PNG's first female pilot to attain Fokker command

Posted on Post Courier

Captain Beverly Pakii has become the first female pilot in Air Niugini and Papua New Guinea to captain a jet aircraft after attaining her command on a Fokker jet aircraft recently.
With this achievement, it now enables Captain Pakii to be in command or captain flights on the Air Niugini domestic and international network that are operated by Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 aircrafts.
Her first commercial flight was on January 4th this year on a Fokker 100 aircraft (PX106/107) flight from Port Moresby to Lae and back. With her in the flight deck was First Officer Taylor Yama.
Air Niugini chief executive officer, Simon Foo in congratulating Captain Pakii said ANG invests a lot of money and resources into training pilots and engineers every year and result as such are encouraging and promising for other female pilots in the system and also those who are aspiring to become pilots.
He further stated that Air Niugini is very supportive of gender equality in the workforce and this attainment along with the achievements of other female pilots in a profession that is largely male dominated, demonstrates the airline’s belief, continuous support and investment in its female workforce.
Mr Foo said; “Captain Pakii has come through the system holding a very high standard throughout. Her dedication, commitment and humble demeanor to achieve her command is demonstrated in her professional conducts in all facets. Air Niugini congratulates Captain Pakii on her achievement and this milestone in her career. She is a role model to other aspiring female pilots.”
From a mixed parentage of Enga and Morobe, Captain Pakii’s previous achievements include being the first female pilot to be sponsored under Air Niugini’s Pilot Cadet program in 2004. She was also the first female pilot under this program to have achieved her command on the Dash 8 aircraft and operated as captain on 02nd March 2015. On the 29th of May, 2015 she again created history when she captained the first ever female crew on Air Niugini’s subsidiary company, Link PNG’s flight PX 900/901 from Port Moresby to Tabubil and back.
Captain Pakii humbly acknowledged the investment that Air Niugini has made in her career and sounded an encouraging message to her fellow female pilots and aspiring female pilots.
“Believe in yourselves and remain focused on your goals as the outcomes are rewarding.” Pakii said.
Beverly’s career as a pilot is not surprising, her father Captain Ted Pakii was an ex Air Niugini pilot who joined the airline from the PNG Defence Force in 1994. He operated on several aircraft types during his time, starting with Dash 7 and left after achieving his command on the Boeing 767.

Go this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/pngs-first-female-pilot-attain-fokker-command/

Amelia Kuk ranked 10th best Player in the World

Post on facebook page- The Informationist

Amelia Kuk is a professional footballer from Mt Hagen playing for the Brisbane Broncos.
Her father, who is in the mining sector, was transferred to Brisbane, Australia, in 2008.
Kuk was in Grade Eight when they opted to settle there. 
Amelia started playing rugby union at 17 years old and made her debut for the PNG Women’s 7’s team at 18 in Hong Kong.

From there she switched over to rugby League in 2016 and made the QLD Women’s rugby league team. Amelia played two matches for the Australian Jillaroos in 2017 and then played in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup for the PNG Orchids. She also played 2 matches for the Queensland Maroons in 2018.

Born in Mt Hagen, 24-year-old Amelia Kuk becomes the first participant of the Oil Search player pathway program. Kuk represented the Oil Search PNG Orchids in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

With a background in volleyball, Kuk made the transition to rugby after coming across a University of Queensland women’s team in training.From rugby union to rugby league, Amelia Kuk is no pushover. Women’s rugby league is on the verge of a new era, with the move into a semi-professional environment, thanks to the introduction of an NRL-run competition from 2018, which follows on from the success of recent women’s Tests at the NRL Auckland Nines and 2017 Women’s Rugby League World Cup. Taking a look at the top 10 female league players in the world right now, The Broncos centre and PNG Orchids five-eighth Kuk made number 10 for her outstanding performance during the WRLWC 2017. Amelia Kuk has had nothing but praise for the PNG Orchids since joining camp last year. The 24-year-old rugby star is obviously proud of her Nokpa heritage, coming from the Kopi tribe in the Western Highlands Province, and says the change from union to league has been somewhat rejuvenating.

Kuk is a 7s player, having represented PNG. However, she made her debut last year with the Jillaroos at the Auckland 9s and taking the field against the Orchids during the PM’s XIII match was the hardest thing she’s had to do.The 24-year-old debuted for the Australian Jillaroos in last year’s curtain raiser to the PNG PM’s XIII and Australian PM’s XIII match against the PNG Orchids in Port Moresby.
She is currently one of the best players in the NRL playing centre for the Brisbane Broncos.

Go to this link for more: https://www.facebook.com/369941363590558/photos/a.369943926923635/407307886520572/?type=3&theater

Muruk 2, Pikka wells drilling positive

Posted on Post Courier

The results of the Muruk 2 well in PNG and the four Pikka Unit well penetrations in Alaska are very pleasing, with hydrocarbons encountered in all five wells.

This was according to Oil Search managing director Peter Botten (pictured) after the results of its successful drilling.

Mr Botten said Oil Search’s drilling and safety performance has been excellent in these very challenging environments and clearly demonstrates Oil Search’s capability and commitment to conduct safe and responsible operations.

He said the Muruk 2 well was a significant, 12 kilometre step out north-west of the Muruk 1 gas discovery well, designed to test the extent and materiality of the Muruk 1 gas discovery drilled in 2016.

“The original Muruk gas discovery was just 22 kilometres from the nearest Hides gas field infrastructure. Muruk 2 has penetrated gas-saturated Toro A sands in pressure communication with Muruk 1 ST3,’’ he said.

‘‘Testing of the well will continue over the coming weeks to assist in determining the potential gas resources in the Muruk gas field.

This is a positive outcome, indicating continuity of the trap over a significant distance, close to existing facilities.

“In Alaska, we commenced our first drilling operation in December, only 10 months after completing the acquisition of our Alaskan assets in February 2018.

‘‘The Company’s performance in the 2018/2019 winter drilling season has met or exceeded expectations for planning, safety, drilling, subsurface data gathering and overall performance.”

He said confirmation of well deliverability was a key objective of the winter drilling program.

While Pikka C ST1 flow rates were impacted by well clean-up and mechanical issues, sufficient data were acquired from the well, which is located at the northerly limit of the field, to support our pre-drill expectations.

“Based on the initial evaluation of the Pikka C data, with the excellent results from the Pikka B well, which have exceeded expectations, we anticipate deliverability from the development will, at a minimum, meet our project assumptions, with material upside potential, supporting a planned FEED entry later this year,’’ Mr Botten said.

‘‘We have established a highly experienced team in Alaska and are advancing our preparations across several other areas including permitting, cooperation discussions with other North Slope operators and evaluation and assurance of the development options, which take into consideration key stakeholder issues and concerns.

“The results of the drilling in both PNG and Alaska represent an excellent start to 2019, which promises to be an exciting year.”

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/muruk-2-pikka-wells-drilling-positive/

Allow girls to finish school: Kidu

Posted on The National

Girls should be allowed to complete school and achieve their goals in life first before getting married, says former Moresby South MP Dame Carol Kidu.
Speaking during the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) at the flexible open and distance education (Fode) campus in Port Moresby on Friday, Dame Carol, pictured, said in order for the county to progress there should be a balance of gender in every sector.
“There should be a good number of women in government offices, private sector, education, health, sports and parliament,” she said.
IWD is celebrated around the world on March 8 but PNG women celebrated on March 24.
It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements in national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political sectors.
In line with IWD, Papua New Guinea set March 24 in the calendar to commemorate the day nationally.
It is a day when women are recognised for their contributions, whether big or small, in shaping the country.
Dame Carol encouraged the female Fode students to finish their secondary education.
She encouraged them to go to university or college and get a qualification before getting married.
Dame Carol said getting married should not be the destination for girls.
She said marriage was not bad, however, female students had to make education their priority.
Fode principal Anthony Rayappan said in the past, in many countries, women were merely seen as home makers but this was changing.
He stressed the theme of 2019 IWD, “balance for better”.
Rayappan said women should be seen as equal partners in nation building.
He said more women were are enrolling in Fode centres nationwide and commended women for choosing education.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/allow-girls-to-finish-school-kidu/

Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko – pioneering gender academic

Dr Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko

CATHY KEIMELO | Gender in PNG Research Program

PORT MORESBY – As a teacher, advocate, mentor and silent achiever, the late Dr Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko (1950-2018) will be remembered for her contributions to the advancement of women in Papua New Guinea.

Hailing from Wagawaga in the Milne Bay Province, Anne was born on 15 May 1950, the fourth child of five children to Osineru and Doreen Dickson.

From humble beginnings as a six-year-old school girl at Kwato Mission, Anne continued at Port Moresby High School and later attained a Diploma in Secondary Teaching at Goroka Teachers College.

From 1971 to 1973 she taught at Kilakila High School, during this time marrying John Kaniku, also a teacher, and had two sons.

Juggling motherhood and work, in 1974 Anne joined the University of Papua New Guinea as a professional assistant in social science at the Teaching Methods Centre. Concurrently, she studied part time for a Bachelor of Arts, graduating with first class honours.

From 1978 to 1981, Anne undertook further study in the USA but, with the joy of having a third son came sadness, tragedy struck and she lost her first-born son. These years in the USA were difficult for Anne and her family but she completed her Masters in Political Science at the University of Mississippi in 1981.

In 1986, she had a daughter with John Kaniku but their marriage dissolved soon after. By 1987, Anne was undertaking PhD studies at the Australian National University in Canberra and was awarded her doctorate in 1993.

During this time, she remarried Professor John Waiko and had another son in Canberra. As Professor Waiko was based in Port Moresby, she left her young son with him while she completed field work in the Philippines.

Anne was a dedicated academic and worked extremely hard until she fell ill in September 2018. UPNG’s Professor Peter Yearwood described her as a valuable and dedicated lecturer. As a student at UPNG, I enjoyed her classes on PNG gender issues, colonialism and nation building, and South East Asian history.

As an academic, researcher and advocate for gender equality in PNG, she focused much on history and gender studies. UPNG recognised her as an internationally significant scholar who between 2005-2015 wrote seven articles or chapters in refereed journals and books.

Anne was also a consultant, advisor and facilitator for a number of gender related projects which she engaged in with government, non-government and international organisations and donors. Her most significant contribution to women’s improvement in PNG was her involvement in the Review of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level government led by Ben Micah in 1995 with other women academics and leaders.

Her involvement looked at incorporating women’s representation in both the provincial and local level government particularly in having nominated seats for women. This was approved by the national parliament and made effective in 1997.

It was a turning point for women in politics as it allowed women to participate and be heard at the provincial and local levels of government. I hope that this revelation will be made known to many PNG girls and women so that we are grateful for women who paved the way for our voices to be heard.

Remarkably, Anne spent 45 years at UPNG, most of her career, and over the years she imparted her knowledge to contributing to the development of PNG, particularly to the female population. In 2016, Anne, pioneered PNG’s first gender studies program and was commissioned by the National Research Institute to carry out a scoping study which informed the research themes of the gender program.

A colleague described Anne as a passionate woman who supported gender equality through her work, teaching and research.

You dedicated your life to improve the lives of the masses.
Sacrifices made, and hurdles jumped. 
Yet strived to put a smile on another’s face.
With a humble heart and a sweet smile, you still persevered. 
Gratitude is all that can be offered at this time 
But your legacy will remain. 
Smile and know that it will get better.

The Gender in PNG Research of the PNG National Research Institute program acknowledges Ms Marjorie Andrew for allowing us to use the late Dr Anne Dickson-Waiko’s eulogy in writing this tribute and Associate Professor Peter Yearwood, Head of the History, Gender Studies and Philosophy Strand, for the short tribute you sent to be included in this obituary

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/03/anne-nealibo-dickson-waiko-pioneering-gender-academic.html

Huli Warrior's Yellow Faces Sacrifice Fear

VOLUME 12 WINDOWS TO ICH

Hale LahuiResearch Officer, PNG National Cultural Commission

Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, with over 750 languages representing 750 ethnic groups. Papua New Guinea is made up of 24 provincial governments, and the nation is divided into four regions known as Momase, the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, and the Southern Region.

Body decoration is an intrinsic element of Papua New Guinea culture. There are certain underlying symbols and meanings of an ethnic group’s strength, group solidarity, and identity that are often expressed through this medium, which is prevalent among societies in both the Southern and the Highlands regions of the country. However, body decoration seems more pronounced within the communities of the Highlands.

Of the unique cultural and ethnic groups, an indigenous population called the Huli in the Highlands is perhaps the most well-known for their aggressive warring nature as well as decorative face makeup and costumes worn during battles.

For over a thousand years, the Huli have made their home deep within the Southern Highlands in the Tari, Koroba, Magarima, and Komo Districts. During their existence, their history and culture have mostly been transmitted orally from generation to generation. Until as late as 1936, they were unknown to the outside world. In fact, the colonial government hadn’t even had contact with the Huli until 1951. Because their existence has been left largely uninfluenced by the outside forces, the Huli provide a purer sense of cultural and anthropological understanding of traditional ways of life.

For the Huli, as it is for many tribes and cultures that can be traced back to antiquity, face and body art plays an integral role in rituals and festivals. Face painting has long been a dynamic feature, where different approaches are taken depending on the occasion. Since the Huli are culturally a warring people, they tend to favor awe-striking colors of bright yellow and red.

It has been suggested that the vibrant colors, along with the Huli’s full ceremonial regalia for war, not only instills a sense of fear in their opponents, but also helps create an altered state of consciousness in the Huli warriors themselves. Within this state of mind, the Huli sacrifice their fear and individually in the name of the mutual identity and collective interests of the tribe.

While warfare and pre- and post-war rituals have long been the common occasions for applying facial makeup in Huli culture, other specific gatherings, seasonal events, and ritualized activities, such as spiritual dances and initiation ceremonies, also call for facial makeup. The initiation ceremonies are especially important as they mark the rite of passage from child to adult within the tribe. During these events, the men take the lead role in creating exquisite facial designs to accompany their intricately designed headgear. However, during dances, which are referred to as mali, adults and children, including females, apply makeup that is worn throughout the performances.

The background color for Huli facial makeup is usually made from yellow clay called ambua. This background application is decorated with accents of red clay, hare, and white clay, momo. Vermillion, goloba, and black charcoal, ira punga, are also used to add decorative features and patterns to the overall design of the facial makeup. However, white is sometimes used as the backdrop for the designs, and clear tree oil, mbagwa, is also occasionally used when a color pigment isn’t desired.

While this makeup has historical roots and importance to Huli-specific rituals and cultural activities, in recent years, the Huli have become the subject of tourist circuits being run locally. To appease or entertain travelers, the Huli now often apply less-than-traditional colors using acrylic paint and other not-so-traditional materials.

Furthermore, instead of applying facial makeup for traditional activities, many are wearing the makeup daily as a form of show for tourists. These embellishments to and artificial usages for the makeup show why it is necessary to safeguard the cultural heritage that has traditionally been a part of Huli’s facial makeup.

Go to this link for more: https://ichcourier.ichcap.org/article/huli-warriors-yellow-faces-sacrifice-fear/

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PNG LNG and skills development: a missed opportunity

                      Written by Carmen Voigt-Graf, Francis Odhuno -DevPolicy Bog

PNG’s extractive sector is set to expand, with the construction of the next mega-project – the Papua LNG project – about to start this year. In light of this, a new discussion paper analyses the employment and skills development impacts of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in PNG. Lessons from the US $19 billion PNG LNG investment, the largest resource project ever completed in the country, can inform workforce development for future projects.

The construction of the PNG LNG project began in 2010 and the first gas shipment was made in May 2014. The project construction phase saw unprecedented growth in formal employment. Data provided by ExxonMobil suggest that at its peak, the project employed an estimated 21,220 workers, of which less than 8,500 were Papua New Guineans. When the project construction phase ended in 2014, the number of jobs on the PNG LNG project fell to about 2,000, with some 1,500 jobs for Papua New Guineans (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: PNG LNG workforce 2010-2014

The majority of skilled nationals who worked on the PNG LNG project were likely poached from other companies. However, no figures are available to show how many of the skilled workers who resigned from previous positions to work on the project were replaced by Papua New Guineans, thereby creating local employment opportunities. It is therefore impossible to determine the number of additional skilled nationals who may have gained employment in the PNG LNG project.

In contrast, low-skilled labour is readily available, and low-skilled Papua New Guineans from project areas were recruited as preferred area employees. During the construction phase, they made up the majority of the local workforce, but received little training, and their time on the project was short. As construction of roads, pipelines and other infrastructure moved on, workers living near the new areas were recruited instead, so few workers had the opportunity to make a permanent transition into the formal workforce.

Although no data is available, the recruitment of preferred area employees has increasedthe proportion of project workers from mining areas and host provinces. Oxfam’s study in four villages closest to the Central Province LNG plant revealed increased incomes, but many villagers also expressed concerns about the large number of foreign workers.

The lack of technical and vocational skills and experience of working on large, complex, projects resulted in many positions being filled by foreign workers. The Department of Labour and Industrial Relations (DLIR) facilitated the employment of foreigners on the PNG LNG project in several ways. It established an “LNG Priority Line” which guaranteed a quick turnaround time of ten days for processing  work permit applications, instead of the usual 42 days. Some of the work permit requirements were also lifted, and the Employment of Non-Citizens (Amendment) Act 2008 exempted ExxonMobil from advertising in PNG to find suitable citizens before offering positions to non-citizens.

Most foreigners worked as managers, engineers, technicians, and qualified tradespeople. The shortage of welders was particularly acute – according to DLIR, PNG had less than 600 licensed welders, but more than 5,000 were needed when construction began, so large number of specialist welders were imported, mostly from the Philippines. The Project Agreement between ExxonMobil and the PNG government is not publicly available, but is widely assumed to contain only vague and general commitments regarding training and localisation of workforce. Close to 100 local welders were trained during the LNG project but it is not clear where they now work, and the number of welders registered in PNG is still at under 600.

The number of LNG Project jobs has fallen substantially since the end of construction (see Figure 1). And skill shortages have become less severe. While there are enough welders, electricians and fitters to operate the LNG project, there is a shortage of process technicians (or plant room operators) who can operate the LNG plant.

The overall impact of the project on employment is difficult to determine because the LNG workforce was not monitored. A manager of one recruitment agency told us “there are now many workers with the experience of working on a large, world-class project. They were [however] used to huge salaries which created expectations that cannot be fulfilled outside of the LNG project… Some are currently registered in databases and are waiting for the next big project to set off”. However, there is no centralised database and it is unknown how many former LNG workers are still on the project, unemployed, or employed elsewhere. As such, it will be difficult to track down individuals with the skills or experience to be employed on future projects.

The PNG LNG project brought some employment benefits to PNG, but these could have been considerably larger if there was more emphasis on training and local employment. Earlier investment in training would have benefitted more Papua New Guineans, giving them skilled employment opportunities on the project. Moreover, the PNG LNG construction phase did not last long enough to build up specialised technical skills, while the exposure of low-skilled local workers was ad hoc and intermittent. PNG nationals who worked on the LNG project were not skilled or re-skilled to give them other employment options when their contracts ended.

For employment on mega-projects to be sustainable, companies should ensure that national workers are able to find alternative employment after the project construction phase. At the very least, they should acquire skills which help them find work elsewhere. Since there is no record of the employment history of the PNG LNG workforce before and after the construction phase, the number of Papua New Guineans who have transitioned into other formal employments is unknown.

The PNG government missed the opportunity to impose stronger local employment and training targets in the PNG LNG National Content Plan. With negotiations on the Papua LNG project ongoing, it is not too late to impose stronger targets for the country’s next mega project. The PNG government should undertake a detailed survey of the project workforce to assess the skills that Papua New Guineans acquire while employed on the project, and their employability in future projects.

Given the continuing lack of quality public education and training, company training remains the only strategy to create a technically competent indigenous workforce. In this vein, one lasting benefit from the PNG LNG project  is the high-quality live gas process training facility in Port Moresby, which provides skills for the oil and gas sector. Given the low level of workforce skills in PNG, there is little risk that increased training will result in an oversupply of skills any time soon.

Go to this link for more: http://www.devpolicy.org/png-lng-and-skills-development-20190327/