Raging anti-Asian sentiment in Papua New Guinea

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

ANTI-Asian sentiment is raging within the marginalised sector of Papua New Guinean society. It is being fanned by mistaken and misinformed notions that these foreigners who, by now, have succeeded in growing roots here are the cause of their money-related misery.

For them, Chinese, Malaysians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Thais, Indonesians, Singaporeans, Japanese, Indians, Sri Lankans, Taiwanese and South Koreans belong to the same bunch of marauders who invaded the country and are now gradually taking away from them, in one way or the other, a lot of economic-based opportunities like jobs, businesses, and even commercial land and real estate.

Ironically, a similar adverse view would not necessarily apply to the white people – Americans Europeans, and yes, Australians – who are also here in PNG precisely to eke out a living.

The locals’ immediate targets are the Chinese who could be found all over Papua New Guinea, particularly in urban centers like Port Moresby, Lae, Goroka, Mt Hagen, among other places, where they operate flourishing small businesses from trade stores (retail shops) to fast-food outlets.

Obviously, the Chinese are the most visible in the community. While you seldom find them working as employees of business or government organisations the way other Asians do, you would see them instead behind busy counters of variety stores and fast-food bars.

Over the years, these entrepreneurs have grown in numbers although their coming here has not been noticed much as they just materialised in trickles. They did not come here to look for jobs as other Asians do, but to set up small enterprises using their own funds, if not capital from compatriots who are already established traders in the community.

Their success story in PNG is the same worn-out story line that I’ve heard of, or learned, about the Chinese in the Philippines. They were already in my home country even before the Spanish colonization began in March 16, 1521, and had co-existed with the colonisers in harmony since then, doing what they did best – trading.

So it was no surprise that even after the Spaniards abandoned the Philippines in 1898 to give way to the coming of another coloniser – the Americans – the Chinese had already entrenched themselves both in cities and in far-flung areas in the country, selling their goods to the locals and in so doing, helped enliven the economy of a rather sleepy rural community.

On the other hand, the other group of Asians came to PNG as professionals whose line of expertise have landed them sensitive jobs -- either as managers or administrative officers -- in banks, financing companies, import-export businesses, manufacturing entities, IT and telecommunications, among many other commercial and business concerns.

Many more came as skilled workers and technical people. Occasionally, they would serve as buffer workforce that assured businesses, factories and technical enterprises of uninterrupted operations even during times when one or more of their local counterparts would suddenly disappear from the workplace for reasons only God would know about.

These sensitive workplace functions are jobs which up to now have remained “off-limits” to most Papua New Guineans for the simple reason that they don’t have the necessary education, training, expertise, aptitude and proper attitude for such kind of responsibilities.

It is true that PNG universities and higher learning institutions have churned out new batch of graduates year in year out, but who are sadly unprepared to work the job. Unwilling to wait for this untrained workforce to learn the rope of the trade, employers are forced to fill the vacancies immediately and the only way to do this is to recruit from overseas. And employers – both local and foreign – are well aware of this anomaly.

There would not be much issue against Asian professionals and skilled workers who, since the recent past, have been arriving in Port Moresby in droves due to various developments in many sectors of the economy -- from mining and fishery to banking and finance, from gas-and-oil concerns to telecommunications.

The flurry of job-making in many industries led by mining, oil and fishery has deluged the labor department with some 14,000 work permit applications to date, and the number is rising. By they way, these could have been jobs for Papua New Guineans if only …

For instance, it was revealed the other day that at least 7,000 jobs reserved for citizens in the LNG (liquefied natural gas) project could not be filled up with local workforce as there are no qualified applicants from their rank.

So, the only way for the LNG project to fill up such positions is to hire foreign skilled workers, according to Labor and Industrial relations secretary David Tibu, who just testified before the bipartisan parliamentary committee hearing to look into the riots that broke last May and targeted Asian-owned-and- operated businesses.

Educated Papua New Guineans who are themselves gainfully employed would understand why there’s a need for professional and skilled expatriates in PNG’s economy. And they do appreciate Asian professionals being in their midst as they have proven to be a vital cog in the wheel of the industry.

Which brings to mind this question: Who are these people harboring hatred against Asians and are now agitating the government for their immediate expulsion from the country so they could takeover whatever enterprises these Asians have been successful with?

When the first anti-Asian riots broke out in Port Moresby and in urban centers in the Highlands last May, causing massive destruction to Asian-operated businesses as a result of violent looting, it was seen that the main players were nobody else but the local people who were either jobless, opportunists or just plain scum of the society.

As they assembled at the town plaza to prepare for their assault on Asian-operated trade stores, the decent and well-meaning members of the community cowered in fears at home, already precluding that the next several minutes would turn out violent. And they were not mistaken.

Last May’s anti-Asian rioting in Port Moresby and in key urban centers was the result of the participants’ basic awareness of what has been going on around them for so long: That their number is growing and there are no jobs for them; government services like healthcare, education and most importantly shelter, are not reaching them despite the massive tax revenues and royalties that the government generates from mining, oil and logging operations.

They have swarmed in settlement villages on the outskirts of the city and urban centers despite the lack of facilities for health, sanitation, source of clean water and most of all, a decent source of livelihood because back home in their own far-flung villages, there’s no presence of government and life was equally hard and desolate. So, being in the settlement would at least bring them close to the sources of economic opportunities like jobs, electricity and water. But in reality, this is not so.

Everyday, for lack of things to do, they would converge in the town square, or in spots next to the entrance of Asian stores and watch others enter the shops. And looking at the Chinese proprietor running the store counter manned by locals, they realised that he’s making a lot of money by the minute as hinted by the sound of the cash machine that seemed to never stop dinging.

In their mind, that money should have been theirs.

Aware of this kind of grassroots’ mentality, certain unscrupulous individuals from equally unprincipled NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and BCOs (community-based organisations) have taken advantaged of the marginalised sector’s ignorance and credulousness.

The NGOs/CBOs fed them the idea that the business these Asians are running right before their eyes are theirs – they are an enterprise exclusively reserved for them, and that it’s about time that they take it back from these foreigners, and banish them from the community for good.

Believing that it is as simple as that, the unsuspecting settlement people willingly took the bait. Last May, after a brief public rally where they were prepped on how such presence of Asians in the community was depriving them of their source of livelihood, short of stealing jobs from them -- they struck.

In one coordinated move, they attacked the shop workers and ransacked and looted the whole place of everything that was there for the taking before leaving it in total wreck.

The other day, the May incident was probed by the bipartisan parliamentary committee to know the reasons behind the violent rioting and looting that cost substantial losses and damages to the victimized Asian businessmen. Of course, without looking far, they would immediately see what triggered the people to attack the Asian proprietors: Grumbling stomachs.

But one thing is certain and this is bad news for anti-Asians: PNG is a flourishing economy; it is the new mecca after the Middle East for jobseekers and wealth-makers from Asia. This means many more Asians will be here for good.

China, now one of the biggest investors in PNG, has just signed a number of deals with the government involving massive economic interests related to the multi-million dollar LNG project. Not to mention, the Chinese-bankrolled billion-dollar nickel project in Madang that would surely assure many jobs for Chinese skilled technicians -- jobs that could not be filled up by locals.

Construction work at the nickel mine site is in full swing, involving about 3,500 workers – both local labor and Chinese expatriate technical people.

Another billion-dollar project that is now emerging in Madang is the PMIZ, short for Pacific Marine Industrial Zone. It is a tuna processing zone that would involve at least seven canneries bankrolled by foreign capital. The processing plants are projected to employ at least 30,000 locals and expat technical people.

But then again, PMIZ is expected to be populated by Asian investors, the very same group that some vested-interest-anti-Asian NGOs/BCOs are trying to block from coming in for some dubious reasons.

But anyway, the future job market scenario doesn’t look good for the members of the marginalised sector. There’s no way for them to be able to fit into the emerging industries. So it is no surprise if they would hate Asians more, and with instigation and provocation from the NGOs/BCOs, they would continue to pester them with their racist chants and sloganeering and violent rioting and looting for the media’s consumption.

Maybe, they would benefit from economic windfall if the government succeeds in involving them in various spin-off ventures arising from LNG, mining and fishery projects.

Again, this is a very complicated process as many project owners came to discover later and were dismayed over it because it added up to the cost of their operations and it did not come cheap.

With the quality of education the country offers to its young citizens from where many graduates leave the university clueless as to their chances in the job market because their training was not geared towards the reality of landing a job or making them self-employed, what are their chances under the present scenario?

Like that of the marginalised sector, it’s bleak.

Labor Sec Tibu has stressed at the parliamentary hearing: Vocational and apprentice training are not being pursued as vigorously before, and the big challenge for the government now is to enforce an honest-to-goodness vocational and apprenticeship training to meet the number of jobs on offer at LNG, mining and fishery projects.

Meanwhile, businesses must do what they have to do to protect their investment – hire Asians by all means.

Truly, I find it mind-boggling that PNG can’t even supply these ventures with home-grown welders!

So, what to do?

Email the writer: jarahdz500@online.net.pg

alfredophernandez@thenational.com.pg

To see the original website posting, please visit: http://www.batasmauricio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=799:raging-anti-asian-sentiment-in-png&catid=40:letters-from-port-moresby&Itemid=117

To see previous articles, please visit: http://www.batasmauricio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=40:letters-from-port-moresby&layout=blog&Itemid=117

Crude oil prices continue a "roller coaster ride"

Strong international demand for refined fuels has caused a slight increase in retail prices throughout Papua New Guinea.

The November price schedule has gasoline (ULP) about one per cent higher while diesel and kerosene will cost about 4 per cent more.

InterOil president Bill Jasper said a slightly improved U.S. economy had pushed crude oil to more than $US80 a barrel.

“This year fuel prices have been on a wild roller coaster ride.

“For five of the past twelve months prices have actually fallen, for the other months prices have increased.

“The net result is that today most fuels are cheaper than they were a year ago.

“ULP now costs about the same, diesel is about 5 percent cheaper and kerosene is currently about 10 percent less expensive, as compared to last year”.

Mr Jasper said that, despite the negative trend this month, price movements in the medium term had been in favour of the consumer.

“Overall the trend is good news for our retail, commercial and government customers”, he said.

“But it must be remembered that all domestic fuel prices result from pressures (upward and downward) exerted by the international market place.

“As with crude oil, the price of refined fuels is set internationally and beyond the control of the Government, the ICCC or ourselves”, he said.

Mr Jasper also stressed InterOil had to pay the full international market price for the crude oil it used in the refining process.

“We do not receive any special discount for PNG produced crude, even though we are a PNG-based refiner.

“Actually PNG produced crude is always sold at a premium to the benchmark crude for the region.

“Local crude is sold on the international market to the highest bidder and we have to compete against other refiners from other nations for locally produced crude oil”, Mr Jasper said.

For further information contact

Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675) 311 2796

Mobile: (675) 7201 3870

Email: slaumaea@digicelpacific.blackberry.com

Magnificent Mt. Wilhelm!

Text and photographs by Barry Greville-Eyres, naturalist and development practitioner working with the Goroka-based Fresh Produce Development Agency

Sunrise Mt. Wilhelm summit
For eco-tourists and adventure-junkies the Simbu Province and in particular the Mt Wilhelm scramble offers an off the beaten track experience that is hard to surpass. At 4509m this imposing edifice flies largely and surprisingly under the tourism radar in terms of exposure, commercialisation, public interest and actual visitor numbers. Herein rests, for me personally, its greatest appeal. Its offers its own, uniquely PNG rite of passage, taken and cherished by the few. Its route is relatively pristine, unfettered and devoid of hype and controversy.
In keeping with the notion of community-based sustainable tourism, almost every kina spent circulates within and boosts the local Kundiawa - Mt. Wilhelm economy. My five day sojourn was remarkably affordable, amounting to K1.200 inclusive of transport (Goroka – Mt. Wilhelm return), accommodation and food, trekking and guide fees and in all cases I was able to meet and pay, thoroughly deserving service providers, directly. This provided a level of engagement and intimacy rarely encountered – well beyond a mere financial or service transaction. Remarkable insights were gained into the people of the area – their dignity, resilience, serenity, warmth, humility and kinship for family and others and their deep, deep connection to the soil and land. It is hoped that this inherent environmental stewardship will support and demand measured and responsible development in the face of developmental challenges currently sweeping through PNG. The self determination and efforts of local landowners, farmers, mountain guides and lodge operators, in the provision of home-grown services, fruit and vegetables, and infrastructure, are applauded.

Camp Jehovah Jireh open for business
The recently established Camp Jehovah Jireh, offering rustic yet comfortable lodge-styled accommodation, is a classic example of local PNG entrepreneurship. The establishment and associated tour guiding services are consolidated under the Mt. Wilhelm Tours company, ably and passionately managed by former school teacher, Martin Thomas. Martin is working towards a ‘stable client base and thus far has attracted an interesting blend of corporate clients (government, volunteer service organisations, and donor assisted projects), international tourists and even a Japanese film production company currently engaged in making a documentary in the area.’

L – R Martin Thomas, Mt. Wilhelm Tours, the author and Paul Sugma, mountain guide prior to tackling Mt. Wilhelm
Recollections of my experience are as varied as they are intense – all making up a rich mental and emotional montage difficult, yet necessary, to share and articulate in the written word. Even pictorial images fall short of the mark but some stories need to be told – somehow. The road trip from Goroka to Kundiawa (traversing Eastern Highlands and Simbu Provinces) is fascinating, dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful – a fantasy farmland often regarded as the fruit, vegetable and coffee basket of PNG. One can hear, see, smell and feel luxuriant growth in profusion whether strawberries, kaukau, monstrous African yams, English cabbages, countless varieties of legumes and bananas and much
more. All natural, fresh, flavoursome, nutritious – as good as it will ever get! The roadside Agro-tourism potential of the area is immense, especially with show, tell, do and taste experiences.

PNG roadside snacks on offer
Summiting Mt Wilhelm, reputed to be one of the Pacific’s highest peaks, rates up there with Kenya’s Kilimanjaro, Namibia’s Fish River Canyon and South Africa’s Otter Trail and many of the world’s iconic treks. The walk in to the lake-side base camp (from Camp Jehovah Jireh) is a comfortable three to five hour amble taking in high forest, sub-alpine forest, grass and heath lands with dense stands of enormous tree ferns. The water catchment potential of the area is self-evident with swiftly flowing mountain streams and an abundance of swampy surface water. The base camp accommodation is simple but adequate, offering stunning views over the lower lake and a natural mountain amphitheatre, both of which are traversed in order to reach the summit.
The Mt.Wilhelm climb is exceedingly tough, bewildering, uncompromising and with a midnight ascent, lasting between four and seven hours, requires a moderate level of fitness and highly recommended conditioning at altitude. As with any remote, high altitude adventure there is a definite risk element involved and moderate on-trail care (steep ground security) and backup precautions should be taken. Our descent was far more sedate – close on eight hours, even at sub-zero temperatures, benefiting from daylight and panoramic views. Pockets of miniature alpine vegetation punctuate the austere yet intriguing moonscape and scree-slopes, clinging to a timeless existence alternating between daily freezing and thawing. Paul Sugma, my expert mountain guide and I were held in morbid fascination, for hours, by the wreckage of a large aircraft littering the slopes above the upper lake.

Upper lake en route to summit
We finally stumbled onto our base camp where interim relief was sought, for aching muscles and creaking joints, in the icy waters of the cobalt blue lower lake. Little did we know that, shortly before our departure, magnificent Mt. Wilhelm was about to offer up one final extravagance to crown a truly unforgettable experience.

Hooked - John proudly displays his sizable rainbow trout

Papua New Guinea LNG project enters into Heads of Agreement with Sinopec

Project will provide long-term supply to Unipec

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, November 4, 2009 – Esso Highlands Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation and operator of the PNG LNG project, today announced that the project participants entered into a Heads of Agreement with Unipec Asia Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) for the long-term supply of 2 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The PNG LNG project participants are working with Sinopec to finalise a binding sale and purchase agreement.

A final investment decision on the project is planned for later this year.

Documents commemorating the agreement were signed in Port Moresby.

“We are pleased to have reached this important milestone with Sinopec,” said Ron Billings, vice-president of ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing.

 “With this agreement in place, the PNG LNG project is now conducting exclusive discussions with major Asian LNG customers for binding sale and purchase agreements covering the full project capacity.”

“We are pleased to have signed this significant Heads of Agreement with the PNG LNG project, which is led by our partner ExxonMobil.

“This LNG resource will be supplied to a LNG receiving terminal that Sinopec will build in China,” said Wang Zhigang, senior vice-president of Sinopec.

 "We hope that the working teams from both parties continue to work closely together to finalise the sale and purchase agreement as soon as possible."

The PNG LNG project is an integrated development which includes gas production and processing facilities, onshore and offshore pipelines and LNG plant facilities.

Participating interests are ExxonMobil (Esso Highlands Limited as Operator) 41.5%, Oil Search 34.0%, Santos 17.7%, Nippon Oil 5.4%, Minerals Resources Development Company 1.2%, and Eda Oil Limited 0.2%. (Participation will change when PNG State nominees join as equity participants at a later date.)

Media Contact: Miles Shaw

Phone: (675) 322-2133

Email: miles.j.shaw@exxonmobil.com

Happy Birthday, Malum Nalu Jr!

Happy  Birthday Malum Nalu Jr, who turns nine today.        
                                                                                                                                                                                                  That's you with late Mummy, Hula, and Dad after your birth in Goroka on November 4, 2000.       

Hope you have a wonderful day in Lae today with the family.                                                                                                                                                                                         
Never-ending love from Dad, Gedi, Moasing and baby Keith, and most importantly, Mum.

InterOil’s LNG project - early benefits and revenue transparency

PORT MORESBY, Tuesday November 3, 2009: INTEROIL Corporation believes that its proposed LNG project would provide attractive revenue streams to Papua New Guinea before 2014.

InterOil discussed the nature of these revenue streams in the company’s presentation at the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum conference held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea between October 27 and 30.

In the presentation, InterOil described its upstream oil and gas production business segment and its separate proposed midstream LNG tolling plant business segment which form a non-integrated project structure.

The Company believes that such a structure, with its clear lines of demarcation between upstream and midstream segments, provides revenues to the country on a transparent basis while also potentially providing those revenues earlier to PNG’s various levels of government and to landowners.

“InterOil is aiming to bring on stream a liquids stripping plant, to be located in Gulf Province, on stream in late 2011/2012 while the LNG plant is still being built,” the company presentation by CEO Phil Mulacek said.

 “The plant will extract the liquid condensate from the gas, reinject the gas back into the reservoir, and transport the liquids to its refinery or for sale in the open market.

“The advantage for landowners, provincial governments and the PNG state is taxes and royalties would start flowing earlier into their respective coffers,” Mulacek said.

“All upstream stakeholders benefit from the early condensate/oil production through direct 20.5% government ownership and 2% landowner royalty payments.

“Additional revenue is generated by the PNG government through the 30% company tax rate.

“When the LNG plant begins its operations in late 2014/2015, all upstream stakeholders will benefit from increased condensate production, natural gas production and associated profits taxes as it occurs due to InterOil’s non-integrated project structure.

“Additionally, LNG plant stakeholders would benefit from a separate stream of revenue and profit tax from the midstream LNG plant.

“The separate revenue streams provide increased transparency when compared with an integrated project structure.

“Based on current forecasts of production and commodity prices, 94% of the total revenues from InterOil’s project to the PNG government will be derived from the production of oil and gas during the first ten years. 

“Production from the Elk/Antelope field provides revenue security to PNG and early cash flows for the State, provincial governments and landowners potentially beginning in 2011/2012 from early liquids production.

“The InterOil LNG project would provide direct and indirect benefits to PNG. 

“The InterOil LNG project is not in direct competition with the PNG LNG project but rather adds additional revenue security to PNG.

“Delay of the LNG Project Agreement will risk the revenue diversity to PNG citizens and the momentum for a stronger LNG industry in Papua New Guinea,” Mulacek said.

 For further information please contact

 Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager (Media Relations)

InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675) 321 7040

Mobile: 675-76845168 or 675-72013870

Email:susuve.laumaea@interoil.com ; slaumaea@digicelpacific.blackberry.com

InterOil replies to Sydney Morning Herald article

In today’s Page 5 of the Sydney Morning Herald Business Day reporter Clancy Yeates report on Resources under the headline “Doubt cast on Canadians’ ambitious PNG plan” mistruths were rampant throughout the article. InterOil sees it quite strange why a Sydney newspaper with Oil Search shareholding would write about InterOil without contacting senior management of InterOil about the real facts. InterOil’s responses to each paragraph of the article is hereby highlighted in red.  – Susuve Laumaea.

AN OIL refiner hoping to exploit the region's gas boom, Canada's InterOil, faces a wave of scepticism over its plans to export liquefied natural gas from Papua New Guinea.

There is no wave of skepticism. The only skeptics are Oil Search investors that are losing money and have been misled by false information provided by Oil Search. The false information regarding the productivity and resource estimates resulting from our wells has turned out to be not true.

InterOil, which has its regional base in Cairns and RBS Australia as adviser, aims to build a second LNG plant in PNG alongside ExxonMobil's $US12.5 billion ($13.6 billion) venture with Oil Search.

The Exxon led PNG LNG project is now a $15 billion dollar project. InterOil does not intend to build alongside Exxon. InterOil tends to build on government owned land on which it has a 99 year lease alongside its 100% owned oil refinery, where it has a jetty system and harbor rights to the only deep water protected port on the coastline.

The company has lofty ambitions to build a similar sized plant to export 8 million tonnes of gas a year through two production units, or trains, for just $US6 billion. It aims to sell its first shipment as soon as 2014.

Not lofty at all, look at the Hunt Project in Peru, built for $5 billion.

However, some Australian industry insiders and analysts are doubtful whether InterOil has enough gas. The group has no certified reserves, but it has detected gas flow rates at the Elk/Antelope field that it says are the strongest recorded in PNG.

We have certified resources that can not be called proven reserves until we reach FID (final investment decision). Industry insiders and analysts understand this, it is the same for all companies.

In the highest-case scenario from an independent evaluator, InterOil hopes to find reserves of 4.73 trillion cubic feet (tcf), but analysts contacted by BusinessDay said this looked marginal for one train, let alone two.

Our most up to date resource estimate, which includes the results from Antelope-1 is 6.1Tcf of gas and 100 MMbbls of condensate (or 6.7 Tcfe) plenty enough for one train by any standard and well on the way for a two train project.

In comparison, Woodside's Pluto 2 project off Western Australia will require up to 5.1 tcf of gas for one train and 10.2 tcf for two.

The market is also edgy because the geology around InterOil's oil and gas assets is different from the area where Exxon and 34 per cent partner Oil Search are planning their LNG plant.

The market is not edgy at all!! InterOil shares have been one of the best performing stocks on the New York Stock Exchange in 2009. Morgan Stanley recently recommended the shares as a buy. Our reservoir is many fold better that the higher cost and lower productivity wells being drilled in the highlands.

''It's a new area and it does not have the production history of the Southern Highlands, where Oil Search is,'' said an analyst who asked not to be named.

Who is this analyst that hides behind anonymity? Just because a resource is new does not make it inferior. Simply comparing InterOil’s well productivity and the proximity to the proposed plant, would lead any competent industry insider or analyst to conclude InterOil has the superior project.

A website, InterNoOil.com has sprung up attacking the company's claims.

This website was created by a convicted felon who admits to being short InterOil shares. The website made these claims months ago and the market has seen through the ill intent of a stock manipulator.

An InterOil spokesman rejected the criticism and said the company was on track to deliver LNG, adding that scepticism appeared to have come from its competitors.

''We have no reason to believe that we won't have sufficient [gas] to underpin a minimum of one and possibly two trains,'' the spokesman said.

In March, InterOil opened its data room and retained RBS and BNP Paribas to sell a project stake of up to 25 per cent, but it has yet to sign up a big partner.

In March InterOil hired RBS and BNP Paribas, in June InterOil opened its data room. InterOil is planning to test the condensate levels at the base of the gas column and the potential for a commercial oil discovery following the oil recovery in the Antelope-1 well. InterOil will not sell any interest until it has completed the testing in the Antelope-2 well which has been designed to capture this most important valuation information. The Antelope-2 well has already confirmed the extension of the dolomitized reef 2.3 miles from Antelope-1 and encountered the limestone 345 feet higher than estimated further increasing the size of the discovery. The condensate and oil potential will be determined over the next few weeks.

The refiner, listed on the New York stock exchange, has seen its market value almost quadruple this year after discoveries in PNG.Despite local scepticism, US analysts have said booking reserves was not essential for making a final investment decision on an LNG project, as the rival Exxon project had booked only minimal reserves.

 

 

University of Goroka addressing Outcome Based Education through workshops

Caption: Curriculum & Instruction staff from UOG participating in a group work session with volunteer staff member and workshop co-facilitator Mr Don Herron at the workshop held last Friday (30th October 2009).-Picture by KATE GUNN

 

By KATE GUNN of University of Goroka

The University of Goroka (UOG) is on track to addressing the government’s plan for Outcomes Based Education (OBE) in Papua New Guinea.

 In a series of workshops conducted by the Curriculum and Teaching Department of the Education Faculty, academic staff are actively producing a roadmap to guide and improve teacher training at the UOG, based on the OBE approach to education.

Curriculum and Instruction lecturers at UOG have participated in two workshops so far aimed at producing “competent, knowledgeable and quality teacher graduates” as stated by the Vision of the University. 

This is ultimately aimed at the development of a common curriculum to be taught to UOG students so that they may reflect the OBE approach when teaching out in the field. 

This will be comprised of the planning, organisation, programming and assessment on curriculum in all subjects in schools. 

This will be achieved through specific outcomes-based units and topics, along with assessment and teaching also being outcomes-based.

Teaching skills and methods such as peer group teaching, micro teaching and teaching practice will also influence the desired outcomes. 

This is ultimately to build skills and knowledge through experience before teaching OBE to students of UOG. 

Sessions of the first workshop held on Friday 23rd October 2009 covered topics such as what is outcome based education; international perspectives of OBE; planning with outcomes; assessing with outcomes in a comprehensive introduction for curriculum and instruction lecturers to acquaint them with the OBE approach to education.

 In opening the workshop the Vice Chancellor of the University of Goroka Dr Gairo Onagi stated: “UOG is passionate about curriculum and instruction…and teaching students to teach well.”

  Dr Onagi also encouraged staff to lift their game and not relegate curriculum and instruction duties to junior staff, for the best delivery to UOG students.

In the second consecutive workshop held on Friday 30th October 2009, UOG staff worked to identify common areas to teach students via different strands for the common curriculum.

 Staff also examined and discussed the teaching skills and methods which factor in OBE as a scaffold to classroom practice. 

This was to “make sure there’s integration and connection” said Mr Teng Waninga Head of Department and lecturer in the Curriculum and Teaching Department of UOG and co-facilitator of the workshops with volunteer staff member Mr Don Herron also of the same department of the Education Faculty. 

The workshop also included staff doing group work where they had discussions to identify the qualities and outcomes of UOG graduates taught the OBE approach.

The third and final workshop is planned for the near future. 

Fiji AG self -destructs on media freedom: PFF

Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has erased his own credibility with 'delusional' notions that Fiji has a free media, says regional media watchdog the Pacific Freedom Forum.

According to media reports, Khaiyum told a regional journalism seminar at the University of the South Pacific on Friday 31st October Fiji's media were free to report on any issue, asking  “Is there a

restriction? Are journalists being locked up? Are journalists being told what to write? No!"

But in the same presentation on the Public Emergency Regulations (PER) introduced in April 2009, he admitted the "fundamental issue as far as the media control at the moment is concerned is that you do not have politicians being reported."

"The fact that his monologue went unchallenged by his audience only proves that self-censorship is thriving under the PER. An AG who claims journalists have not been restricted, locked up, or told what

to write is clearly deluded and out of touch with reality," says PFF Chair Susuve Lauamaea of PNG.

The latest global media freedom index compiled by global watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers has Fiji ranked 152 out of 175 nations. In 2008, Fiji ranked 79th.

"We can only stand in solidarity and sympathy for those who organised the debate, and offer our input and engagement to help build

understanding amongst the regime leadership that the right to freedom of expression and speech has specific universal indicators which can't be mucked around with."

"The Pacific Freedom Forum and our networks warmly congratulate Fiji Times, for their  award winning free speech campaign as announced on Friday night in Australia," says co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.

"The irony for us all is that only a few hours before this cause for celebration, the regime AG in Fiji went public saying the media is free to report anything - so long as they don't report on the leadership. In saying that, he proved so powerfully why Fiji Times deserve the award, and our continued support."

 

Papua New Guinea are the champions

Papua New Guinea today gave a rugby league lesson to Cook Islands and qualified for next year’s Four Nation’s Cup with a 42-14 trouncing in the SP Brewery Pacific Cup grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

Watched by a fullhouse patriotic crowd, which included Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare as well as Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, the Kumuls showed all and sundry that their bid for the Australian NRL competition was no joke with an eight tries to three romp.

Fullback David Mead, later named man-of-the-match, capped off a five-star performance with a three-try haul.

A dazzling 60^th minute try by the scintillating 20-year-old showed his sheer class as he had the Cook Islands in sixes and sevens all over the paddock.

“Everything went well today,” he said before before swamped by hundreds of adoring fans, in scenes that resembled Beatlemania

“We’ve been training very hard for the last three to four weeks.”

The Kumuls, fired up after their 44-14 thrashing of Tonga last Sunday, had too much all-round strength and was supported by an expected sellout patriotic crowd.

They were led capably by their UK-based contingent of Menzie Yere, Jason Chan and John Wilshere.

The class of PNG shone all over the paddock through the UK trio,  Mead, halves Dion Aye and Keith Peter, props Rodney Pora and James Nightingale, “white shark” hooker Jay Aston, utility Charlie Wabo, and backrowers Chan and Siegfried Gande.

Cooks Islands came in with all guns firing and, from the outset, looked set to cause another David v Goliath epic as they had so convincingly done over the last two weeks against Samoa in Australia and then Fiji in their Pacific Cup game last weekend.

The Kumuls drew first blood in the 11^th minute with a try to winger Richard Kambo, off a brilliant offload from Mead, and with the extras from Wilshere, were flying high 6-0.

A 15^th minute touchdown from Mead brought PNG ahead to 10-0, however, Cook Islands’ fighting spirit was epitomised after that with quick tries to halfback Daniel Fepuleai in the 24^th minute and another three minutes later to centre Keith Ualia to tie the scores at 10-10 and set the stage for a thrilling showdown.

Centre Anthon Kui, however, had other ideas as he scored in the 32^nd minute to put the Kumuls ahead, and with another from Mead, the home side led 20-10 at the break.

At resumption, it was basically all one-way traffic as PNG piled on with tries to centre Yere (49 min), Mead (56 min), Kambo (62 min) and Yere (71 min) for an unassailable 42-10 lead.

Cook Islands allowed agro to creep into their game, and this cost them dearly in the last 10 minutes, although they had some consolation with a high-flying try to winger Domique Peyroux.

Cook Islands’ captain, Tere Glassie, shed tears after the game, while coach, Australian David Fairleigh, remarked: “Congratulations to PNG.

“We wish you all the best in the Four Nation’s.

“We have no NRL experience.

“Hopefully, this will give us something to build on.”

But while it was tears in the Cook camp, all celebrations for PNG, as hundreds of fans – in unforgettable scenes - swamped on to the field and carried their heroes, posed for photographs, as well as asked for autographs.

“Thank you for all your support this afternoon,” said captain Wilshere, who, apart from the hundreds, had his own legion of fans from his Butibam village in Lae.

“Rugby league’s our sport and we love it.

“The Four Nation’s will be a tremendous boost for our country.”

Coach Adrian gave a vote-of-thanks to the PNG crowd for their unwavering support over the years.

“We’re improving year by year,” he said.

“Young players are coming in all the time.

“Mi hamamas long yupela sapotim mipela long last tu wiks (I’m happy with your support over the last two weeks).”

PNG 42 (Mead 3, Kambo 2, Yere 2, Kui tries; Wilshere 6 goals) bt Cook Islands 14 (Fepuleai, Lulia, Peryoux tries; Ben Taia goa).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First pictures of Papua New Guinea's Pacific Cup win

Papua New Guinea thrashes Cooks Islands 42-14 to win Pacific Cup

Full story and details to come.

Papua New Guinea tipped to beat Cook Islands

Papua New Guinea looks set to give a rugby league lesson to giant-killers Cook Islands when they meet in the grand final of the SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby today.
The Kumuls, fired up after their 44-14 thrashing of Tonga last Sunday, appear to have too much all-round strength and will be supported by an expected sellout patriotic crowd.
They will be led capably by their UK-based contingent of Menzie Yere, Jason Chan and John Wilshere.
The class of PNG is expected to shine all over the paddock through the UK trio, fullback David Mead, halves Dion Aye and Keith Peter, props Rodney Pora and James Nightingale, hooker Charlie Wabo, backrowers Chan and Siegfried Gande, and lock Jessie Joe Parker,
Cook Islands, going in as underdogs but with the giant-killer tag, expect outstand performances from winger Dominic Peyroux and pivot John Ford.
Forward Tinirau Arona and halfback Daniel Fepuleai are also expected to orchestrate proceedings.
Captain Courageous, Tere Glassie, will pull out all stops for another giant-killer epic.
Watch this blog for first pictures and report of the game later today.

Cheshire Home in Port Moresby needs your help

The Cheshire Home in Port Moresby is looking for interested groups to help out with the sausage sizzle, which is currently the only regular income for the Home.
The Sausage Sizzles are held every Saturday morning outside the Boroko Foodworld.
They need a group of at least eight hard-working people to assist, some to barbeque, others to cut up onions, cook onions, cut bread rolls and prepare the hot dogs, and some to serve the customers.
It's always busy and hot, but fun.
They also depend on the donations collected on the day, and need some enthusiastic assistants for the collection.
Thanks for your help.
IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE CONTACT SUSAN CHANG AT HILIFT admin@hilift.com.pg or telephone (675)3251355