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Fuel price hike next week
As travel peaks for the Holy Week, hefty fuel prices are expected......»»
Solon expects stronger SK programs
Constituents of those who would be elected in the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan elections could expect stronger and more progressive programs from their respective leaders, according to Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Sunday. Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on Youth, said with the completion of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11768 which introduced new reforms to the SK system, the youth sector can expect better performance from their representatives. “Critics of the SK have questioned its relevance and see it as being politicized,” Angara said. “We introduced the amendments to the SK system in RA 11768 in response to these criticisms with the hope that the young members of the community who will be part of the body will do more as youth leaders and become strong partners of the government in nation-building,” he added. The lawmaker stressed that, for years, the SK has been criticized for undertaking the same activities that do little to benefit youth development such as organizing sportsfests and pageants. To address this, the law provides clear guidelines on the types of programs, projects, and activities that can be undertaken by the SK using the funds provided to them. These include the provision of student stipends, food, book and transportation allowances; sports and wellness projects; skills training, summer employment, cash-for-work, on-the-job training, and livelihood assistance; projects promoting the participation of the youth and their initiation in agricultural, fishery, and forestry enterprises; programs and activities that will locate the youth at the forefront of climate action, environmental protection and conservation efforts; capacity building for grassroots organization and leadership; and programs and activities that address context-specific and intersectional vulnerabilities of young people. “We want to ensure that the SK stays true to its mandate of providing the youth in the communities with programs that will be useful to them and help them become productive members of society,” Angara said. The new measure also addresses the waning interest of the youth in joining the SK, including the absence of honoraria for most of its members. Under the law, the SK members, secretaries and treasurers will now be entitled to allowances that will be charged against the SK funds. A cap of 25 percent on the utilization of SK funds for personnel services was included in the law to ensure that the bulk of the budget will go to programs, projects and activities that will benefit the youth. At present, only the SK chairpersons are entitled to honoraria by virtue of their status as ex-officio members of the Sangguniang Barangays. The measure also authorizes the local government units to provide additional honoraria, as well as social welfare contributions and hazard pay to the SK chairpersons and members through their own local ordinances. SK officials and members will be exempted from taking any components of the National Service Training Program. They will also be entitled to the appropriate civil service eligibility based on the years of service to the barangay, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission. The post Solon expects stronger SK programs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Frasco gets love amid video ad fiasco
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco received a bunch of love and support from various government officials after her department got involved in the brouhaha surrounding the “Love the Philippines” campaign video that featured tourist scenes that turned out to have been shot in other countries. On Wednesday, former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor sent a letter of support to Frasco, saying that she was backing the “Love the Philippines” rebrand and that she “genuinely believes it is authentic and has the legs to go global.” “Keep on moving forward! This is just a tiny bump on the road,” said Gabor, the chairperson and president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism. Meanwhile, Cebu 5th District Board Member Andrei Duterte signed a resolution expressing Cebu officials’ support for the DoT’s tourism campaign slogan “Love the Philippines” and for Frasco, “a true-blooded Cebuana and former mayor of Liloan, Cebu.” Lawmakers’ backing For Senator Christopher Lawrence Bong Go, a member of the Senate Committee on Tourism, what is important is not to lose sight of what the campaign is all about — which is to love the Philippines and share the love that Filipinos are known for. “Being a member of the Senate committee on tourism, we must work together to correct any mistakes, improve our efforts to promote our country, and give our support to the efforts of the present administration to uplift our economy and the lives of the poor,” Go said in a statement. He said what is important is the sincerity to perform the duty well and to serve the nation by ensuring that no public funds go to waste. “With this, I continue to support Secretary Frasco and the rest of the DoT for their efforts to further improve our country’s tourism sector. I laud their immediate action in addressing the issue that the promotional video has caused and in ensuring that public funds are not wasted. Instead of dwelling on the problem, let us work together to provide solutions,” he said. Senator Sonny Angara said the video mess “should not diminish” the accomplishments of Frasco in promoting the country to the world. Angara commended Frasco for swiftly terminating the DoT’s contract with advertising agency DDB Philippines. “Clearly there were issues with what was presented by the advertising agency but what is important is that Secretary Frasco acted immediately to address the issue and ensure that no public funds were wasted for this purpose,” he said. Angara said Frasco should be given a chance to redeem herself, citing the latter’s efforts to revive the country’s tourism industry hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. “What the DoT has done over the past two years following the pandemic has been remarkable and with Secretary Frasco leading the charge in declaring the Philippines open for tourists, I am confident that Philippine tourism will be able to reach new heights and the world will see the many reasons to love the Philippines,” he said. Records show the DoT has logged 2.67 million international visitor arrivals as of 29 June this year, 2.44 million of them foreigners. The DoT is targeting a baseline of 4.8 million international tourist arrivals. In 2022, the industry contributed 6.2 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, churning P1.87 trillion in tourism revenues. Limbo Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay said the campaign for the country’s new tourism slogan is now in “marketing limbo.” Binay said the DoT should “accept” that the enhancement of the Philippine tourism brand is going through uncertainties following the video mess of its contracted advertising agency. The DoT said an “exhaustive” investigation into the use of non-original video footage by the agency, DDB Philippines, is ongoing. The probe follows the DoT’s termination of the contract with the ad agency for more promotional tourism videos. “We appreciate the actions taken by the DoT against the ad agency. But the big question right now is whether or not to continue with the ‘Love’ campaign,” Binay said. Ending deal with DDB On Monday, the DoT announced it was terminating its contract with DDB Philippines, stating that they are one with Filipinos in expressing outrage and extreme disappointment at the use of non-original/stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines as a component of the launch of the enhanced tourism branding campaign, “Love the Philippines.” Under the terms of the DoT’s contract with DDB Philippines, “material/s produced by the winning bidder should be original and aligned with the DoT’s advocacies.” “The DoT reserves the right to change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently the contract at any time should the DoT deem the agency incapable of the project,” the statement read. @tribunephl_raf @tribunephl_Lade The post Frasco gets love amid video ad fiasco appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
School-based mental health bill gains backing
Senate Bill 2200 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act seeking to institutionalize a school-based mental health program in public and private basic education institutions nationwide reached the Senate plenary. “You are not weak for struggling with mental health issues,” Senator Win Gatchalian said. He stressed that every youth silently bearing the weight of their mental health struggles will benefit from the proposed measure he sponsored before the other senators on Wednesday. Gatchalian, who chairs the committee on basic education, said it will define the role of every stakeholder in the school community to appropriately respond to mental health concerns through prevention, intervention, postvention and recovery. Meantime, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, the co-author of the bill, said the well-being of students shouldn’t be overlooked as it is also among the prerequisite to children’s academic excellence. “We must acknowledge the inseparable connection between education and mental health, as a child cannot thrive academically if his or her mental well-being is compromised,” said Go, who also chairs the committee on health and demography. Go also stressed the need to establish available mental health care services not only in basic education but also within higher education, thus, filing Senate Bill 1786 which mandates Public Higher Education Institutions to also establish their own mental health offices. If passed into law, students can sufficiently acquire essential school-based mental health services, including screening, evaluation, assessment, and monitoring, mental health first aid, crisis response and referral system, mental health awareness and literacy, emotional, developmental, and preventive programs, and other support services such as strengthening the learners’ family bonds. Under the bill, the Department of Education shall implement complementary measures to eliminate the stigma of mental health counseling. This will be backed by mental health awareness programs and literacy and appropriate mental health-related referrals to teaching and non-teaching personnel. “The cornerstone of this legislation is the establishment of a Care Center in every public basic education school in the country, and ensuring their establishment and maintenance in private schools,” Gatchalian said. The lawmaker explained that the Center will be equipped with functional physical facilities, located within an adequate space -- where confidentiality is maintained and accessible to the learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel. The law also urges DepEd to “hire and capacitate competent personnel” whose duties and responsibilities shall be geared towards promoting and ensuring the mental health and well-being of all learners. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, on the other hand, said the increasing number of mental health victims in basic education should gain attention. “We must take action. I am moved by this measure, and I support such a wonderful bill, as it aims to equip our children with the needed tools both to believe in themselves and to believe that their lives are worth living,” said Dela Rosa. Other co-authors of the bill are Senators Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Lito Lapid. Senators Risa Hontiveros, Dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, and Loren Legarda as well as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri co-sponsored the measure during the plenary. The post School-based mental health bill gains backing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Angara seeks action on plight of IPs
While a number of programs and policies have been made to uplift the lives of indigenous peoples, IPs remain among the poorest and most disadvantaged social groups in the country, and the government should do something about it, according to Sen. Sonny Angara......»»
Belmonte, Binay call for climate action funding from development banks
The C40 coalition of cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors, asked MDBs to increase urban climate investment, integrate urban climate action into their strategies, and implement tailored programs to support city projects. .....»»
Marian Rivera takes on projects that her children can watch
With her upcoming primetime show, “My Guardian Alien,” Marian Rivera has added sci-fi to the growing array of genres — from drama, fantasy, romance, and action to historical and comedy — that the Kapuso actress has successfully ventured into thus far......»»
Rebelasyon ni Elizabeth Oropesa best kisser si FPJ: Basta napakasarap!
SHOOKT ang publiko sa naging rebelasyon ng premyadong aktres na si Elizabeth Oropesa tungkol sa namayapang Action King na si Fernando Poe, Jr.. Nag-guest si La Oro (tawag kay Elizabeth sa showbiz) sa “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” nitong nagdaang March 26, kung saan game na game niyang sinagot ang maiintrigang tanong sa kanyang career.....»»
Flintlock: A Classic Summer Blockbuster – The Daily Guardia
A44 Games, a New Zealand-based developer, is set to release their highly-anticipated third-person action-RPG, Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn. The game pays homage to the.....»»
Philippines vows hosting readiness for men’s volleyball world championship
The Philippines assured to leave no stone unturned in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships 2025 — in terms of hosting for the first time ever and competing anew after 50 long years......»»
Excise tax on single-use plastics to yield P34 billion
The move to slap excise taxes on single-use plastics is seen generating P34 billion for the government and curbing the increasing mismanagement that contributes to overall pollution......»»
CAB: Expect no changes in airfares next month
Travelers planning to book a summer trip can expect airfares to remain the same in April, as the government made no changes in the fuel surcharge that airlines can pass on......»»
James Yap fulfilled after record All-Star appearance in Bacolod homecoming
James Yap claims the record for most PBA All-Star Game selections, seeing action for Team Mark in an entertaining clash with Team Japeth that ended in a draw in Bacolod City.....»»
Big-time oil price hike amid Holy week exodus
Big-time oil price hike amid Holy week exodus.....»»
Workers seek Church help on wage hike
The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) is seeking the intervention of the Catholic Church for immediate passage of the pending P150 legislated nationwide wage hike......»»
Hontiveros: Suspension of anchormen ‘not enough’
Hontiveros: Suspension of anchormen ‘not enough’.....»»
Cebu Pacific receives fuel-efficient A321 aircraft
Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific continues to ramp up its commitment to advance sustainability and strengthen its operational resiliency amid the rising demand in air travel as it received another Airbus A321neo last Thursday......»»
Shell Pilipinas profit tumbles to P1.2 billion in 2023
The earnings of Shell Pilipinas Corp. plunged by 70.7 percent to P1.2 billion in 2023 from P4.1 billion in 2022 on the back of declining global fuel prices and elevated interest rates......»»
Melvin Jerusalem vows to end PHL’s world title drought in boxing
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Before Filipino boxers lost devastatingly in Japan, there was one who stood out and went on to become a world champion. He’s no other than Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem, who wrested the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight title in the hands of erstwhile champion Masataka Taniguchi. Jerusalem did it in a.....»»
UAAP finals losses in last year of eligibility fuel UP s Cagulangan
It’s been a couple of months since, but graduating UP guard JD Cagulangan continues to hold near the sting of his most recent UAAP finals loss at the hands of the DLSU Green Archers last December......»»