1,000 homes destroyed in Manila slum:China does not accept the international arbitration

 

More than 1,000 homes destroyed in Manila slum fire started by a CANDLE   This is the scene of devastation caused by fires which ravaged more than a thousand homes as they swept across slums in Manila in the Philippines leaving hundreds of families homeless in a single night. Families caught in the blazes can be seen sitting inside the rubble of their gutted homes with nothing left but scraps of metal and charred possessions. One fire was started by a lit candle in the house of Tisay Mohammad at Isla Verde in his house in Boulevard village, while another started in a shantytown in Punta, Sta. Ana, destroying at least 1000 homes and displacing hundreds of families. The fires were thought to have spread very quickly because many houses in Manila are made of wood, and are built very close together, making them an incredibly flammable fire risk. Miraculously, there have been no reported casualties among the districts affected by the fires, as hundreds of people who were affected were evacuated to Quezon Elementary School. One of the fires that reduced a community to ash lasted for five hours before the fire department managed to extinguish it with a specially designed task force. +12 The fires spread quickly because of the flimsy and light materials, such as wood, that are used to build houses in the impoverished area +12 Leaving hundreds homeless, the fire is just another tragedy to hit the Philippines in recent years, adding more pain to the already damaged community +12 Children scavenge among twisted metal and corrugated iron sheets in the ruins of a slum after a fire in Davao City destroyed more than a thousand homes in a slum +12 The fire in the Philippines' largest southern city, sent residents running for their lives according to officials +12 The residents can be seen sorting through the rubble of their damaged, burnt and broken houses attempting to find anything left worth salvaging +12 The families displaced were originally evacuated during one of the blazes, but many have now returned to the charred husks of their former homes to see if there is anything undamaged by the flames +12 Among the most popular salvage items are corrugated iron and cooking supplies, allowing the displaced communities to take a brief respite from sorting through their destroyed lives with a simple meal +12 Many of the people displaced now face the arduous process of slowly rebuilding with the little that they have left after the fires +12 A Filipino man collects salvageable materials among debris following an overnight fire that razed the slum area +12 According to the Bureau of the chief fire inspector, around 100 houses were destroyed at one shantytown, leaving more than 200 families homeless +12 Since their initial evacuations, and the fire dying down, Filipino families have been forced to return to their charred slums and attempt to salvage what they can +12 The fires were the latest in a long line of incredibly damaging fires that have ravaged the Philippines for several months in quick, intensive bursts   Exhausted firefighters struggle to contain 'worst blazes in history' that have killed 12, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 to flee Chilean city The fires erupted on Saturday in a hilltop residential area of Valparaiso, 70 miles northwest of capital Santiago 20 helicopters and planes have been mobilized to drop water on hotspots, but officials say work is far from over Schools were closed today in the city, since some were damaged and others were overflowing with evacuees Three of the 12 victims were identified, and the others are so badly burned that DNA tests will be done Firefighters struggled for a second night early Monday to contain blazes that have killed 12 people, injured 500, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 people to flee the densely populated hills that gave this Chilean port city its unique beauty. Fires they thought were contained 24 hours after they started Saturday kicked up again with Sunday afternoon's winds and raged out of control, threatening more neighborhoods. With no municipal water or fire hydrants to use, routes to the blazes blocked by narrow streets jammed with abandoned vehicles and countless embers being stoked, fire crews could do little but watch some neighborhoods burn. Scroll down for video +12 Hotspot: Fires they thought were contained 24 hours after they started Saturday kicked up again with Sunday afternoon's winds and raged out of control, threatening more neighborhoods +12 Exhausted: Firefighters take a break as they struggled for a second night to contain blazes that have killed 12 people, injured 500, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 people to flee +12 Dense housing: With no municipal water or fire hydrants to use, routes to the blazes blocked by narrow streets jammed with abandoned vehicles and countless embers being stoked, fire crews could do little but watch some neighborhoods burn From the sky, 20 helicopters and planes were mobilized to drop water on hotspots, but Chile's national emergency office said the battle was far from won. 'This won't be extinguished, not today nor tomorrow,' the office tweeted after issuing a new alert when fires kicked up again Sunday afternoon. The blaze began in a forested ravine next to ramshackle housing on one of Valparaiso's 42 hilltops, and spread quickly. Hot ash rained down over wooden houses and narrow streets. Electricity failed as the fire grew, turning the night sky orange and reducing neighborhoods on six hilltops to ashes. Schools were closed Monday in the city, since some were damaged and others were overflowing with evacuees.     +12 Picturesque: Valparaiso is a picturesque oceanside city of 250,000 people surrounded by hills that form a natural amphitheater +12 Powerless: From the sky, 20 helicopters and planes were mobilized to drop water on hotspots, but firefighters were still forced to stand by and watch as neighbourhoods burned out of control +12 House on fire: ost of the people live in the hills, and the city owes its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to their colorful homes, built on slopes so steep that many people commute using staircases and cable cars President Michelle Bachelet toured the shelters and canceled this week's trip to Argentina and Uruguay, ordering her ministers to meet with her Monday morning to explain their responses. 'It's a tremendous tragedy. This could be the worst fire in the city's history,' she said. Valparaiso is a picturesque oceanside city of 250,000 people surrounded by hills that form a natural amphitheater. The compact downtown includes Chile's congress and its second-largest port. But most of the people live in the hills, and the city owes its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to their colorful homes, built on slopes so steep that many people commute using staircases and cable cars. But what's beautiful in postcards can be dangerous for those who live there: Many people have built on land not fit for housing, and entire communities lack municipal water connections. +12 Danger: What's beautiful in postcards can be dangerous for those who live there: Many people have built on land not fit for housing, and entire communities lack municipal water connections +12 Tragedy: Three of the 12 victims were identified, and the others are so badly burned that DNA tests will be done +12 Fire emergency: Chile's emergency response system generated automatic phone calls to each house in danger as the mandatory evacuations expanded 'We are too vulnerable as a city. We have been the builders and architects of our own danger,' Valparaiso Mayor Jorge Castro said Sunday in an interview with Chile's 24H channel. The fires destroyed at least 2,000 houses by Sunday evening, and the death toll rose to 12, Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said. Three of the 12 victims were identified, and the others are so badly burned that DNA tests will be done, the national forensics service said. More than 500 people were treated at hospitals, mostly for smoke inhalation. It was already the city's worst fire since 1953, when 50 people were killed. Bachelet declared the entire city a catastrophe zone and put the military in charge of maintaining order. Some 1,250 firefighters, police and forest rangers battled the blaze while 2,000 sailors in combat gear patrolled streets to maintain order and prevent looting. +12 Blocked roads: Many people stuffed their cars with possessions after getting these calls, and streets quickly became impassible +12 Stuck downhill: Water trucks and firefighters were stuck downhill as people abandoned their vehicles and ran. Some carried television sets and others took canisters of natural gas, fearing an explosion if flames reached their homes +12 Heightened security: Some 1,250 firefighters, police and forest rangers battled the blaze while 2,000 sailors in combat gear patrolled streets to maintain order and prevent looting Chile's emergency response system generated automatic phone calls to each house in danger as the mandatory evacuations expanded. Many people stuffed their cars with possessions after getting these calls, and streets quickly became impassible. Water trucks and firefighters were stuck downhill as people abandoned their vehicles and ran. Some carried television sets and others took canisters of natural gas, fearing an explosion if flames reached their homes. Shelters were overflowing. 'I had to flee when I saw the fire was coming down the hill,' said Maria Elizabeth Diaz, eight months pregnant and trying to rest with her two sons at Valparaiso's Greek School. 'I lost everything. Now I've been ordered to rest because I was having contractions. My little one knows that he can't arrive quite yet.'

China on Monday said it would not accept and participate in the written argument submitted by the Philippines to the United Nations (UN) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos) . “China does not accept the international arbitration initiated by the Philippine side. Disputes such as these have already been excluded from arbitration procedures through a declaration made by China in 2006 pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Laws Of the Sea (Unclos),” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told Chinese reporters in a press briefing. Hong said China urges the Philippines to adhere to using bilateral talks to resolve the maritime dispute. Hong added that the direct cause of the dispute was the Philippines’ illegal occupation of some Chinese islets adding that China held a clear and consistent stance on its claims over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). According to Hong, China has “indisputable sovereignty over the Ayungin Shoal and its adjacent waters.” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose , meanwhile, said the Philippine government maintains its position to resolve the maritime dispute in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. “We have been advocating peaceful settlement of the dispute without resorting to force or threat of force,” Jose said in an interview over Inquirer Radio 990AM. Jose said the written argument or memorial submitted by the Philippines to the arbitration committee of the United Nation is the “most peacful, durable and lasting solution” to the maritime dispute. He said the UN arbitral tribunal would continue the hearing of the  written memorial submitted by the Philippines even without China’s  participation and approval. On Sunday,  the Philippines submitted a 4,000-page written pleading of the Philippines before an international tribunal against China’s expansive claims over the West Philippine Sea. Chinese coast guard  vessels on Saturday blocked a civilian Philippine ship off the Ayungin Shoal in the Spratly Islands . The civilian ship brought supplies to Philippine soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre that has been grounded at the Ayungin Shoal, an area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, but which China claims as its own. China was warned Thursday against trying to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, as this could be considered an attack against the Philippines and prompt the United States to defend the country in keeping with their Mutual Defense Treaty. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—China was warned Thursday against trying to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, as this could be considered an attack against the Philippines and prompt the United States to defend the country in keeping with their Mutual Defense Treaty. And should this happen, international law expert and University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque said, the result could be a war in Asia. “The result: the West Philippine Sea [dispute], unless China backs off, may trigger the biggest armed conflict in the region since the Vietnam and Indochina conflict,” Roque said in a statement. Roque noted that the Sierra Madre has always been described as a “derelict,” but the government recently described it as a “commissioned naval vessel.” A statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on March 14 said, “The BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine naval vessel, was placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a permanent Philippine government installation in response to China’s illegal occupation of Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in 1995.” The Philippines says Ayungin Shoal is part of its continental shelf, over which it has “sovereign rights and jurisdiction” and by pointing that the Sierra Madre is a commissioned ship, the government “really wants to trigger the applicability of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Roque said. That is why China should “rethink” any plans to tow away the Sierra Madre, he said. “Derelict, as it may be, it is subject to full sovereign immunity and any attempt to tow it away from Ayungin may finally trigger the applicability of the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said. Attack on Sierra Madre And while the United States has said that the treaty may not be triggered by fighting in the West Philippine Sea because it does not recognize Philippine title to the area, this is not in the case when it involves a commissioned naval vessel, Roque said. “An attack against a Philippine commissioned naval vessel may be sufficient for the purpose,” he said. Asked whether he believed China had plans to tow away the Sierra Madre, Roque said China could have such plans, as it was now in the next phase of its 50-year maritime policy that includes “denying others possession of coastal waters” in the South China Sea. Beijing is “determined to get as much as it could” in the South China Sea, he said.     Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel. AP FILE PHOTO TOKYO – Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel on Sunday warned China against unilateral action to resolve territorial disputes with its neighbors, drawing a parallel with Russia’s incursion in Ukraine as he announced two more warships would be sent to Japan. Seeking to reassure Washington’s longtime ally Japan, Hagel’s remarks and promise of more missile defense ships came as Tokyo faces a tense row with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea. “All nations deserve respect, no matter how large or how small,” Hagel said during a visit to Tokyo. “I think we’re seeing some clear evidence of a lack of respect, and coercion and intimidation with … what the Russians have done in Ukraine,” he told a news conference with his Japanese counterpart, Itsunori Onodera. Countries had to speak up and reject such a blatant violation of international law, said Hagel, referring to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. And in a veiled reference to China and its territorial arguments with Asian neighbors, Hagel said smaller countries had the same sovereign rights as larger states. “You cannot go around and redefine boundaries, violate territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations by force, coercion and intimidation — whether it’s in small islands in the Pacific, or large nations in Europe,” Hagel said. “So I want to talk to our Chinese friends about this,” said the defense secretary, who departs for Beijing on Monday. US takes tougher line His comments underscored a tougher line by the US government on China’s approach to territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, after some Southeast Asian countries accused Beijing of intimidatory tactics. As “a great power,” China has “great responsibilities,” Hagel said. A topic Hagel plans to raise with the Chinese this week is “respect for their neighbors,” he said. “Coercion, intimidation is a very deadly thing. It leads only to conflict,” he said. In Tokyo, Hagel unveiled plans to send two more Aegis missile defense warships to Japan by 2017, citing “Pyongyang’s pattern of provocative and destabilizing actions.” The US ships would join five missile defense vessels already stationed in the area, and were part of an American strategic “rebalance” to the Asia-Pacific, officials said. Japan has deployed its own Aegis missile defense ship to the Sea of Japan (East Sea) in recent days, after North Korea last month test fired two medium-range ballistic missiles. Tokyo has reportedly ordered its forces to destroy any North Korean ballistic missiles that pass through its airspace. Hagel’s announcement follows the deployment of a second early warning US radar to Japan, P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft and plans to bring unmanned Global Hawk drones to the country. Although Hagel said the US ships were being sent to help counter the threat posed by North Korea, the move also carried symbolic weight amid Japan’s tense stand-off with China over islets in the East China Sea. Hagel reiterated that Washington stood by its mutual defense treaty with Japan, saying it applied to the disputed islands in the East China Sea, where Beijing and Tokyo are locked in a bitter argument. “We take seriously American’s treaty commitments, and we strongly oppose any unilateral coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan’s administrative control,” Hagel said. The Pentagon chief, who is due to fly to China Monday for a three-day visit, called for “a peaceful resolution” of the disagreement and said “America has no stronger ally or better friend in this region than Japan.” Tokyo scrambled military aircraft last month after three Chinese planes flew near Japanese airspace, the latest confrontation in the East China Sea dispute. The islands are administered by Japan, which calls them Senkaku Islands, but are referred to as the Diaoyu Islands by China. Chinese ships and planes have been seen off the disputed islands numerous times since Japan nationalized them in September 2012, sometimes within the 12 nautical-mile territorial zone.     Philippines files evidence against China's claims MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines presented evidence to an international tribunal against China's sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea, ignoring Beijing's warning that the case will damage ties. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told a news conference Sunday that the documents submitted electronically to the tribunal in The Hague consist of nearly 4,000 pages of analysis and documentary evidence. Filipino officials took their territorial disputes with China to international arbitration in January 2013, after Chinese government ships took control of a disputed shoal off the northwestern Philippines. They asked the tribunal to declare China's claims to about 80 percent of the strategic waters and Beijing's seizure of eight South China Sea shoals and reefs illegal. +2 Fresh batch of Philippine Marines wave goodbye to the departing government vessel AM700 to begin their deployment on the dilapidated navy ship LT 57 BRP Sierra Madre at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, Sunday, March 30, 2014 off the South China Sea. On Saturday, China Coast Guard attempted to block the Philippine government vessel AM700 carrying fresh troops and supplies, but the latter successfully managed to dock beside the ship to replace troops who were deployed for five months. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said last week that China will never accept nor participate in the international arbitration pushed by the Philippines. He called on the Philippines "to stop going any further down the wrong track so as to avoid further damage to bilateral relations." In Washington, U.S. State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf backed the Philippines' action, saying "all countries should respect the right of any states party, including the Republic of the Philippines, to avail themselves of the dispute resolution mechanisms provided for under the Law of the Sea Convention." "We hope that this case serves to provide greater legal certainty and compliance with the international law of the sea," she said in a statement. She reiterated a longstanding U.S. position that all parties refrain from taking unilateral actions that are "escalatory and destabilizing, to clarify their respective maritime and territorial claims in accordance with international law, and to commit to the peaceful management and resolution of disputes." The Philippines has urged other claimants to join the case, but none have so far publicly stepped forward. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping claims across the busy South China Sea. China has asked other claimants to settle the disputes through one-on-one negotiations, something that would give it advantage because of its sheer size and clout. It has also warned Washington not to get involved. "With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the memorial is our national interest," del Rosario said. "It is about defending what is legitimately ours." The disputes have periodically erupted into dangerous confrontations, sparking tensions and straining ties. In the latest incident, a Philippine government ship slipped past a Chinese coast guard blockade Saturday and brought food and fresh troops to a navy ship marooned on Second Thomas Shoal. The ship is used as a base by Filipino troops to bolster the country's territorial claims in the area. The mission was accomplished peacefully despite a radioed warning by the Chinese to the Filipinos to stop or "take full responsibility for the consequences of your action." On March 9, Chinese vessels blocked a resupply mission to the shoal, called Ayungin by the Philippines. Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza said the Philippines last month amended its statement of claim to include Ayungin Shoal as subject of arbitration. He said that the shoal is within the Philippines' 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone, and that the country has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it. +2 A dilapidated Philippine Navy ship LT 57 (Sierra Madre) with Philippine troops deployed on board is anchored off Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, Sunday, March 30, 2014 off South China Sea. On Saturday, China Coast Guard attempted to block the Philippine government vessel AM700 carrying fresh troops and supplies, but the latter successfully managed to docked beside the ship to replace troops who were deployed for five months. The Philippine government summoned China's top envoy in Manila on Tuesday to protest what it said was the firing of a water cannon by a Chinese government vessel to drive away Filipino fishermen from a hotly disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the protest was handed to Beijing's charge d'affairs over the Jan. 27 incident at Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground claimed by China and the Philippines. China ignored the protest and called its sovereignty there "indisputable." China has controlled the shoal since Philippine vessels backed off from a tense standoff there in 2012. Chinese coast guard and surveillance ships have guarded the territory and chased away Filipino fishermen if they ventured close. The Philippines asked an international tribunal last year to declare China's seizure of the shoal and seven other South China Sea reefs illegal.   Philippine Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Raul Hernandez answers questions from reporters during a press conference at Foreign Affairs headquarters in suburban Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. The Philippines has called in a Chinese envoy to protest what it says was the firing of a water cannon by a Chinese government vessel on Filipino fishermen in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Filipino fish trader Macario Forones said Chinese coast guard personnel used crude oil-laden waste water while blowing their ship's horn and yelling "Go away, go away" at his fishermen. One or two other Philippine fishing boats were hit by the waste water, he said. "The water smelled of oil and smeared the side of my fishing boat," Forones told The Associated Press by telephone from western Zambales province. "But my fishermen did not really leave the area. We've spent so much money to travel there and they basically ignored the Chinese." The Chinese coast guard vessel with bow No. 3063 used its water cannon for several minutes and sounded its horn to drive away 2 of 14 Filipino fishing boats, Hernandez told a news conference. "It is a strong protest against the Chinese for the harassment," Hernandez said of the diplomatic action, adding that China's massive territorial claim in the South China Sea was "excessive, expansive and illegal." "These actions, these incidents surely escalate the tension in the area and this further threatens the peace and security and stability in the region," he said. China repeated that it "has indisputable sovereignty over South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters, Huangyan Island included," using the Chinese name of Scarborough. It did not confirm nor deny the water cannon attack but said Chinese government vessels were patrolling the Scarborough area regularly. "The Chinese side does not accept the so-called 'protest' by the Philippine side," Chinese Embassy spokesman Zhang Hua said in a statement. President Benigno Aquino III said his government will ask Beijing if this was an isolated incident or a new Chinese way of engaging rival nations in the disputed waters. Military chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista told reporters Monday that Philippine forces adhere to a no-confrontation policy in the disputed areas but would defend the country and its people if they are threatened. The Philippine military said it would not retaliate. "Although it is an aggressive act, it does not merit a military response," military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said. "We encourage our fishermen to continue with their normal lives. We cannot let an aggressor stop our way of life, especially livelihood." China, the Philippines and four other governments have been disputing ownership of resource-rich South China Sea territories for years. Many fear the disputes could set off a major armed conflict.

THE YOUTH OF MY ERA

THE YOUTH OF MY ERA

We wanted to see life without violence. We wanted media that contained truth. Some of us risked our lives to find out what the government was doing and let the underground press know. We wanted to talk about things in print that we were not allowed to discuss in our culture of origin. We wanted to live without stupid, arbitrary rules, either for ourselves or for our children. Some of our children, as adults today, say they wish we had been more protective of them, or offered more structure.It was a moment in history when a mushroom explosion of consciousness began altering the life force. Through that explosion, we broke down the prison walls of "intellect as the ultimate".  We focused on the heart, and by doing so, reopened our cookie jar of possibilities·politically, socially, sexually and spiritually. The effects of that explosion have permeated our culture. My first car, that I bought from my parents. I called her “Black Beauty”. She fulfilled my love for cars and girls. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives in the conflict in Indochina that ended in 1975. One of the most famous images in the collection by Burrows is the shot 'Reaching Out,' the moment when wounded Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie, photographed with a blood-stained bandage tied around his head, is drawn to his fellow soldier, who lays wounded on the ground. Though some of the pictures by the renowned war photographer did appear in the magazine in the 1970s, some never made it to publication and are being seen for the first time in the LIFE.com gallery. The war correspondent has been praised for his indefatigable commitment to chronicle the conflict through pictures that communicated the horror of the fighting and honored the lives lost in the conflict in a way words just never could fully transmit. Reaching Out: Wounded Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Purdie (center, with bandaged head) reaches toward a stricken comrade after a fierce firefight Read more: Battle: A dazed, wounded American Marine gets bandaged during Operation Prairie Fallen: Four Marines recover the body of Marine fire team leader Leland Hammond as their company comes under fire near Hill 484. (At right is the French-born photojournalist Catherine Leroy)   THE YOUTH IN THE HOME FRONT

Evocative: This photograph showing American soldiers boarding a Chinook helicopter is one of 2,000 taken by Charlie Haughey during his tour of duty Tough: Soldiers wore towels around their necks to wipe away sweat in the relentless jungle heat Locals: Vietnamese children peer through a gate at the American photographer during his tour in 1968-9 Time out: Soldiers enjoy a brief moment of relaxation as they ride a Chinook over Vietnam Last year a chance discovery brought the images to light again - and this week they are going on display in an exhibition casting new light on the controversial conflict. Mr Haughey had been at art school in his native Michigan as a young man, but ran out of money and started working in a factory. In October 1967, he was drafted into the Army and sent to San Francisco to be deployed. He says his carefree attitude encouraged him to 'just go with the flow' - but he was astute enough to alter his personnel file to claim that he was a photographer, sensing that this might give him an advantage in Vietnam.

Sandwiched in between the generations of new postwar families and their boom of babies was a generation of teenagers.  Teens were marginalized by the adults, who didn't want to be bothered with the very different values of teenagers.  There were a few television shows aimed at young children, nothing for teenagers, and nothing on the radio speaking to teen life.  Teenagers felt left out, ignored, disenfranchised. Then the teens started to hear music about their world — songs about high school sweethearts, wild parties and fast cars, sung by other teens.  They were hungry for some recognition of their generation, some validation, and when it came, they embraced it.  Momentum started to build as this generation developed their own image and style, combined with the purchasing power of an increasingly influential demographic.  The word "teen-ager" was newly coined at this time. Second phase: condemnation. With the increased teen presence came disapproval, as marginalization and indifference turned into active condemnation of teenagers by parents and local authorities.  Teen dances were shut down, rock'n'roll records were banned, and students were expelled for a multitude of rule infractions. There have always been inter-family conflicts between parents and their adolescent children, but this cultural division was larger.  A significant proportion of the adult generation disapproved of the values and lifestyle of the teens, and were doing something about it, including setting new rules, restrictions and prohibitions.        Boy's hair touching the ears wasn't allowed, punishable by expulsion from school. ● Most girls weren't allowed to wear pants, and boys weren't allowed to wear blue jeans.  Even Stanford University prohibited the wearing of jeans in public during the 1950s. ● The new slang - hipster talk - bothered most adults.  It was part African American, part beatnik and part street gang... an offensive combination in the eyes of the status quo. ● There was alarm about teens dating and "heavy petting."  Any talk about sex was taboo and could be punishable. ● Many parents were worried about their daughters adoring black rock musicians, fearing the possibility of racial commingling. ● Hot rods were considered dangerous.  All it took was a few fatal accidents and the other 99% of the custom cars and hot rods were considered a menace to public safety. ● Dancing to rock'n'roll music was often banned, with school and teen dances shut down."What I remember most about the 50s were rules.  Rules, rules, rules... for everything.  Rules about clothes — which clothes you could wear when.  Rules about church.  Rules about streets.  Rules about play. "The dance rules were different.  Dance with girls and hold this hand, but then... you could do whatever you wanted to do!  Dance looked like freedom.  The only freedom this kid knew." The older generations were especially worried about "juvenile delinquency."  In the 1950s, this didn't mean dealing in street drugs or drive-by shootings, but rather chewing gum in class, souping up a hot rod and talking back to parents. Rock'n'roll music was attacked on all fronts, with records banned and smashed.  Radio DJs were ordered not to play certain songs; rock singers (especially Elvis) were condemned; and the career of rock promoter Alan Freed, the man who named the music rock'n'roll, was destroyed by a government investigation. School-related parties for teenagers and young adults include proms and graduation parties, which are held in honor of someone who has recently graduated from High School. A crush party is a party in a sorority or fraternity where the sisters or brothers are given a certain number of invitations (according to their “crushes”). These are passed on to friends outside of the sorority/fraternity and given to the “crushes” (while keeping secret the name of the inviter). There may be some sort of disclosure at the party, so that the guests can find out who has a crush on her/him. Sexual relations among teenagers in the fifties were another aspect the teen culture redefined. By this time, kissing, hugging and other mild physical forms of affection were done quite frequently in public -- in the hallways at school, in automobiles, and other local hangouts. These outward expressions were almost accompaniments to most dates because of the increase in privacy the automobile and darken movie theaters lend. In fact, the ideas of "necking" and "petting" were prolific and understood by everyone who participated in dating. Definitions for these terms differed with every source though. But in general, necking was defined as "caresses above the neck," and petting are "caresses below" that (Bailey 80). In some cases, there was a difference between "petting" and "heavy petting" which would be even closer to intercourse (McGinnis 117). Kinsey, the researcher behind the infamous sex studies of the 1950's, defines petting as "any sort of physical contact which does not involve a union of genitalia but in which there is a deliberate attempt to effect arousal" (Merrill 68). "Necking" and "petting" were quite often expected while on dates. One boy wrote to some publication in response to a similar subject. He stated, "When a boy takes a girl out and spends $1.20 on her (like I did the other night) he expects a little petting in return (which I didn't get)" But despite all the pressures to fool around, virginity was still a virtue in the fifties (Merrill 70). There was still an emphasis on preserving it as stressed by magazine articles and handbooks for young ladies. And when some girls lose it, it is a major tragedy, as one girl expressed a letter published in the May 1959 issue of Seventeen magazine expressed. She writes in, "After several months of dating, matters got out of hand. Deep down I knew it was wrong, but I didn't have the courage to stop seeing him... I believe God will forgive if one truly repents, but I know there will always be the scar". This girl here regrets her actions with a young man, and wishes she had not done what she did. Teenagers in the fifties changed the rules of dating and, consequently, formed the basis of what today's teenagers consider normal dating. Aspects like the process of dating which included the redefined stage of "going steady" were so well-understood by all teenagers of the 1950's that information about these topics was quite prolific. Every aspect of each aspect was examined by different perspectives. Adults produced handbooks and films which served to guide their teenagers in acting the way they wanted them to during dates. Teen magazines seemed to reflect a more contemporary voice -- a voice closer to what actual teenagers felt during the fifties. In the fifties, there were many options for a young couple looking for a good time. The most popular places to go were those that were cheap yet fun, much like dates of today. The September 1959 issue of Seventeen pointed out that the most popular places were ice cream parlors, pizza parlors, drive-ins, bowling alleys, coffee houses and record shops. The most popular and economical activity available for teenagers was watching movies. There they could be immersed in the dark with their date, enjoy a snack, and be entertained for a while. Perhaps, if the movie was played in a drive-in, you would not even have to watch the movie to be entertained! The vintage snapshots reveal how being stylish was just as important as study, with jean bottoms neatly rolled to create the 'perfect turn-up' and socks pulled to an exact height. Keeping it cool: Seven Sisters Style focuses on the history of U.S. college fashion which continues to influence catwalk styles today - here a Vassar student reclines in her dormitory during the 1950s Historian and Vassar College alumnus Rebecca C. Tuite, visited the archives at each institute to get a glimpse of what was 'cool' on campus decades ago. During her research she came across never-seen-before images and moth-eaten varsity newspapers. Preppy: The tome documents what was 'in vogue' at America's top women's colleges from the early 20th century onwards, here Smith students are seen on campus in 1968 On trend: After a momentary lull in the popularity of the polo coat, it came back with a vengeance thanks to the 1970 hit film Love Story, as did sleek hair, turtleneck sweaters, and preppy blouses, all seen enjoying an on-campus revival here at Bernard 'In the 18ty century it was very rare for women to be educated to this level, so students were using fashion to create these new identities as athletes as intellectuals and as American college women. She found that by the 1930s there were two sides to the 'college look.' Trendsetters: Soon college style became mainstream with designers including Perry Ellis (a model seen wearing designs in 1986, left) and Ralph Lauren (a model wearing the label in 1980) tapping into the trend On campus during the week women would opt for more casual clothing, such as Bermuda shorts, jeans and button downs. Ms Tuite says that these items were originally intended for men but the women 'adopted and adapted for a new look.' Then at the weekends there was a 'transformation', as everyone got into the party spirit. Combining style and study: Radcliffe students stroll together on a winter's day in 1954 - bare legs, socks, saddle shoes and oversized topcoats were a Seven Sister's style trademark whatever the weather Spring break: Vassar students stretch out in their cuffed jeans and sweaters (including both a Fair Isle sweater and a cardigan buttoned backwards, which became a popular campus trend), outside in 1950 Vassar students seen in the 1950s: Skirts were required for dinner at 6pm every evening, so many students kept them on for after-dinner studying or gossiping with friends 'Cashmere cardigans, dresses and gowns,' Ms Tuite said. 'Students might go to a neighboring men's college for dates, proms or parties.' Soon college style became mainstream, with designers including Perry Ellis, Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren tapping into the trend. 'Once these clothes were just a tradition on campus, now they're a worldwide phenomenon,' Ms Tuite concludes. Dating essentially replaced the practice of calling which was the primary way of courtship earlier. When I was a young man and called upon my future wife, I usually shows up at her house during an "at home" session and knocked at the gate. The maid answers my greetings who then gives it to my young lady. She then is given the option of accepting my call by letting me in or rejecting it by making up an excuse as to why she cannot see me. It was not always, that my calls were accepted in the early stage of the courtship, but as time and familiarity is established, schedules of visits became informal. Refreshments were often served (though not always), and the entertainment was primarily piano playing in the parlor. FORMAL INTRODUCTION TO SOCIETY PHILIPPINE STYLE On their 18th birthday,  the parents  customarily throw a large party, complete with the Debutante’s  own hand-picked entourage of 18 individuals or multiple sets of 18. These 18 are conventionally nine males and nine females whom the celebrant pairs off into partners. The celebrant's court usually wears a uniform formal outfit chosen by the celebrant (similar to the dress of a wedding party), while the celebrant herself typically wears one or several extravagant gowns during the course of the night. A typical ceremony begins with a short prayer invoking blessings upon the debutante. The debutante then enters, and performs traditional dances with her court for their guests. The most important one is known as the "Grand Cotillion Dance," which is usually a waltz. An "18 Roses Dance" is also done, where 18 pre-selected males who are close to the debutante dance with her after presenting her with a single red rose or her favourite flower. This dance is almost always preceded or concluded with the memorable "Father and Daughter Dance," and sometimes the father takes the place of the 18th Rose (who is often the girl's significant other). An elder male relative such as a grandfather may also take the father's place if he is unavailable for the occasion. Aside from roses, the debutante also has 18 Candles, who are females friends or relations of the debutante. Each lady delivers a short speech about their relationship with the celebrant and/or any special greeting, and lights a candle that is either held or placed on a stand. Music and other performances are usually interspersed between the '18 items' rites, while dinner and sometimes alcohol is always served. The birthday cake ceremony often occurs, as does a fireworks display concludes for more extravagant parties. The night ends with a Debutante's Speech in which the fêted youngwoman shares her thoughts on life and extends her gratitude towards her guests. American photographer Al Vandenberg moved to London in the early 1960s. This untitled photo shows three youths stood next to an advert for a shop on Archway Road. The word teenager was not really said unitl the 1950s.  This put a title on a new and upcoming age group of men and women that are no longer kids but not yet adults.  These teenagers had a new found purpose in life, and that was to enjoy their life and to be themselves.  As a youg adult in the 30s or the 40s, your were not expected to graduate high school, then go to college, then get a job but you were expected to work and provide for your family as soon as you were able to.  This was a popular male role in those days.  As a female, you were expected to be a ”house mom” and that was pretty much it. Adults in the 1950s did not want this for their children; they wanted to give them more opportunity and a richer life. With no more depression and  the rise of prosperity, adults could spend more while less responsibility and pressure was put on the teen.  With less responsibilty and more support from their parents, teens were able to do more things such as go out with their friends more often, buy food more, buy more clothes, and buy more new music.  With all this, teens also became much more independent by not asking their parents for permission to do things and just doing them with their own authority, especially if they had their own cars.  Teens began to attend dances, make hair fads, and make clothing trends. As for music, parents believed the new trend of music, rock n’ roll, was currupting their children.   Although the war made the '40s a very difficult time for teenagers, people made do with what they had. However they would be left with the memories of WWII for the rest of their lives. During the '50s, everyone was still recovering from the horrors of World War II. People from around the world idolized the Americans, who definitely prospered during this era. For teenagers, the clean-cut "college" look was back in style. Girls often wore full skirts with bobby socks and saddle shoes, and their hair was usually in ponytails or softly curled. Beehives came into style in the late years of the decade As the '50s progressed trends started to imitate cover model, Marilyn Munroe, and young women turned to clothes that showed off their figures. Although boys' appearance began as rigidly clean-cut, it slowly changed. Teenage boys either had short crew cuts or their hair was on the slightly longer side. These young men started dressing as "bikers" or "greasers," and many imitated the popular Elvis Presley.   LIFE AT AN OHIO PROM THAT KEPT GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING ... Mariemont High School's 1958 prom. Automobiles provided an excellent forum for sexual experimentation in the fifties. They provided the right amount of privacy for just that kind of "exploration," better known as "parking." Adults knew that "parking" happened, so instead of trying to stop the practice, which would be near impossible, they tried to contain it. For example, a police chief in New Jersey set up system where cars could park at night in county parks while patrol cars watched over them; however, the system required that the cars keep their lights on and must be parked legally. The goal of this system, which is similar to many others implemented throughout the nation, is not to control sex itself but to make it difficult for sex to occur. It manipulated times and locations so that sex was nearly impossible to happen. During the 1950s, youth became more self-aware, and they were determined to create their own styles, which the designers followed. Throughout the decade, the teenagers became a distinct group of society, which had never been done before. Young people gained much freedom, which was attributed by some to the lack of discipline after the war and the invention of Rock'n'Roll. However with this newborn freedom also came an increase in racism, and some youth gangs appeared. One type of music known as Rock'n'Roll greatly influenced the teens of the '50s. Saturday nights were spent at local dances where teens jived to their favourite music. Youth could also "hang out" at coffee bars or diners and listen to jukeboxes while they smoked cigarettes. Although nicotine was a very popular drug used, the other drugs that teens use now were not as prevalent in the '50s. The '60s marked an era of teenagers, as they truly became a distinct part of North American culture. The first baby-boomers were just growing up and developing into young men and women. As this was a time of prosperity and production for North America, teens received more money and had an easy time finding jobs. Since teens had more money to spend, more and more products were being designed specifically for them, notably clothing. Designers began to market items directly to youth, and small boutiques that sold these young and modern fashions opened up everywhere. For girls miniskirts and tights were extremely popular, accompanied by a skimpy or see-through blouse and long loose hair. It was during this decade that the young and ultra-skinny look first made headway. For boys, the Beatles look was very popular, and their clothes were often very colourful. Many hippies wore tie-dyed t-shirts and bell bottoms. These bright and bold outfits were seen as very daring for young men to wear as opposed to previous generations. Denim jeans also became the most worn type of pants during the '60s, and Levi's was thought of as the best brand. Common practice for teens to buy jeans too big for them and wear them in the bath to shrink them down to the "perfect fit." Although the horrors of WWII were somewhat in the past, teens were often still very pacifist during the '60s. The protested against the war in Vietnam, and the immediate fear of nuclear war gave them even more reason to despise war. This threat of world demolition also gave youth the opportunity to enjoy their lives immediately, experiencing as much as possible, even if it had been seen as inappropriate in the past. The '70s proved to be a drastic change in thoughts and beliefs of teenagers from the '60s. Many young people held pessimistic views of the world, and they felt very uncertain about what the future would hold. Many people have speculated that this complete change in youthism resulted in the outrageous fashions during this time. The unisex look was in trés chic with denim becoming the most common teenage apparel. Large boots and platform shoes complemented the look, and many young women combined this footwear with hot pants and a crop top. Flared trousers were also very popular, and military colours also influenced some of the "camouflage clothes" worn by youth. Probably the most noticeable change in fashion was the creation of the punk movement. This style was heavily influenced by musicians of this era, including the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. The glamorous clothing consisted of lots of glitter and colourful materials. Movies and television shows also had a great impact on the styles of the youth in the '70s. Saturday Night Fever made disco very popular and many teens copied the disco attire worn by John Travolta in the famous movie. Teenyboppers, or young fans, were also an invention of the '70s. As young male stars, such as David Cassidy, were becoming more and more prevalent, these younger fans had role models who were just a few years older than themselves. Mary Ann Vecchio gestures and screams as she kneels by the body of a student lying face down on the campus of Kent State University, Kent, Ohio on May 4, 1970. National Guardsmen had fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing four. (AP Photo/John Filo) The Youth in the 1960s made a cultural phenomenon that developed first in the United States and United Kingdom and spread throughout much of the Western world between the early 1960s and the early 1970s. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam. At the same time, there was rising engagement in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, with important actions and protests taking place across the South in the 1960s, some with participation by students and activists from the North. As the 1960s progressed, widespread tensions developed in US society that tended to flow along generational lines regarding the war in Vietnam, race relations, human sexuality, women's rights, traditional modes of authority, experimentation with psychoactive drugs, and differing interpretations of the American Dream. New cultural forms emerged, including the pop music of the British band the Beatles and the concurrent rise of hippie culture, which led to the rapid evolution of a youth subculture that emphasized change and experimentation. In addition to the Beatles, many songwriters, singers and musical groups from the United Kingdom and the US came to impact the counterculture movement. Back in the fifties, it was pretty much understood that boys pay for the expenses of the date. They take their girls out and show them a good time, but all of this costs money. Girls were, and some would insist still are, expensive to please especially if one takes them out frequently. The concept of Dutch dating was not acceptable back in the fifties. Both boys and girls were embarrassed by the idea. It was suggested that if a young man needed help paying for the date then the girl should give him some money before the date so the boy can still look like he paid for the meal and entertainment. This method was suggested but rarely ever practiced. Of course, today Dutch dating is quite normal.  Teenagers in the 1950's are so iconic that, for some, they represent the last generation of innocence before it is "lost" in the sixties. When asked to imagine this lost group, images of bobbysoxers, letterman jackets, malt shops and sock hops come instantly to mind. Images like these are so classic, they, for a number of people, are "as American as apple pie." They are produced and perpetuated by the media, through films like Grease and Pleasantville and television shows like Happy Days, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It to Beaver. Because of these entertainment forums, these images will continue to be a pop cultural symbol of the 1950's. After the second World War, teenagers became much more noticeable in America. Their presence and existence became readily more apparent because they were granted more freedom than previous generations ever were.

Two debutantes making their debut at cotillion at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York.

  

The subculture is exclusive to young girls. As a subculture, it is a "retreat and preparation", allowing girls to relate to their peers and "practice in the secrecy of girl culture the rituals of courtship away from the eye of male ridicule", also having no risks of standing out or personal humiliation, and serving as a retreat to avoid being labeled sexually. It also allows young girls to participate in semi-masturbatory rituals, since they don't have access to the masturbatory rituals common among boys. While the subculture allows them to have a space of their own, the subculture magazines offer an idealized relation with the teen idols, always implying a subordination of the female to the male, anticipating that the subordination will keep being present in their future relationships, and presenting an idealized form of marriage. The narrative fantasies elaborated around teenyboppers serve as distractions from boring, unrewarding, or demanding aspects of life, such as school or work, and as a defensive means against the authoritarian structures at school. When shared with other teenyboppers, it allows for defensive solidarity. It allows its members to define themselves apart from younger and older girls. Their groups, like all girl groups, will rarely go above four, unlike boys, who prefer bigger numbers. It has a commercial origin and is "an almost packaged cultural commodity", emerging from the pop business and relying on commercial magazines and TV. As a result, it has fewer creative elements than other subcultures. Membership has very few restrictions, does not require elaborate spending, and requires much less competence and money than certain school activities. Due to its female members not having as much freedom as their male counterparts, the subculture is suited so that it can be followed at school or home, and a party can be made with just a bedroom, a music player and permission to invite friends.

  

In the Philippines, proms are popular in high schools. Prom usually takes place in the junior and senior years of high school, which is normally around February or March. Proms are commonly known as “JS Prom”, or, junior–senior prom. The associated student body generally organizes the event. Usually a prom king and queen are chosen. The basis for the king and queen judgment is the beauty, the fashion of the nominee, and the popularity.

Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty, 1961. Splendour in the Grass by William Wordsworth What though the radiance which was once so bright Be now for ever taken from my sight, Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be; In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of human suffering; In the faith that looks through death, In years that bring the philosophic mind.

'WEST SIDE STORY': PHOTOS FROM THE SET OF A HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC "Sharks, bedeviled by the tormenting of the Jets, cook up some dirty tricks. Here they pour yellow paint down on a quartet of dejected Jets. Both gangs are itching for a fight

1962. The photographer snaps two young men in another example of the street photography exemplified by the Tate Britain exhibition

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