals. The Azkals went through the qualifying playoff round, the qualifying group stage, and then emerged from the group of death before falling 2-1 to Turkmenistan in the semifinals, though they did earn third place with a 4-3 victory over Palestine.

A year later, two-time champions North Korea have effectively graduated, with the AFC making the wise decision of finally saying that the ‘developed’ football nation shouldn’t compete in a tournament designed for ‘emerging’ countries, leaving the 2014 Challenge Cup up for grabs.

Two-time finalists Turkmenistan, 2010 winners Tajikistan, the Philippines and already-qualified Palestine are among the frontrunners to win the competition, but if the Azkals are to win a major trophy, they must first navigate qualification.

Here we take a look at the Philippines’ opponents in qualifying, as well as the new system of qualification:


Brunei
FIFA Ranking: 186
Form: W2 D0 L3
Last Match against Philippines: Brunei 1-1 Philippines (2008)

Brunei are perennial bottom-dwellers in South East Asia football, let alone the world. That said, the country has a history of punching above its weight, case in point, their latest two wins came in the Suzuki Cup qualifying, against Cambodia, 3-2, and Timor-Leste, 2-1, with narrow losses against Myanmar and Laos. 

With that said, changes in the qualifying format for the Challenge Cup make every game more important, if they weren't already. In the five groups, each leader will advance to the next round, with the best two runners-up also qualifying, with goal difference being the second criteria, after number of points obtained.

That changes how the Philippines should see Brunei - as a chance to score a lot of goals and boost that stat. Now the Azkals haven't played against Brunei since 2008, but both teams are entirely different now, with the Philippines looking far superior. Anything less than a win would be unacceptable.

Prediction: Philippines 5-0 Brunei


Cambodia
FIFA Ranking: 185
Form: W0 D0 L5
Last Match against Philippines: Cambodia 0-0 Philippines (2012)

[Related: Azkals settle for a draw in a frustrating night in Phnom Penh]

Cambodia has fallen apart recently. A terrible showing in the Suzuki Cup qualifiers left them at the bottom of the heap and they’ve dropped to 184 in the rankings. After their stubborn draw against the Azkals in September last year, they lost their next five games and come in hoping just to reassert they are a better side than Brunei.

The Philippines should be hoping for a much better showing against Cambodia. With goal difference all important, following up a good win against Brunei with another solid victory will put the team in a more comfortable position come the final group game against Turkmenistan. With Group B in progress and scheduled to be completed before the Philippines’ group, the Azkals know six points and a goal difference of more than India’s plus-five will guarantee they go through to the next round. The Philippines will have to be wary of veteran of 46 caps Teab Vathanak and top-scorer Khim Borey, who has ten goals in 24 appearances.

The Philippines should be much more concerned however, with asserting their own game and breaking down the Cambodian defense to rack up the goals here.

Prediction: Philippines 3-0 Cambodia


Turkmenistan
FIFA Ranking: 140
Form: W4 D0  L1
Last Match against Philippines: Turkmenistan 2-1 Philippines (2012)

[Related: Azkals suffer 2nd-half collapse against Turkmenistan]

The Turkmen are worlds above the other two Azkals’ opponents and are probably the best team in the competition. Having reached the Final in the last two editions of the competition, knocking out the Azkals in the semifinal last year, only North Korea have stopped them in the Challenge Cup – and now that country is not in it.

Having played friendlies against Laos and Vietnam at the end of 2012, winning both, they’re preparing for South East Asian competition. They’ve fallen 19 places in the FIFA rankings in the last month but simply, put that’s just the natural swing of the rankings at different times of the year, and they’re well worth a place higher up. They just haven’t played a game so far in 2013.

A mix of new recruits and veterans gives them a balanced team, with Berdimyrat ?amyradow leading the squad up front with nine goals in twenty appearances for the national side, including the goal which put them 1-0 up against North Korean in the 2012 final, though they went on to lose.

All but three of their players play in the domestic leagues, the other three still playing within the region, and so they should know each other well. Turkmenistan will be a difficult team to break down and this is the game all eyes will be on as whoever triumphs here may well inherit the top seed status for the final stage of the tournament. 

Prediction: Philippines 1-1 Turkmenistan


Philippines
FIFA Ranking: 145
Form: W3 D1 L1

[Related: Azkals rise two spots to 145 in FIFA Rankings]

The Philippines have risen two places in the FIFA rankings, just two more places behind their all-time high of 143. A good showing here and the Azkals will no doubt break that ceiling and reach their highest ranking again. Still third in South East Asia, the Philippines is looking to close the distance on Thailand and, surprisingly, Vietnam, which is still at the top of the region despite a lot of poor performances recently.

For this competition, the Philippines will have all their Europe-based players: Neil Etheridge, Roland Muller, Stephan Schrock, Paul Mulders, and Jerry Lucena to name a few. The debut of Javier Patino is also widely anticipated as he was based in the second-tier of Spanish football but recently signed for Thai Premier League club Buriram United. Rufo Sanchez, the UFL’s current top scorer, was even reported as saying that Patino was leagues above him. Patino could very well take the pressure off Phil Younghusband to grab the goals and given Younghusband’s current form and fitness, the 25-year-old may well take over the more established Younghusband as the squad's number one striker.

How quickly the team can adapt to each other though, will be crucial, as the Philippines needs to score a lot to ensure qualification. With potentially a starting eleven coming from abroad to reinforce the Azkals’ line-up, they have the most of any of their opponents coming in at short notice.


Azkals out for revenge against the Turkmen

The Philippines also have a score to settle with Turkmenistan, which turned around a 1-0 Philippine lead in the last ten minutes of the Challenge Cup semis in 2012. Coach Michael Weiss has often been conservative in the past and may well look to play for the draw, assuming Philippine wins against Cambodia and Brunei, to guarantee the Azkals make it through and not run the risk of elimination this early.

Playing at home will be a good advantage for the Azkals, who sported a record of twelve wins, six draws, and six losses in 2012. Winning exactly half their games, the Philippines will be looking to build on a fantastic 2012 after a rather fortunate victory against Myanmar last month.

Unbeaten so far in 2013, Turkmenistan will be their biggest threat to that record and to Challenge Cup Qualification. The games will be played on March 22, 24, and 26, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, with the Philippines having a very realistic chance of qualification. - AMD, GMA News

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It was a great start for 2013 Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska with Rexona and Master supporting the much anticipated basketball clinic. Held at the British School Manila, local coaches and basketball enthusiasts gathered to jumpstart the program’s sixth consecutive year.

?Jr. NBA provides aspiring Filipino athletes a venue to hone and develop their basketball skills and learn sportsmanship. The most prestigious youth program prepares exciting activities and clinics that will test their talents, increase their knowledge about the sport and prepare them for the real hard court.
The ?highlight of the program is the selection of the 10 best campers who will form the 2013 Jr. NBA Philippine All-Star Team. These young outstanding players get the bragging rights of surpassing the challenges of the national training camp plus have a chance to live the NBA experience as they will go to watch an actual NBA Game in November.
?Welcoming guests and participants at the launch were NBA Asia vice president forbusiness development and marketing partnership Francesco Suarez and director of basketballoperations Sefu Bernard. Joining them were NBA country manager Carlo Singson, Master brand manager Jonathan Pua, and British School Manila headmaster Simon Mann.
?Gracing the event were PBA legend and coach Jojo Lastimosa, 2012 Coach of the Year Alan Ayo, and previous Jr. NBA All-Stars Ichie Altamirano, Carlo Escalambre, Patrick Go, Lorenzo Navarro, Kobe Paras, Tsaddy Rangel and Thirdy Ravena.
?During the opening event, eager coaches learned from the experts the methods and right attitude to train young players. Master and Rexona organized a short talk on efficient coaching and the importance of grooming as basketball athletes, hosted by coach Franz Pumaren. Franz shared tips on how to develop raw talent and inspire future basketball athletes. He also told coaches that they need to educate their students to take care of themselves by following basic and proper hygiene after a game. They can do this by using a deodorant after every bath, before a game and by washing their face with a facial wash right after a challenging basketball game.
Rexona and Master also set up the Master Rexona Challenge booth to test participants if they have what it takes to be a “winner” in the basketball arena. Participants had to put their game face on as they had to wash their face with Master facial care products, put on Rexona Mendeodorant and shoot the ball in the basket after completing the two tasks. A special raffle was then conducted for all those who participated in the Master Rexona Challenge.
?As major sponsors of this prestigious annual event, Rexona and Master will promote proper grooming and hygiene among all the participants. The two brands aim to provide the players with a program that not only focuses on skills and discipline, but also on having the confidence and winning look before and after each game which are equally relevant in their journey to becoming great athletes.

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New Pope Announced as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina

VATICAN CITY) — Argentine Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Pope Francis.
After announcing “Habemus Papum” — “We have a pope!” — a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday revealed the identity of the new pontiff, using his Latin name. Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict XVI — who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years.The 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests.

(PHOTOS: Pope and Circumstance: the Road to the Papacy)

Chants of “Long live the pope!” arose from the throngs of faithful, many with tears in their eyes. Crowds went wild as the Vatican and Italian military bands marched through the square and up the steps of the basilica, followed by Swiss Guards in silver helmets and full regalia.

They played the introduction to the Vatican and Italian anthems and the crowd, which numbered at least 50,000, joined in, waving flags from countries around the world.

“I can’t explain how happy I am right down,” said Ben Canete, a 32-year-old Filipino, jumping up and down in excitement.

Elected on the fifth ballot, the pope was chosen in one of the fastest conclaves in years, remarkable given there was no clear front-runner going into the vote and that the church had been in turmoil following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation.

A winner must receive 77 votes, or two-thirds of the 115, to be named pope.

For comparison’s sake, Benedict was elected on the fourth ballot in 2005 — but he was the clear front-runner going into the vote. Pope John Paul II was elected on the eighth ballot in 1978 to become the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

(WATCH: Popeology 101: How to Interpret the Sistine Chapel Results)

Patrizia Rizzo ran down the main boulevard to the piazza with her two children as soon as she heard the news on the car radio. “I parked the car … and dashed to the square, she said. “It’s so exciting, as Romans we had to come.”

The conclave played out against the backdrop of the first papal resignation in 600 years and revelations of mismanagement, petty bickering, infighting and corruption in the Holy See bureaucracy. Those revelations, exposed by the leaks of papal documents last year, had divided the College of Cardinals into camps seeking a radical reform of the Holy See’s governance and those defending the status quo.

The names mentioned most often as “papabile” — a cardinal who has the stuff of a pope — included Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, an intellect in the vein of Benedict but with a more outgoing personality, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican’s important bishops’ office who is also scholarly but reserved like Benedict.

Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer is liked by the Vatican bureaucracy but not by all of his countrymen. And Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary has the backing of European cardinals who have twice elected him as head of the European bishops’ conference.

On the more pastoral side is Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, the favorite of the Italian press, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the back-slapping, outgoing archbishop of New York who has admitted himself that his Italian is pretty bad — a drawback for a job that is conducted almost exclusively in the language.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi said it was a “good hypothesis” that the pope would be installed next Tuesday, on the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church. The installation Mass is attended by heads of state from around the world, requiring at least a few days’ notice.

(LIST: Pope Watch: 5 Ways to Follow the Conclave)

Benedict would not attend, he said.

Thousands of people braved a chilly rain on Wednesday morning to watch the 6-foot- (2-meter-) high copper chimney on the chapel roof for the smoke signals telling them whether the cardinals had settled on a choice. Nuns recited the rosary, while children splashed in puddles.

Unlike the confusion that reigned during the 2005 conclave, the smoke this time around was clear: black during the first two sets of smoke signals, and then clearly white on Wednesday night — thanks to special smoke flares akin to those used in soccer matches or protests that were lit in the chapel ovens to accompany the smoke from the burned ballot papers.

The Vatican on Wednesday divulged the secret recipe used: potassium perchlorate, anthracene, which is a derivative of coal tar, and sulfur for the black smoke; potassium chlorate, lactose and a pine resin for the white smoke.

The chemicals were contained in five units of a cartridge that is placed inside the stove of the Sistine Chapel. When activated, the five blocks ignite one after another for about a minute apiece, creating the steady stream of smoke that accompanies the natural smoke from the burned ballot papers.

Despite the great plumes of smoke that poured out of the chimney, neither the Sistine frescoes nor the cardinals inside the chapel suffered any smoke damage, Lombardi said

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the making of a pope

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Philippines to continue UN help despite abductions

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines remains committed to deploying troops in U.N. peacekeeping hotspots despite the brief hostage-taking of 21 Filipino soldiers, who were welcomed back to freedom in Jordan with a traditional military feast, military officials said Sunday. The unarmed Filipino peacekeepers, who were riding in trucks, were abducted after providing water and food to other troops on Wednesday in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights by one of the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. After negotiations, they were freed on Saturday on Jordan's border and taken to a hotel in Amman, Philippine officials said.
At the Amman hotel, the peacekeepers, who were treated well by the rebels, were welcomed with a "boodle fight" — a Philippine military mess-hall style of eating, where food is laid usually on banana leaves atop a long table and soldiers eat with their hands, said army Col. Roberto Arcan, who heads the military's peacekeeping operations center in Manila.
Arcan said he talked on the phone with one of the freed peacekeepers, army Maj. Dominador Valerio, who remained in high spirits despite the four-day ordeal. "Please tell my wife I'm OK," Arcan quoted Valerio as saying, adding he relayed the good news to the army officer's wife in the Philippines.
Prior to last week's hostage-taking, a Filipino army major and his driver was briefly held at a checkpoint in the Golan Heights by anti-Assad forces last January but were released after about four hours, Arcan told The Associated Press.
The freed peacekeepers from a 326-member Filipino contingent in the Golan Heights are part of a U.N. mission known as UNDOF that was set up to monitor a cease-fire in 1974, seven years after Israel captured the plateau and a year after it pushed back Syrian troops trying to recapture the territory.
The truce's stability has been shaken in recent months, as Syrian mortar shells have hit the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, sparking worries among Israeli officials that the violence may prompt UNDOF to end its mission.
On Friday, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said "the mission in the Golan needs to review its security arrangements and it has been doing that."
Asked if the incident would prompt the Philippines to withdraw its peacekeeping personnel, military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos said the Filipino deployments would continue although assessments would be made to better safeguard the peacekeepers in increasingly-hostile areas.
"This is a global commitment," Burgos said in a news conference in Manila.
More than 600 Philippine security personnel are deployed in nine U.N. peacekeeping areas worldwide, Arcan said.
President Benigno Aquino III said last week he has asked the military to assess whether large numbers of Filipino peacekeepers should be reduced to help address the country's growing security needs.
"There is a delicate balance," Aquino said. "All of these deployments have a vital function. We are part of a global community. If there's peace in the Middle East, it also helps us."
But he asked: "Can we afford to send this number of people?"

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Vatican conclave: Cardinals pray for spiritual guidance before choosing new pope

VATICAN CITY—Roman Catholic Cardinals prayed on Sunday for spiritual guidance ahead of a closed-door conclave to choose a new pope to lead the Church at one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Cardinals will hold a final pre-conclave meeting on Monday to discuss the state of their Church, left reeling by the abdication last month of Pope Benedict and struggling to deal with a string of sexual abuse and corruption scandals.

The 115 cardinals who will take part in the secret ballots, which start on March 12, fanned out around Rome on Sunday to hold myriad Masses, either in the quiet of private chapels or in the grandeur of Rome’s great cathedrals and basilicas.

Each cardinal is traditionally assigned to a church in the Italian capital and congregations swelled in parishes visited by those considered the most likely papal contenders—such as Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

“We’re all preparing for the conclave because we need to make the right decision to decide who is going to be the new pope,” Scherer told a small Baroque church in the heart of Rome, crammed with well-wishers.

He was later driven away in a minivan with darkened windows, declining to speak to the waiting hoards of reporters—a taste of the pressures to come if he should become the first non-European to be elected pope in some 1,300 years.

Just up the road, another non-European touted as a possible candidate, U.S. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, also received star treatment as he arrived for Mass in ornate vestments.

“I say sincerely that we hope this is your last visit as cardinal,” said parish priest father Rocco Visca, prompting loud applause and cheers from the well-heeled congregation.

A coach load of faithful from northern Italy travelled down to Rome to hear Milan’s cardinal, Angelo Scola, give a sermon at the monumental Santi Apostoli church.

“Let us pray that the Holy Spirit gives the Church a man who can lead her in the footsteps of the great pontiffs of the past 150 years,” said Scola, seen as the leading Italian candidate.

Like fellow cardinals, he appeared eager not to draw too much attention to himself and exited quietly via a back door.

Some cardinals, such as Manila’s Luis Antonio Tagle, who is considered a long-shot because of his relatively young age, 55, kept an even lower profile, mostly staying inside the walls of seminaries or other religious institutions.

Open canvassing is frowned upon in the run-up to the conclave, with prelates aware of the Rome saying “he who enters the conclave a pope comes out a cardinal”.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the so-called princes of the church had been in constant contact in recent days and had reached initial conclusions.

“They therefore feel ready to confront the decisive step of electing a new pope,” he told Vatican Radio.

The 115 cardinal electors under the age of 80 will enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday afternoon and hold one vote that evening. They will vote up to four times day thereafter until one of their number receives a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes.

If a pope is not elected in two or three days it means that cardinals are probably severely divided and might have to turn to a dark horse candidate to find consensus.

No conclave has lasted than more than five days in the past century. Pope Benedict was elected within barely 24 hours in 2005 after just four rounds of voting. But this time, no clear favourites have emerged to take the helm of the troubled Church.

Apart from Scola, Scherer and O’Malley, other potential candidates most mentioned are Canada’s Marc Ouellet, U.S. cardinal Timothy Dolan and Argentina’s Leonardo Sandri.

It was unclear how much the geographical distribution of the cardinals would weigh. Sixty cardinals come from Europe, including 28 Italians, while there are 19 from Latin America, 14 North Americans, 11 Africans, 10 Asians and one from Oceania.

The Italians held the papacy for 455 years before the 1978 election of Polish-born Pope John Paul.

Many of the Italian cardinals work within the Vatican bureaucracy, which has come under heavy criticism in recent years because of infighting and perceived incompetence.

Some Italian newspapers said many of the Italian prelates were rallying around Scherer, while many outsiders favoured Scola, believing he had the clout and knowledge needed to revitalise and reform the creaking Vatican government.

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