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Ecija onion farmers get storage facilities
The Department of Agriculture has turned over two onion cold storage facilities to the DA-Central Luzon office in Nueva Ecija......»»
Dust in the air worsened in 2022: UN
The amount of dust in the world's air worsened in 2022, the United Nations said on Thursday, as it called for more research into how climate change may increase sandstorm hotspots. The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the slight rise was due to increased emissions from west-central Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Plateau and northwestern China. "Human activities are having an impact on sand and dust storms," WMO chief Petteri Taalas said in the global weather agency's Airborne Dust Bulletin. "For example higher temperatures, drought and higher evaporation lead to lower soil moisture. Combined with poor land management, this is conducive to more sand and dust storms." The annual WMO report looked at the incidence and hazards of dust storms and their impact on society. "The global average of annual mean dust surface concentrations in 2022 was slightly higher than that in 2021," it said. Last year's figure was 13.8 micrograms (one millionth of a gram) per cubic meter; in 2021 the figure had been 13.5. The peak estimated annual mean dust surface concentration was located in the Bodele region in Chad, with a figure between 900 and 1,200 micrograms per cubic meter. In the southern hemisphere, the highest concentrations were found in central Australia and the west coast of South Africa, with figures between 200 and 300. Darkened skies "Every year, around 2,000 million tonnes of dust enters the atmosphere, darkening skies and harming air quality in regions that can be thousands of kilometers away, and affecting economies, ecosystems, weather and climate," the report said. "Much of this is a natural process, but a large part of it is the result of poor water and land management." The bulletin detailed three major incidents in 2022, including the March "exceptional dust outbreak" from northern Africa over Spain and Portugal. European Union air quality regulations set a mean daily limit of 50 micrograms, but in southeastern Spain peak hourly values topping 3,500 were recorded. The severe dust storm over the Middle East in May which "dramatically reduced the visibility all over the region" and the cropland dust storm in the eastern United States that month were also detailed. "Sand and dust storms have impacts on health, on transport including aviation, ground transportation, road and railroad transportation and agriculture. This affects public health and safety, and economies," said Taalas. The bulletin called for further research into dust storms and climate change, which remain largely "unexplored". The WMO wants the whole world covered by weather disaster early warning systems within four years to protect people from the worsening impacts of climate change. Taalas wants dust storm forecasting skills and warning services brought under the same umbrella. The post Dust in the air worsened in 2022: UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SWAT raids cops’ house in ‘Betflix’ crackdown
SWAT teams led a crackdown on illegal online gambling network in Thailand on Monday that saw the house of potentially the next police chief raided. One of the 30 houses targeted was in central Bangkok and belonged to Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn, who is touted as a possible candidate to replace the outgoing police chief. Surachate, well known in Thailand for his regular appearances in the media giving updates on investigations, denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring. “I’m not worried at all, because I’m not involved in this and I can answer any question,” he told reporters outside his home while the raid was under way. “Today I see this as nothing more than internal politics within the police,” he said. Police Major General Trairong Phiwpan said the raids stemmed from a probe into a gambling website called “Betflix” and 12 subsidiary sites. Investigators have issued 23 arrest warrants, he said, including eight for police officers —though Surachate said he was not among them. Officers conducting the raid said they were unaware whose house it was. The long-serving Surachate — nicknamed “the cat with nine lives” — has been linked to powerful figures in the previous government. He was appointed by ex-deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan as chief of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018. He disappeared in 2019 over unclear reasons, before then-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made him a special adviser on strategy to police in 2021. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office last month, told reporters he was monitoring the situation. “There may be the need to set up an independent investigation committee, “because this is a big problem,” he said. “It affects the morale and public impression towards the police.” Thai police have long been dogged by allegations of endemic corruption. WITH AFP The post SWAT raids cops’ house in ‘Betflix’ crackdown appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Super Typhoon Goring affects nearly ‘200k’ people, infra damage reaches P41-M
Supertyphoon Goring has already battered some 56,410 families equivalent to 196,926 individuals with a total of P41,175,000 worth of damage to infrastructures as of Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. The latest data from NDRRMC showed that the inclement weather has displaced 48,997 individuals from 832 barangays in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Of the number, 9,608 families equivalent to 35,095 persons are now being sheltered in 376 activated evacuation centers while another 3,407 families, or 13,902 persons are being aided outside. No casualties were reported but the NDRRMC said it was verifying a report on a missing individual. Also, it has yet to report on the cost of agricultural damage due to Goring. Some 28 roads and 19 bridges remained not passable with six areas experiencing power interruption in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, CAR, and Mimaropa. While two areas in Calabarzon and Western Visayas have no water supply. NDRRMC said six flights were canceled in Cagayan Valley while a total of 67 seaports were affected in Cagayan Valley, Calabazon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas. The government said it has already provided a total of P7,844,038 worth of assistance to the typhoon-affected families. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said Super Typhoon “Goring” continues to maintain strength as it approaches the northwestern boundary of the Philippine Area of Responsibility. PAGASA said “Goring” is forecast to follow a mainly west-northwestward path across the Luzon Strait from today until it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) tonight or tomorrow morning. Outside the PAR region, the “Goring” will continue its west-northwestward movement for the remainder of tomorrow before turning more westward on Friday while slowing down, then west-southwestward on Saturday. “Goring” is likely to remain as a super typhoon until Friday. “Increasingly unfavorable conditions over the waters off the coast of Guangdong will trigger a weakening trend and by Monday, Goring will have weakened into a severe tropical storm,” PAGASA said in its advisory. Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is still hoisted over the Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, the northern portion of Apayao (Luna, Santa Marcela, Calanasan), and the northwestern portion of Cagayan (Pamplona, Claveria, Ballesteros, Abulug, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes). PAGASA warned there is a moderate to high risk of storm surge which may cause flooding in the low-lying and exposed coastal areas of Batanes and the northern and western portions of Babuyan Islands. The southwest monsoon enhanced by “Goring” may bring a significant amount of rains over the Zambales, Bataasn, and Northern portion of Palawan, including Calamian, Cuyo Islands, and Occidental Mindoro and Pangasinan over the next three days. Super Typhoon “Goring” was last tracked at 1185 km West of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph while moving west-northwestward at 15 kph. The post Super Typhoon Goring affects nearly ‘200k’ people, infra damage reaches P41-M appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go calls for review of flood control, agricultural support strategies
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go outlined his appeals to help address two pressing issues in the country namely agricultural support and flood control, in a bid to bolster the agricultural sector and the country’s food security. "Maliban po sa mga interventions natin para sa ating local farmers, kailangan din nating paigtingin ang ating kampanya laban sa agricultural smuggling,” said Go in an interview on August 10, Thursday, after assisting poor residents in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. Go also stressed that both farmers and consumers cannot just wait when market prices are better. He appealed to concerned agencies to provide marketing assistance to farmers to help them trade and sell their products on their own at better prices. “Unahin po natin, proteksyunan po natin ang ating local farmers, suportahan po natin sila. At importante dito, ang mga farmers natin dapat po maging masaya,” he added. He further emphasized the need to empower farmers to form cooperatives and to establish post-harvest facilities. He stated, "Marami naman pong tulong ang ating gobyerno, importante po ma-guide sila ng maayos.” “Importante po magkaroon sila ng post-harvest facilities. Malaking tulong po ito na mapanatili ang quality ng kanilang produkto at maibenta nila sa tamang presyo,” added Go. Meanwhile, Go appealed to the Department of Public Works and Highways to review strategies on flood control projects given this recurring problem that also affects agricultural lands. “Kahapon po, during (the) Senate Committee (on Public Works) hearing on the country’s flood control, masterplan and priority projects, una ko pong hiningi sa kanila ‘yung kanilang accomplishment report,” he said. “Kahit noong panahon pa ni dating pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte noong 2019, may pondo na po diyan na mga P82 billion, 2020 P80.7 billion… Kada taon may pondo pong inilaan sa flood control, ano na ho ba ang natapos nila at ano ho ba ang accomplishment report nila?,” he added. Go also questioned the prioritization of flood control projects and locations where these are built. “Ilagay ninyo po sa mga lugar na flood-prone areas. Pampanga, Bulacan, NCR (National Capital Region). Para proteksyunan ang tao. ‘Wag n’yong ilagay sa mga lugar na wala naman kayong pino-proteksyunan, wala namang tao,” he exclaimed. Go stressed on 9 August, Wednesday, the need for accountability, strategic prioritization, and long-term solutions to address recurring problems in flood-prone areas during a Committee on Public Works hearing on the country's flood control master plan and outstanding projects. “Yun lang po sir ang tatlong hiningi ko: (1) accomplishment report, (2) copy of master plan at (3) prioritization dito sa mga flood control projects ninyo po na dapat po’y makinabang yung mga lugar na dapat makinabang – yung mga flood prone areas,” he asked during the hearing. Go’s demand for accountability, transparency, and prioritization in flood control projects align with his broader efforts to help affected communities recover and rebuild. His team has been consistently providing relief to affected communities in Central and Northern Luzon. “Malaking abala ang pagbaha para sa ating mga kababayan at malaki rin ang pinsalang dulot nito sa mga ari-arian at kabuhayan nila. Higit sa lahat, inilalagay nito sa alanganin ang buhay ng mga tao, kaya naman nararapat lamang na masolusyunan ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” he said earlier. The post Bong Go calls for review of flood control, agricultural support strategies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Dodong’ affects over 1,600 people nationwide
The effects of tropical storm "Dodong" (known internationally as Talim) and the southwest monsoon, or "habagat," impacted more than 1,600 people nationwide, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday. In its 8:00 a.m. bulletin, Dodong and its effects on Habagat have so far affected 1,638 people, or 491 families, and forced 1,508 people to move from their homes in Regions 1 (Ilocos), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), and the National Capital Region. Over 1,400 people who had to leave their homes were relocated to 36 relief centers in the affected areas. NDRRMC also said that the weather affected 26 roads, four bridge parts, and 24 seaports. The inclement weather also caused class suspensions in 66 cities and municipalities, 23 canceled seaport trips, and water and power supply interruptions in several areas. The agency said that local government units across the country and the Department of Social Welfare and Development have given out P267,338.84 to help those Filipinos affected by the typhoon. Earlier, the state weather bureau said that Dodong or Talim was last seen 390 kilometers (km) west of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, moving 20 km per hour with maximum steady winds of 85 kph and gusts of up to 105 kph. But it also said that Dodong's changes to the southwest monsoon, or "habagat," will make it rain in most of the country. For context, Dodong left the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday afternoon. PAGASA said in its weather report that the southwest monsoon will continue to bring rain to many parts of the country on Sunday. The post ‘Dodong’ affects over 1,600 people nationwide appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Combined LPA, habagat to affect parts of Phl
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration announced on Thursday that rainy weather will be experienced throughout the country due to the combined effects of the low-pressure area off Infanta, Quezon, and the southwest monsoon or habagat. Citing the latest PAGASA bulletin, weather specialist Patrick del Mundo said that the LPA is unlikely to become a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours but already affects several parts of the country. “This LPA remained less likely to become a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours, but we are expecting it to move closer to parts of Aurora, Quezon, and Camarines Norte area,” Del Mundo said. However, PAGASA has not ruled out the possibility of the weather disturbance intensifying into a tropical depression. The LPA was last tracked 90 kilometers over Northeast of Infanta, Quezon, or 85 km Southeast of Baler, Aurora. Del Mundo said the Southwest Monsoon is still affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. “Due to the combined effects of LPA and southwest monsoon, we expect the sky to be cloudy throughout the day, along with scattered rain, lightning, and thunder,” Del Mundo said. The combined LPA and the southwest monsoon will trigger rain showers and thunderstorms called “monsoon rains” in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA. The post Combined LPA, habagat to affect parts of Phl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Combined LPA, Habagat to affect most part of Phl— Pagasa
Rainy weather will be experienced throughout the country due to the combined effects of the low-pressure area off Infanta, Quezon, and the southwest monsoon or Habagat, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration said Thursday. Citing the latest PAGASA bulletin, weather specialist Patrick Del Mundo said that the LPA is unlikely to become a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours but already affects several parts of the country. “This LPA remained less likely to become a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours, but we are expecting it to move closer to parts of Aurora, Quezon, and Camarines Norte area,” Del Mundo reported. However, PAGASA has not ruled out the possibility of the weather disturbance intensifying into a tropical depression. The LPA was last tracked 90 kilometers over Northeast of Infanta, Quezon, or 85 km Southeast of Baler, Aurora (15.3°N, 122.3°E). Del Mundo said the Southwest Monsoon is still affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “Due to the combined effects of LPA and southwest monsoon, we expect the sky to be cloudy throughout the day, along with scattered rain, lightning, and thunder,” he added. The combined LPA and the southwest monsoon will trigger rain showers and thunderstorms called “monsoon rains” in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA. Southwest Monsoon will bring occasional rains over Bicol Region and Western Visayas. PAGASA warned that scattered to widespread rains could cause possible flooding or landslides in the above-mentioned areas. While Central and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, BARMM, and SOCCSKSARGEN will experience Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to Habagat. Isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over the Caraga and Davao Region due to localized thunderstorms. The post Combined LPA, Habagat to affect most part of Phl— Pagasa appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BSP cuts 2-year BOP forecasts
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Friday lowered its forecasts for the country’s balance of payments for this year and 2024 due to weaker global growth prospects and the downside risks of the trade outlook. The BSP expects the BoP to be in deficit this year, with a shortfall of $1.2 billion, down from the $1.6 billion deficit that the BSP forecasted in March. “The overall BoP position is expected to post lower deficit levels in 2023 and 2024 than previously anticipated due to revisions made in the forecasts for both the current account and financial account,” the BSP said. In a briefing, BSP Director Sittie Hannisha Butocan of the Department of Economic Research explained that domestic and external risks affect the country’s BOP. She added that these risks come from inflation, less pent-up demand because of higher interest rates, and tighter fiscal space. China risks Butocan noted that China poses risks and opportunities for global trade, especially for regional trade that affects BOP. Even though China’s economy is reopening and getting back to normal after supply-side problems, especially with oil, it is growing more slowly than projected. The BSP said that weak external demand is likely to continue, which will “weigh on the trade and investment prospects in emerging market economies, including the Philippines. Even as the domestic economy continued to recover strongly from the pandemic, the spillover effects from the global economic slowdown can be a major drag.” The BOP shortfall is $3.3 billion as of the end of April this year. The BSP only gives information about the current account, which is a big part of the BOP, every three months. Monetary Policy Subsector officer-in-charge Paolo M. Alegre Jr., for his part, said the latest current account showed a deficit of $4.3 billion as of the first quarter of this year. He said that this was because of the growing trade-in goods deficit and lower net receipts in the main income account. The increase in net receipts in the trade-in services account helped to lessen the effect of these factors. The BSP now thinks that this year’s current account deficit will be $15.1 billion, which is less than its earlier prediction of $17.1 billion. Butocan said that the current account will be helped by a steady recovery in the BPO and tourist industries and by remittances that keep coming in. 2024 expectations Next year, the Central Bank expects the country’s BOP to have a $0.5 billion deficit, which is -0.1 percent of GDP. “For 2024, the overall BOP position is projected to post a slightly lower deficit relative to the previous forecast. This is hinged mainly on the foreseen normalization and return to pre-pandemic levels of global and domestic economic activity,” the BSP said. The central bank predicts a $15.4 billion current account deficit next year as the trade-in goods gap narrows. The BSP also predicted 6 percent export growth and 8 percent import growth for next year.The Central Bank also expects the services exports to rise by 16 percent and imports by 10 percent in 2024. Next year, BPO receipts may climb by 9 percent and travel receipts by 50 percent. Growth prospects “Growth prospects for BPO and travel sectors remain on a steady course. The latter is forecasted to exceed its pre-pandemic level by 2024 buoyed by much-improved international mobility and supported by government-led tourism promotion programs to regain market losses from the pandemic,” the BSP said. The central bank also expects 3 percent cash remittance growth in 2024 as Filipino workers fill in for the labor shortage resulting from pandemic-induced job losses and aging populations in host economies. Meanwhile, BSP reduced its financial account prediction to $14.4 billion from $15.7 billion next year. It also expects the Foreign Direct Investments net inflows to reach $11 billion and foreign portfolio investments net inflows at $3.5 billion. The central bank said its forecasts are limited due to persistent external concerns. The BSP assured that it would regularly monitor external sector developments and risks affecting its pricing and financial stability objectives. The post BSP cuts 2-year BOP forecasts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A complex geopolitical relationship
The geopolitical relationship between the Philippines and the United States has been a topic of debate and scrutiny, particularly in the context of China’s rising influence in the region. Some quarters argue that the United States is exploiting its alliance with the Philippines to advance its own selfish geopolitical interests against China. To understand the dynamics of the Philippines-US relationship, it is essential to consider their historical ties. The United States colonized the Philippines in the early 20th century and granted the country independence in 1946. Since then, the two nations have maintained a close alliance, primarily through the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. This treaty commits both countries to support each other in the event of an armed attack. One cannot deny that the United States has its own strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region, and the Philippines plays a significant role in that context. These interests include safeguarding regional stability, ensuring freedom of navigation, and promoting democratic values. The presence of American military forces in the Philippines, notably through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 2014, serves these objectives. China’s increasing economic and military power in the Asia-Pacific region has led to concerns among many countries, including the Philippines. China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea, including territorial claims that overlap with those of the Philippines, has created tension and heightened the need for regional allies. In this context, the United States provides a counterbalance to China’s influence, as it has a vested interest in maintaining a stable regional order. While it is true that the United States has its own interests in the Philippines, it is important to recognize that the relationship is not one-sided. The Philippines benefits from the alliance in various ways. The US provides military assistance, training, and equipment to enhance the capabilities of the Philippine armed forces. Moreover, economic ties between the two countries promote trade and investment, fostering economic growth in the Philippines. The South China Sea dispute is a central issue that affects both countries. The US has been vocal in supporting the Philippines’ position on maritime rights and freedom of navigation. By maintaining a presence in the region, the US helps deter any potential aggression by China and ensures that international law and norms are upheld. From the Philippines’ perspective, US support provides a crucial boost in its efforts to protect its territorial claims. While the Philippines benefits from its alliance with the United States, it also strives for strategic autonomy. The current administration in the Philippines has pursued a policy of engaging multiple powers, including China, to diversify its diplomatic and economic relationships. This indicates that the Philippines is not solely reliant on the United States but seeks to balance its interests with those of other nations in the region. The geopolitical relationship between the Philippines and the United States is complex and multifaceted. While it is true that the United States has its own strategic interests in the region, it is an oversimplification to label the alliance as solely driven by selfish motives against China. The Philippines benefits from the alliance in terms of security cooperation, economic ties, and support in the South China Sea dispute. At the same time, the Philippines also pursues a policy of strategic autonomy, engaging with various powers to safeguard its own interests. A comprehensive understanding of this relationship requires acknowledging the nuanced interplay of geopolitical factors and the evolving regional dynamics. The post A complex geopolitical relationship appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taiwan tribe despairs as drought shrinks bamboo crop
Hacking at a bamboo plant with a machete, Avayi Vayayana peels back the shoot's stiff bark as he scans southern Taiwan's mountains, anxious for more of the money-making crop his Indigenous tribe increasingly struggles to find. Generations of the Tsou tribe have lived off Alishan township's bamboo forests, which Vayayana says were planted by his forefathers and typically harvested in April and May. But "the weather in the last few years has really been out of whack", the 62-year-old tribal chief tells AFP. "The rainfall has been delayed and the bamboo shoots' growth is noticeably affected." In the Indigenous village T'fuya, the dark-brown cones of the island's native stone bamboo -- or Phyllostachys lithophila -- have become harder to spot. "The little young shoots will not sprout if there's no rain. After a while, they will die inside the ground," Vayayana says. The February-to-April rains are crucial to the growth of bamboo shoots -- which are popular in Asian cuisine -- but since late last year, there have not been any significant downpours. The Tsou tribe, which has a population of 7,000 in Alishan, has seen their bamboo shoot harvest steadily decline. On a misty May morning, a welcome drizzle finally blankets the bamboo forest Vayayana is working in, but he tells AFP it is too late. This year, his haul is one-third of 2022's harvest. Worse, Vayayana and his family must now also contend with crop-raiding monkeys, he explains after an airgun shot rings out in the distance: his cousin trying to scare away the marauders. "Because many surrounding bamboo forests have died, now where there are bamboo shoots, all the monkeys will go," he says. 'Frontline victims' Southern Taiwan is experiencing its worst drought in decades. Water levels in the Tsengwen reservoir serving the southern Tainan and Chiayi regions plummeted below 10 percent this year, the third such drop since 2018, leaving reservoir beds cracked and exposed. The Tsengwen serves as a primary water source for a massive foundry making the island's precious semiconductors -- soaring in demand globally -- and also supplements the region's rice-growing plains. But for the third year in a row, the government is providing subsidies to farmers not to plant their crops -- a sign of the severe water needs. An hour's drive from the reservoir, Alishan too is experiencing drastic weather changes. From January to April, rainfall declined to 226.5 millimeters (8.9 inches), a more than 50 percent drop compared to the same period last year, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Station. For the Tsou -- whose lifestyle is entwined with nature -- the impact is "comprehensive", says Greenpeace Taiwan's Lena Chang. "They are the frontline victims of climate change," Chang tells AFP. Data compiled by Greenpeace Taiwan shows the drop-off in rain to be persistent. In the past three decades, Alishan has lost an average of 2.6mm of rainfall per year in February and 1.2mm in March -- a vital period for bamboo shoot growth. At T'fuya's crop collection point, villagers offload sacks of bamboo shoots from trucks, weighing them before sending them to factories to be boiled and tinned for mass consumption. "This year, the rain came too late and many bamboo trees are sick. The harvest is very bad," Voyu Baniana, 24, tells AFP. "In my family's plantation, we have none. I can only work for other people this year." New cash crop Those who returned to their villages after a period of working in cities are finding it harder to live off of crops they grew up cultivating. Voyo Yulunana, 43, still remembers the long days he spent as a child harvesting bamboo shoots, the sale of which bolstered the community's living standards. "Buying a car or building a house, we counted on the bamboo," he says. Since Yulunana returned from a brief stint in the city working in construction, he has noticed "the rains don't come when they should". Luckily, his grandfather made a switch to growing coffee beans, which Yulunana and other younger Tsou have shifted toward in the past decade. "Coffee is slowly replacing bamboo shoots as the cash crop" in Alishan, says Yulunana. But even it is not immune to climate change -- a late spring rain affects the plant's flowering season, and the erratic weather last year nearly devastated his family's 400-shrub crop, he said. "At this point, I can get by with just growing coffee," Yulunana said. "Who knows what new crops will appear after coffee?" The post Taiwan tribe despairs as drought shrinks bamboo crop appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
URC to acquire Don Pedro assets amid expansion
Gokongwei-led Universal Robina Corp. will acquire the idle sugar milling machinery and equipment of Central Azucarera Don Pedro Inc., a subsidiary of Roxas Holdings Inc., to expand the capacity of its Batangas mill. URC said Tuesday that the acquisition will expand the capacity of the company’s sugar mill in Balayan, Batangas to 8,000 tons daily from the current 5,000 tons. Therefore, it will cut the time needed to expand the Balayan mill from four to two years. Help farmers Likewise, URC noted that the buyout will also let the company accommodate more sugarcane farmers at its Balayan mill to help secure a source of livelihood for them. “The farmers are currently suffering from low sugar recovery on their sugarcane deliveries due to long waiting times in the truck yard,” the URC statement read. “(It) negatively affects their profits and may drive some of them to either stop farming or shift to other low-value crops,” it said. Mill as much sugarcane URC Sugar and Renewables general manager Rene Cabati earlier said URC will mill as much sugarcane as possible from planters displaced by CADPI’s permanent shutdown. Aside from acquiring CADPI’s machinery and equipment, URC’s Balayan mill will also extend its milling season, which normally ends in April until June. The post URC to acquire Don Pedro assets amid expansion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. Fed ‘on track’ vs inflation — exec
The US Federal Reserve is “on track” in its fight against inflation, with the full impact of its interest-rate hikes likely yet to be felt, a top Fed official said. The US central bank has hiked its benchmark lending rate 10 times in quick succession since last year in a bid to tackle rising prices, which remain above its long-term target of two percent. “We are ‘doing what is necessary or expected’ of us,” Fed governor Philip Jefferson told a California conference in prepared remarks, referring to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of being “on track.” “Furthermore, monetary policy affects the economy and inflation with long and varied lags, and the full effects of our rapid tightening are still likely ahead of us,” he said. Jefferson, who President Joe Biden nominated earlier Friday to become the next vice chair of the Fed, sounded a more optimistic note on inflation than two of his peers on the Federal Open Market Committee or FOMC. This suggests policymakers on the FOMC are divided over the likelihood of a further interest-rate hike when the committee next convenes 13 to 14 June. Tightening still an option “Should inflation remain high and the labor market remains tight, additional monetary policy tightening will likely be appropriate,” Fed governor Michelle Bowman told a conference in Germany earlier Friday. On Tuesday, New York Fed president John Williams also left the door open to a further interest rate hike to combat inflation. “We haven’t said we’re done raising rates,” he told the Economic Club of New York. “I think what we’re going to need to do -- as we always do -- is be data dependent,” he said. Futures traders see the probability of another rate hike on June 14 as slim, although the odds of further tightening have increased in recent days, according to data from CME Group. The post U.S. Fed ‘on track’ vs inflation — exec appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fair weather on Saturday as high-pressure area affects Luzon
MANILA - Fair weather will prevail in most of the country on Saturday, with the ridge of a high-pressure area extending over the eastern sections of central and southern Luzon.In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PA.....»»
Winds destroy houses in two Central Mindanao towns
Around 40 houses were destroyed by strong winds that pummeled lowlands in the adjoining towns of Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur and Kabacan, Cotabato amid heavy rains on Thursday afternoon......»»
15 Daulah Islamiyah, BIFF surrender in Central Mindanao
15 Daulah Islamiyah, BIFF surrender in Central Mindanao.....»»
ANZ raises Philippine inflation forecast to 3.8% this year
ANZ Research hiked its inflation forecast for the Philippines to 3.8 percent this year, from 3.5 percent previously, as risks may drive inflation up to above the central bank’s two to four percent target in the coming months......»»
DOTr: 2.2 million more plastic cards to be delivered
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista inspected yesterday the one million delivered plastic cards to be used for the printing of driver’s licenses, at the Land Transportation Office central office in Quezon City......»»
One more city in Philippines declares pertussis outbreak
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iloilo, a city in central Philippines, on Monday declared an outbreak of pertussis after it confirmed seven out of 15 reported cases, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Iloilo is the third city to declare an outbreak of pertussis, or whopping cough, after Quezon and Pasig, two cities in the capital region, announced last week that they hav.....»»