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Target of the right, George Soros hands reins to son
As George Soros passes control of his philanthropic empire to his son, the legendary investor and democracy advocate remains subject to unrelenting and often anti-Semitic attacks from the right. Under the transition, Soros, 92, will hand the reins to his 37-year-old son Alexander Soros, according to a Wall Street Journal interview with both men. The shift comes as the elder Soros remains one of the far right's favorite targets. He has been baselessly blamed for propagating migrant crises in Europe and on the southern border of the United States, as well as for orchestrating mass protests against police brutality after the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Soros's army of haters has included right-wing politicians like Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, the media figure Tucker Carlson and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who tweeted in May 2023 that Soros "wants to erode the very fabric of civilization" and "hates humanity." Soros is known for his financing of the Open Society Foundations, which has supported reforms to liberalize economies, establish governance norms, protect minorities and refugees, and promote freedom of expression. These endeavors followed some wildly successful investment decisions, as in 1992 when Soros bet against the British pound shortly before it was devalued. A leading British newspaper dubbed Soros "the man who broke the Bank of England" over a move that allowed him to pocket $1 billion. The episode won Soros' respect in the financial world, but he also became a much-feared figure among government finance ministers. Progressive causes Born in August 1930 in Budapest, Soros's Jewish family used false papers to pass as Christian during the Nazi occupation of Hungary in 1944 and 1945. "I learned at an early age how important it is what kind of political regime prevails," Soros said in 2019. After the establishment of communism in Hungary, Soros left for London in 1947, obtaining degrees from the London School of Economics before moving to New York in 1956. Soros launched his own speculative fund in 1970, a step in building his wealth to an estimated $6.7 billion, according to Forbes; the figure does not include the $18 billion Soros transferred to his foundations in 2017. He began steering some of his wealth to philanthropy in 1979, backing Black students in apartheid-era South Africa and political dissidents in Central Europe. His activities expanded considerably after the end of the Cold War. In the United States, for example, Soros has supported the progressive side on a host of hot-button issues, including criminal justice reform, same-sex marriage, and the decriminalization of marijuana. A father of five, Soros studied in London under his mentor Karl Popper, a champion of open society and fierce critic of totalitarianism. Intensifying criticisms As Soros broadened his support of politically progressive candidates and philanthropic endeavors in the 2010s, he was met with more virulent criticism, often tinged with anti-Semitism. In 2018, following attacks by the nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Soros shuttered the Budapest branch of the OSF and moved staff to Berlin. Later that year, Soros was named Person of the Year by the Financial Times, a recognition of his role as "the standard bearer of liberal democracy and open society." But the newspaper also alluded to the ugliness of Soros's legion of haters, noting, "There are so many anti-Semitic conspiracy theories targeting Mr. Soros that it is difficult to keep count." In terms of his record in finance, Soros has experienced setbacks in addition to glory. He lost money in the 1987 stock market crash and in the 1998 Russian currency crisis. He has also found himself in the crosshairs of the law. In 2002, Soros was convicted of insider trading in France for trades of Societe Generale, and in 2009 in Hungary, in a market manipulation case. Soros's funds have continued to speculate, with investments running the gamut from new technologies to housing to physical commodities. But Soros has also spoken of the need for strict regulation of markets. Soros has described his efforts as a kind of responsibility. "My success in the financial markets has given me a greater degree of independence than most other people," he wrote in 2011. "This obliges me to take stands on controversial issues when others cannot." The post Target of the right, George Soros hands reins to son appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
El Nino arrives, raising extreme weather fears
An expected El Nino climate phenomenon has arrived, raising fears of extreme weather and temperature records, scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. Marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, the weather pattern last occurred in 2018-19 and takes place every 2-7 years on average. "Depending on its strength, El Nino can cause a range of impacts, such as increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and droughts in certain locations around the world," said NOAA climate scientist Michelle L'Heureux. "Climate change can exacerbate or mitigate certain impacts related to El Nino. For example, El Nino could lead to new records for temperatures, particularly in areas that already experience above-average temperatures during El Nino," she added. Australia this week warned El Nino would deliver warmer, drier days to a country vulnerable to fierce bushfires, while Japan said a developing El Nino was partly responsible for its warmest spring on record. Most of the warmest years on record have occurred during El Ninos, and scientists are concerned that this summer and next could see record temperatures on land and in the sea. Mariana Paoli of relief agency Christian Aid said: "Poor people are already being pushed to the brink through droughts, floods, and storms caused by the burning of fossil fuels and now they will be facing the supercharged temperatures of the El Nino effect. "These people are the worst affected by climate change but have done the least to cause it." Suppressive effect on Atlantic hurricanes The phenomenon's influence on the United States is weak during summer but more pronounced starting from late fall through spring, NOAA said in its statement. By winter, it is estimated there is an 84 percent chance of a "greater than moderate" El Nino developing, and a 56 percent chance of a strong El Nino. This in turn would typically cause wetter than average conditions in some parts of the country, from southern California to the Gulf Coast, but drier than average conditions in the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley. It also raises chances for warmer-than-average temperatures in northern parts of the country. Developing El Nino conditions were already factored into NOAA's hurricane predictions last month. It has a suppressive effect on hurricane activity in the Atlantic, but typically boosts hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific. El Nino, meaning "Little Boy" in Spanish, is the warm phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation. La Nina, meaning "Little Girl," is its colder counterpart, where sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean near the equator are lower than normal. The post El Nino arrives, raising extreme weather fears appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The great onion irony (1)
Recent developments in the onion industry seem irreconcilable even to an ordinary Juan. The Philippine Statistics Authority recently reported that onion production during the first quarter of 2023 was at 156.53-thousand metric tons. For the appreciation of consumers who only buy the cooking staple by the kilo, that is more than 156,000,000 kilograms of onions harvested by our lowly farmers in three months. The PSA said this was 6.4 percent higher than the 147.15-thousand metric ton output in the same quarter of last year. Herein lies the irony. Despite a high yield, the Department of Agriculture, in mid-May, announced that the country may re-import up to 22,000 metric tons of red and white onions if prices continued to rise in the market. The importation volume, according to Deputy Spox Asec. Rex Estoperez was based on the country’s monthly consumption. What happened to the 156,000,000 kilos of onions when the country consumes approximately 17,000 metric tons or 17,000,000 kilos of onions, a staple of local cooking, every month? Consider this, too — despite Filipinos grappling with skyrocketing prices of the staple bulb last year, the Agriculture department said 100,000 metric tons of onions went to waste in 2022. If there is a noble move to keep the prices of onions from kicking up, it is not through importation but by convening onion stakeholders, including onion farmers, and addressing the major factors behind the sudden price increases and the waste. Consumers will abhor a sequel of an episode that happened in mid and late 2022 when the price of the humble onion surged to around P700 per kilogram, which made it a luxury — even more expensive than beef. First-hand accounts of onion farmers from Central Luzon, the Ilocos Region, and Cagayan Valley highlight their challenges and plight. They incurred losses by having to sell their onions at a lower price, or they had to dispose of the excess crop as there were no appropriate storage facilities available. This resulted in tons of spoiled onions left on roadsides and riverbanks, which not only harms the environment but also causes further financial losses for small-scale farmers. It is crucial to provide support to farmers even after the harvest season, and failure to consider the entire value chain led to the wastage of the surplus onions. A 2018 report also tells of onion farmers in Nueva Ecija struggling with low prices and high costs of inputs like seeds and fertilizer, and competition from imported onions. Another 2020 report described the struggles of onion farmers in Ilocos Norte, who were unable to sell their crops due to a lack of buyers. They had invested significant time and resources into planting and growing their onions but were unable to profit from their efforts due to the difficulties in finding buyers in the market. Importing onions is just a Band-Aid solution to reduce onion prices. A myriad of factors, such as shortages, plant pests, climate conditions, inflation, and imports, have contributed to a significant increase in prices. Whether we like it or not, the case of the onion represents the sad story of smallholder farmers who are particularly vulnerable to the impact of these problems. Sustainable solutions are what we need. (To be continued) The post The great onion irony (1) 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......»»
Heavy rain triggers evacuation warnings in Japan
Hundreds of thousands of residents in Japan were urged to evacuate on Friday as tropical storm Mawar brought heavy rain and caused several rivers to overflow. The eye of the storm, which has weakened from a typhoon, was 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the country's southern Amami island by the afternoon. A non-compulsory evacuation order was issued to more than 410,000 people in Toyota in central Aichi region, as well as in other parts of western and central Japan. The highest evacuation alert -- which urges residents to immediately secure safety -- was issued to some 130,000 people in Toyohashi, also in Aichi, according to public broadcaster NHK. Western Wakayama region saw several rivers burst their banks, and NHK footage showed a brown-colored river in a Wakayama town covering railway tracks. "We urge residents (in the affected areas) to be extremely vigilant against landslides, flooding and rising and overflowing rivers," top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "Extremely heavy rainfall with thunderstorms are expected over a wide area from western to eastern Japan over the next three days" due to the storm, he added. Shinkansen bullet trains were suspended between Tokyo and Osaka, according to Japan Railway. NHK said more than 200 flights were cancelled in the afternoon. Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. Strong rain in 2021 triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people. And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the country's annual rainy season. Earlier this week, Mawar -- then a typhoon -- passed just north of the Pacific island of Guam, uprooting trees and leaving tens of thousands of homes temporarily without power. The post Heavy rain triggers evacuation warnings in Japan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wanted Korean intercepted at NAIA
The Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has arrested a Korean national wanted for a string of criminal cases in his country. In a report given to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, BI Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. identified the arrested passenger as Kim SeonJeong, who was intercepted at NAIA Terminal 3 on 27 May. Manahan said that Kim had just arrived in the country via a Cebu Pacific flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, when he was accosted by elements of the BI Border Control and Intelligence Unit at the airport. BI supervisors alerted the BCIU agents after the immigration officer who processed Kim upon his arrival discovered that his name was included in the Interpol database. Tansingco immediately ordered the conduct of summary deportation proceedings against Kim to stand trial for his crimes. Information obtained from Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Manila revealed that Kim is a convicted felon and is wanted in Korea to serve his sentence for fraud, inflicting physical injuries and drunken driving. Korean authorities said that in October 2018, Kim defrauded a compatriot by enticing the victim to give him 30 million won, or nearly US$23,000, which he would pay in the amount of 100 million won within three months. Kim claimed that he would invest the funds in the casino business, but he reneged on his promise and instead pocketed the money that the victim had deposited in his bank account. It also reported that Kim presented a Korean passport, which was already reported as a stolen and lost travel document to the Interpol. The suspect is presently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings. The post Wanted Korean intercepted at NAIA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bureaucratic (mal)practice
What welfare state model — replete with assumptions, measures, and calculations — allowed government to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, provide free healthcare to the sick, give cash subsidies to the jobless? This bureaucratic (mal)practice transfers the burden to the taxpayers-at-large if the pattern of government spending is to extend help to the needy. Seemingly a grand equalizer, privileges go to the poor like manna from heaven while obligations pass to the rich like punishment from above, effectively blurring the relationship between entitlements and contributions. Economists have done very little to incentivize interdependence rather than this vicious dependence by the least affluent class on the more affluent class of society. And what angelic genius of an idea have grandstanding politicians invented in the government’s strongest pretension as a welfare state — when navigating like a rudderless ship in fiscally constrained waters — they should not have dared to venture? Came the fire that ravaged the entire Central Post Office building from the basement to the roof of the iconic five-story structure, stripped of its “flesh” solely because water sprinklers had not been installed in the whole edifice that could have averted the tragic inferno. At no point had the government come to its senses on how to preserve a P1-million investment a hundred years ago — or to how much it would cost to build the same structure today. An editorial in a leading newspaper has profusely romanticized the role of the old post office with an unmuffled scream for restoration and reform toward modernity — one more superior than private courier services (i.e. FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service). But the long prose hardly rolled out — in a manner clear as crystal and hard as diamond — what “structural weaknesses of the agency” ought to be re-engineered. Its nostalgia for the charred edifice as a Filipino heritage is vacuous or paying mere lip-service absent any well-defined reform parameters beyond its existing mandate. Instead, why doesn’t the government sponsor an international competition for the design of a new Central Post Office building by forming a judging committee as early as now? Thereafter, the winning entry will be commissioned to begin construction of what would later be a new heritage landmark. In short, let a new structure rise and supplant that which now lies in ruin – for want of water sprinklers. It will not strain logic that the charred remains of a once-proclaimed national treasure has fallen into an absolute case of “sunk cost,” which simply means that there is nothing more to retrieve. At this critical juncture, however, let it be a local concern rather than a national one given that as head of a local government unit, the city mayor of Manila is in the best position to determine its needs in accordance with existing comprehensive land use plans. Besides, LGU Manila is one of the highest revenue-generating local governments and therefore has the wherewithal to foot the construction of a new post office. What “outstanding universal value,” if any, is the old building known for to deserve classification as a cultural heritage or as a national treasure, as the case may be? What heritage — natural, cultural, historical — is there to really preserve other than the nightmare of the Battle of Manila in World War II? A single article in a referenced journal should be enough proof that it attained a level of recognition of unsurpassed value. When the National Museum of the Philippines declared it an important cultural property for “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines,” it came so rather belatedly in 2018. From then on, it received public funds for its protection, conservation and restoration. If officialdom will download awesome sums of money to restore what was lost, methinks that in both economic and accounting costs, it will be foolhardy to do so. For now, blame not Congress or any board of inquiry for probing why it burned to the ground — beyond the worn-out narrative of faulty wiring. Let heads roll! The post Bureaucratic (mal)practice appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The sad fate of the iconic Post Office building
Filipinos worldwide were dismayed to learn about the massive fire that gutted the Manila Central Post Office building, a 97-year-old structure considered to be an architectural treasure and declared as an “Important Cultural Property” by the National Museum of the Philippines in November 2018. It was similarly heartbreaking to watch videos of the burning building which took 80 firetrucks and 30 hours before the firemen declared a “fire out” – with damage initially estimated at P300 million......»»
Making the most of Philippine Summer
Despite perennially reeling from the scorching heat, Filipinos nevertheless look forward to summer to take a break from the rigors of daily life and enjoy the sun, sand and sea. The months of March to May is always a time to enjoy the outdoors, as the Philippines, being a tropical country, is replete with summer destinations that local and foreign tourists go gaga about. Topping these getaway spots, hands down is the beach. With over 7,000 islands, the country boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Among the most popular are Boracay, Palawan and Siargao — all known for their crystal-clear waters, powdery white sands and stunning sunsets. [caption id="attachment_129829" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A boy ignoring warnings not to swim in polluted Manila Bay dives in to beat the summer heat as boats prepare for the fist annual regatta, 26 May 2002, aimed at increasing public awareness on the environment. The Philippine government has been taking steps to clean-up the historic bay, famed for its breath-taking sunsets, which has become a depository for trash and industrial waste in recent years. AFP PHOTO/Joel NITO (Photo by JOEL NITO / AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129827" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Tourists relax along a beach in Boracay island in Malay town, Aklan province, central Philippines on April 7, 2018. - The Philippine tourism industry scrambled on April 6 to manage the fallout from the temporary shutdown of its world-famous Boracay island, which threw into chaos trips planned by hundreds of thousands of tourists. (Photo by AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129828" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A surfer takes advantage of the conditions at Big Wave Bay on the southern side of Hong Kong island 05 July 2001 as tyhoon 'Utor' heads nearer to the territory after lashing southern Taiwan and the Philippines. 'Utor' one of the biggest typhoons to hit the South China Sea in thirty years is expected to hit landfall in southern China tommorrow morning coming close to Hong Kong at the same time.AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129830" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A tourist goes airborne while kite boarding in the waters of Boracay island on November 9, 2008. The white sand beach resort island is in center of controversy as investors and property owners accused the government of land grabbing following the 2006 proclamation by the Philippine government that the entire island belongs to the state. Boracay island located in central Philippines draws half a million tourists each year to its spectacular beaches, more than one sixth of tourist visitors to the country. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)[/caption] Aside from the beach, summertime is a chance to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and island hopping. Tourists take advantage of the summer months to explore the natural beauty of the country. [caption id="attachment_129826" align="aligncenter" width="525"] This picture taken on October 12, 2019 shows members of Myanmar's national surfing team resting during a competition on Ngwe Saung beach in Irrawaddy division, ahead of the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines. - Competitive surfing was barely known in Myanmar a few years ago but a group of super-stoked dudes and dudettes from a local beach town are riding a wave of enthusiasm to the Southeast Asian Games for the first time ever. (Photo by Ye Aung THU / AFP)[/caption] Among the more popular hiking spots are Mt. Pulag, Mt. Batulao and Mt Pinatubo which all offer breathtaking views and unforgettable experiences. Of course, we should not forget that summer in the Philippines is also a time for festivities. One of the most celebrated festivals during this season is the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. The festival is held every May in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. During the event, the town is decorated with colorful kiping (rice wafers) and other agricultural products. [caption id="attachment_129831" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Children on a float made of native materials and decorated with vegetables and rice stalks parade on the streets for a contest ahead of the annual "Pahiyas" harvest festival in the town of Lucban, in Quezon province, south of Manila, 14 May 2005. During the festival, residents use native plants, vegetable products and rice paper to decorate their floats, homes and vehicles in imaginative ways. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)[/caption] Another popular festival during this time is the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. The festival is held every August and is a celebration of the city’s bountiful harvest. It is a colorful event that features street dancing, music and a parade of flowers. Whatever one fancies to beat the summer heat, there is always something to look forward to hereabouts. Whether one wants to relax, go on an adventure or celebrate, one can find it here in a paradise even tourists call paradise. The post Making the most of Philippine Summer appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sangalang to press charges vs accuser
Magnolia slotman Ian Sangalang is set to take appropriate legal actions against the Singaporean businessman who claimed that he was a central figure in a game-fixing incident during the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup finals. Sangalang strongly denied knowing Koa Wei Quan, who is now facing 14 counts of graft charges in the State Courts in Singapore for influencing games played in the PBA and the Thailand Basketball League from April to July in 2018. In a report by Singapore-based The Straits Times over the weekend, Koa alleged that he offered Sangalang a bribe of $5,000 – or roughly P280,000 – just to influence the outcome of Game 5 of the title series between Magnolia and San Miguel. The Beermen won the game in double overtime, 108-99, to clinch the title. Sangalang met PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Monday to personally deny any knowledge on Koa’s accusations. “It’s not true. I don’t even know him,” Sangalang, who is now mulling legal charges against the Singaporean businessman. “Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang career at dangal ko sa ganung bagay.” Marcial said he was convinced with Sangalang’s explanation and will support him in his bid to clear his name. “He doesn’t know anything in that issue and he will sue the person who dragged his name,” the PBA chief stressed. Court documents showed Koa, who used to own transportation firm Koa Motor, also worked with former PBA player Leo Avenido and a man identified as Sergei Bien Orillo in fixing the outcome of the Philippine Cup finals as well as games featuring Blackwater, Columbian Dyip and Phoenix Super LPG. Aside from the PBA, Koa admitted that he also ran his match-fixing racket in the TBL, where he influenced the game between Provincial Electricity Authority and Thai General Equipment through an offer made to Filipino guard Almond Vosotros. Vosotros now plays for TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA 3x3 event. Two other games in the TBL involving PEA against Mono Vampire and Hi-Tech Assumption Thonburi were also mentioned to have been influenced by Koa while he was in Singapore. He, however, did not specify if the players or teams he mentioned agreed to accept his bribes. Marcial said the league will continue to investigate the matter. The post Sangalang to press charges vs accuser appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The progress of negotiations with the IMF: Economics and Central Bank officials traveled to the United States
FILE PHOTO: The IMF logo outside the headquarters building in Washington, United States. September 4, 2018 (Reuters) / Yuri Gribas / Archive Argentine officials met.....»»
DSWD-7 to UCT beneficiaries: Be more patient
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) has asked Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) beneficiaries to stay patient, as the agency has experienced delays in the payment of their financial assistance. Jiah Sayson, UCT coordinator of DSWD-7, said that the UCT grant had started way back in 2018, […] The post DSWD-7 to UCT beneficiaries: Be more patient appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Mobile network experience in PH improved significantly since Q4 2018
Recent Opensignal findings gathered from across Mindanao, the National Capital Region (NCR), North & Central Luzon, South Luzon, and the Visayas, indicate significant improvements between Q4 2018 and Q3 2020 for mobile Video Experience, Download Speed Experience, Latency Experience and 4G Availability for Globe and Smart......»»
Cash remittances dip 6.4% in January-May
The central bank said cash remittances or transfers via the banking system has declined by 6.4 percent year-on-year in the first five months of the year to $11.554 billion from $12.349 billion. “The decline in cash remittances was due to the negative effects of the continued limited operating hours of some banks and institutions that provide money transfer services during the lockdown and the repatriation of many OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in March 2020,” said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in a statement Monday. The cash remittances of land-based overseas Filipinos dropped 7.2 percent to $8.965 billion compared to same time last year of $9.664 billion. The remittances of sea-based workers also dipped 3.6 percent to $2.589 billion from $2.684 billion. “By country source, the US registered the highest share to total overseas Filipinos remittances at 39.4 percent for January–May. It was followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Hongkong, Qatar, and Taiwan,” the BSP said. “The combined remittances from these countries accounted for 78.8 percent of total cash remittances.” For the month of May only, remittances sent through the banks decreased by 19.3 percent to $2.106 billion compared to $2.609 billion same time in 2019. Also for the month of May, personal remittances fell by 19.2 percent to $2.341 billion versus $2.896 billion in May 2019. Personal remittances from land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more slipped by 21.2 percent to $1.77 billion in May from $2.24 billion. Sea-based workers and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year also declined by 12.4 percent to $519 million from $592 million in 2019. According to the BSP, “this is the third consecutive month that personal remittances posted year-on-year contraction amid the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic activity, travel, and employment, resulting in the repatriation or deferment of employment of many OFWs.” For the cumulative January-May, personal remittances went down by 6.4 percent year-on-year to $12.835 billion from $13.707 billion. Personal remittances as defined by the BSP, is the “sum of net compensation of employees, personal transfers and capital transfers between households.” For 2020, the BSP expects cash remittances to contract by five percent and end up with $28.6 billion and then recover next year, bouncing back to a four percent growth to $29.8 billion. Last year, cash remittances reached $30.133 billion or up 4.1 percent from 2018, while personal remittances grew by 3.9 percent year-on-year to $33.467 billion......»»
In Mecca, dreams of a ‘green hajj’
A smaller carbon footprint, less waste, and more environmentally friendly — this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, dramatically scaled down due to coronavirus, has opened up the prospect of a “green hajj”. This year’s dramatically downscaled Hajj pilgrimage has had a much less adverse effect on the environment than previous years (AFP Photo/STR) In addition to being a logistical and security headache, one of the planet’s largest gatherings, which drew some 2.5 million people last year, also typically poses huge environmental challenges. The procession of so many worshippers, over a short time and in a limited space, results in an assault on the desert kingdom’s delicate environment. Thousands of vehicles generate substantial air pollution, while the pilgrims leave behind an avalanche of waste, including enormous quantities of plastic water bottles. This year’s hajj, limited to a maximum of 10,000 attendees, was by all accounts literally a breath of fresh air. But for environmental activist Nouhad Awwad, it’s not so much the size of the crowd that determines the impact on the environment but more “our collective behaviour”. “This year’s hajj, although taking place at a difficult time globally, can be a source of hope,” the Greenpeace campaigner told AFP. “It gives an idea of what a green pilgrimage could look like,” she added. The scenes in Mecca since the hajj began on Wednesday are very different from those of past years. Rather than the vast crowds that move between the sites, casting rubbish as they go and sometimes prone to deadly crushes, the movement of the pilgrims has been limited and orderly. Even the pebbles they use to symbolically “stone the devil” have been sanitised, as part of elaborate amenity kits provided by authorities that include disinfectant and masks. “Everything is clean and there are only a few municipal workers collecting the small amounts of garbage,” Azim Allah Farha, a pilgrim from Afghanistan who has performed the hajj several times before, said at Mount Arafat, the site of one of the main rituals. One of those workers, Rahim Fajreddine, recalls the hundreds of tonnes of rubbish — plastic bags, cans and food plates — left in past years at the rocky hill outside Mecca where pilgrims pray and repent in the high point of the hajj. “Large numbers of workers had to be mobilised to remove all the debris they left behind as they passed,” he recalled. Eco awakening Until recently, the environment was not a central concern of Saudi Arabia when it came to the hajj. As “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, the kingdom was concerned primarily with accommodating as many pilgrims as possible, mindful of the long waiting lists for Muslims, who must complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are able. Huge extensions have been built in recent decades to increase the capacity of the two mosques and pilgrimage sites. Saudi Arabia hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims to the kingdom annually by 2030. However, by 2018 the local authorities launched a waste separation programme and began to consider recycling. Signs in several languages were posted to encourage the pilgrims to do their bit and dispose of their waste properly. This year, despite the relatively tiny number of pilgrims, the municipality deployed more than 13,000 cleaners to the holy sites, equipped with hundreds of skips, according to an official statement. ‘This is our future’ Awwad said that although this year’s hajj is leaving a small environmental footprint because of the constraints generated by the global pandemic, in the future the same outcome must be achieved by choice. “By investing in sustainable development and adopting green practises, we can continue to live our traditions and perform our rituals while keeping our skies clear of pollution and our streets free of waste,” the activist said. She imagines “a hajj with its millions of pilgrims in total symbiosis with their environment, in a Mecca powered by solar energy”. In a kingdom that ranks as the world’s top energy exporter, and where the shift to renewables is going slower than planned, her vision is unlikely to become a reality any time soon. “But this is the future we should all be working towards,” she insisted......»»
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.....»»
PMI, ARQ, ZIP Sanman boxers feted in first Elorde-Pacquiao Boxing Awards
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Central Visayas was well-represented during the inaugural Elorde-Pacquiao Boxing Awards at Okada Manila last Sunday, March 24th. This was after 13 of Central Visayas’ best boxers from Cebu and Bohol were feted for their achievements in 2023. They were headed by none other than former World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight.....»»