We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
LTFRB allows CPC transfers
Owners of public transport can now transfer their Certificate of Public Convenience to other operators. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Thursday, announced that it will now accept applications for transfer of CPC for Public Utility Vehicles. The request of transport group Nagkakaisang Samahan ng mga Nangangasiwa ng Panlalawigang Bus sa Pilipinas Inc. for the LTFRB to review Memorandum Circular 2016-010 that prohibits the transfer of CPC to other operators paved the way in reversing the MC. Memorandum Circular 2023-027, or the “Guidelines on the Transfer of Certificate of Public Convenience,” essentially lifts the “prohibition on the acceptance of application for sale and transfer, whether voluntary or involuntary, of CPC.” This way, it will be easier to distribute aid to operators such as the Pantawid Pasada or Fuel Subsidy program of the government. Also, operators can now easily join the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program since they will be able to transfer and register their vehicles much faster. However, with regard to Applications for Transfer of CPC, the Board listed some conditions before any application is allowed. Among them is that “the CPC subject for transfer must be valid and subsisting at the time of the application,” and that “the transfer must also cover all authorized units under the subject CPC and no fractional transfer of CPC shall be allowed.” Also, “only two transfers shall be allowed during the validity of the CPC, provided that no transfer shall be allowed during the first year from the grant of CPC nor during the one year prior to the expiration of the validity of the CPC,” and the “payment of appropriate fees.” Memorandum Circular 2016-010 was issued in order to “solve the problem of commercialization of CPCs of ‘buy-and-sell’ operators who have abused and hijacked the franchising process by trafficking in CPCs/franchises at a huge profit instead of operating the same.” The Board said that after the review of MC 2016-010 and a series of consultative meetings, it decided to “set aside the prohibition,” and have provided “safeguards and parameters in the allowance of transfer of CPC to deter the fraudulent schemes the aforementioned issuance aims to avoid.” The post LTFRB allows CPC transfers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Era of mass closures’: the Japan businesses without successors
Kiyoshi Hashimoto's machinery factory outside Tokyo should be buzzing with industry. Instead, it's so quiet you can hear him practicing the recorder. The 82-year-old entrepreneur founded his company nearly 40 years ago, but well past retirement age he has neither a successor nor a buyer for a business that retains loyal clients. It is a problem that Japan's government warns could affect up to a third of all small businesses in the country by 2025, as the country's population shrinks and ages. "All of this would go to waste if I were to close now," said Hashimoto, whose factory in Yachimata, east of Tokyo, is filled with workbenches, drill tables and parts cabinets. He once employed dozens of people, but now gets by with just two part-time workers after scaling back operations. The problem is so vast that Japan faces an "era of mass closures", said Shigenobu Abe of bankruptcy research firm Teikoku Databank. A 2019 government report estimated that about 1.27 million small business owners would be 70 or older by 2025 and have no successors. The trend could kill up to 6.5 million jobs and reduce the size of the Japanese economy by 22 trillion yen ($166 billion), the study warned. By 2029, the situation will worsen still, as baby boomers hit 81, the average life expectancy for Japanese men, who account for most of the presidents of these firms, according to Teikoku Databank. "We know for sure that many workers will lose their livelihoods because of this," Abe told AFP. 'A serious blow' As elsewhere, small businesses in Japan are often passed down to family or trusted employees. But the country's prolonged economic stagnation has made small businesses unattractive to young people. Firms in rural areas struggle further because of a preference for city life and a growing trend of rural depopulation. Compounding the problem is a feeling among some older Japanese that selling a family business to outsiders is shameful. Some liquidate their firms rather than seeking buyers. Japan's government has offered generous incentives to encourage sales, and the private sector has also jumped in to match investors with businesses for sale. Company BATONZ now makes more than 1,000 matches a year, up from just 80 when it opened in 2018. Still, it reaches a fraction of the people who need it, said BATONZ president Yuichi Kamise. Waves of closures will mean the loss of specialized craftsmanship, unique services and original restaurant recipes that make up Japan's social and cultural fabric, he said. "Over time, what makes Japan unique could disappear due to a lack of successors," he said. "I think it will deal a serious blow to Japanese culture and Japan's attractiveness as a tourism destination." Some feel though that the trend offers a chance to fix inefficiencies and consolidate small businesses that are barely scraping by or survive on subsidies. Hiroshi Miyaji, 50, owns Yashio Group, a logistics giant started by his grandfather, and has snapped up various businesses. "There will always be buyers for firms, with or without successors, that have unique strengths, special know-how and human resources," said Miyaji, a third-generation president. Helped by BATONZ, he recently purchased a small trucking company from 61-year-old Ayako Suzuki. 'Waiting for someone' Suzuki gave up her corporate career to help her father with the business he had started in 1975. None of the firm's three drivers wanted to take over and she was asked to join and help her father, then in his late eighties. But problems quickly piled up: the coronavirus pandemic hit, a driver left, trucks needed maintenance, and before long she was dipping into savings to stay afloat. "I wanted to keep the business going, at least while my father was alive," she told AFP. BATONZ connected her with Miyaji, who pledged to keep the firm's employees, clients and trucks. "I'm more relieved than sad," she said. "I didn't think our company had any value." The glut of affordable small businesses can be a boon for young people looking to break into a sector. Among them is 28-year-old chef Rikuo Morimoto. When the pandemic prevented him from studying in Italy, he used his savings to buy a four-decade-old diner in Tokyo and start a restaurant at a fraction of the normal cost. He kept the decor, furniture and many longstanding customers of "Andante", a beloved neighborhood restaurant in the Suginami district, while offering his own menu. "I thought I could only afford to have a food truck or a small bar," he said. Not everyone is so fortunate, and the future of Hashimoto's machinery factory remains uncertain, despite his attempts to groom three successors. "I'm just waiting for someone to come along and make use of this," he said. The post ‘Era of mass closures’: the Japan businesses without successors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New York’s landmark ‘Flatiron’ sold — hopefully for real this time
New York's iconic Flatiron Building was auctioned off Tuesday for $161 million to a group of investors led by real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, after the previous bidding's winner failed to complete the transaction, organizers said. The sale of the world-famous skyscraper took place outdoors in lower Manhattan with seven bidders registered and about a hundred people present, Mannion Auctions told AFP. The property -- on a wedge-shaped lot at the intersections of Fifth Avenue, Broadway and 22nd Street -- went to Gural, 80, one of its five current owners, who was the second highest bidder during the highly contested previous auction. On 22 March, little-known bidder Jacob Garlick, founder of the Abraham Trust equity venture fund, obtained rights to the Flatiron with a pricey offer of $190 million but missed a deadline to pony up 10 percent of the money to lock in the purchase. The 121-year-old property -- one of the first skyscrapers in Manhattan, designed by renowned Chicago architect Daniel Burnham -- has been empty since its last tenant left in 2019. Its five owners could not agree on what to do with the building, and a judge ordered its auction. After Garlick pulled out of the deal, the building could have automatically gone to Gural, who had offered $189.5 million in March, but he opted for a new auction to be held. The 22-story triangular edifice completed in 1902 was revolutionary for its time, built on a steel skeleton and clad in limestone and terra cotta with touches of both beaux arts and Renaissance revival architecture. The post New York’s landmark ‘Flatiron’ sold — hopefully for real this time appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown dies at 87
Jim Brown, the legendary Cleveland Browns running back who was one of the NFL's most prolific players and a civil rights icon has died at the age of 87, his family and the team confirmed on Friday. Brown's wife, Monique, had announced on Instagram that Brown "passed peacefully" on Thursday night at their home in Los Angeles. "To the world, he was an activist, actor, and football star," said the post, which did not disclose a precise cause of death. "To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken..." Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslem issued a statement calling Brown "a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL. "He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history," the Haslems said. Brown, who was named the greatest football player ever by the Sporting News in 2002, was taken in the first round of the 1957 draft and played for the Browns from 1957-65. He led the NFL in rushing in eight of those seasons and finished his career with 12,312 rushing yards and 5.2 carries per game. He was named to the Pro Bowl every season he played and led Cleveland to the NFL championship game three times, winning the title in 1964. The three-time Most Valuable Player ran for at least 100 yards in 58 of his 118 regular-season games, and never missed a game. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in seven seasons. That included 1,527 yards in one 12-game season and 1,863 in a 14-game season. James Nathaniel Brown was born in St. Simons Island, Georgia, in 1936 and was a high school star in football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, and athletics. He continued to excel as a multi-sport athlete at Syracuse University, his football career gaining steam when he totaled 986 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior year. The Browns selected Brown with the sixth overall pick in the 1957 draft and he made an immediate impact in coach Paul Brown's offense. He led the league his rookie season with 942 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, including a 237-yard performance in his ninth game that stood as the most in a single game in league history for 14 years. He was named MVP that season and remains the only rookie to capture the award. "(Coach Paul Brown) liked me," Brown said in the NFL Network's "A Football Life." "He said to me, 'You are my running back. You are my running back.' It was the sweetest words I've ever heard as a professional football player." Brown was still at his peak when he retired at the age of 30, shocking the sports world. He had led the league in rushing and touchdowns in his final season but announced his retirement while on the set filming "The Dirty Dozen" in London. A hand in the struggle A day after retiring, Brown told Sports Illustrated pro football writer Tex Maule: "I could have played longer. I wanted to play this year, but it was impossible. "We're running behind schedule shooting here, for one thing. I want more mental stimulation than I would have playing football. I want to have a hand in the struggle that is taking place in our country, and I have the opportunity to do that now. I might not a year from now." A year later, Brown founded the Negro Industrial and Economic Union, an organization that would later be known as the Black Economic Union. The goal of the organization was to guide black entrepreneurs, and the organization became the nucleus of Brown's efforts to make the country a more equal place for African Americans. On 4 June 1967, Brown participated in the Cleveland Summit, joining with other prominent Black athletes at the Black Economic Union's offices in Cleveland to interview boxer Muhammad Ali and decide whether to support his stand against being inducted into the US armed forces during the Vietnam War. The group decided to back Ali, the decision becoming a symbol of Black unity during the Civil Rights movement in America. The post Legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown dies at 87 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MLS players agree to salary cuts, possible tournament
By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer The Major League Soccer Players Association voted to approve economic concessions for this season, including across-the-board salary cuts, while also agreeing to play in a proposed summer tournament in Orlando, Florida. The proposal, made public by the union Sunday night, will now be sent to back to the league for approval by team owners. “While a difficult vote in incredibly challenging times, it was taken collectively to ensure that players can return to competition as soon as they are safely able to do so,” the MLSPA said in a statement. The MLS season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Teams had played just two games of the season. Major League Soccer gave its teams the go-ahead Thursday to begin small voluntary group training sessions outdoors. Teams must follow a strict protocol, as well as local public health and government restrictions. Not all of the league's teams have returned to training. Details of the Orlando tournament were still under consideration, but the league’s 26 teams and limited staff would be sheltered at hotels with games played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World. In addition to salary cuts, the union's proposal includes reduced team and individual bonuses, as well as concessions to the existing and future terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Details were not immediately available. MLS did not immediately comment on the proposal. MLS first announced last month it was exploring possible “changes to player compensation” because of the financial hit the league and teams were facing with the extended suspension in play. “We are seeking to work collaboratively with the MLSPA to find a solution that provides a safety net for all players, opportunity to earn full salary in the scenario where all matches are played with fans, and in particular provides protection for the players at the lower end of the salary scale,” the league said in a statement at the time. MLS and the players’ union agreed to terms of a new contract in early February, but it had not been ratified when the season was put on hold......»»
‘NFA lost P112 million after rice sale to traders’
The National Food Authority has incurred losses of at least P112 million after the sale of 150,000 bags of rice at only P25 per kilo to some traders, according to a farmers’ group......»»
‘Probe past NFA admins’ billion-peso palay sales’
Farmers’ group Federation of Free Farmers national manager Raul Montemayor asked Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to include in the ongoing probe on the National Food Authority (NFA)’s questionable rice sale to some traders the alleged billions of pesos worth of fresh palay sold during previous administrations......»»
Tickets to 11th Asian Age Group swimming tilt now available
Multi-day tickets for the 11th Asian Age Group Championships are now on sale online......»»
Strong group in final four
Strong Group took care of business against Morocco’s As Sale, 92-80, and marched on to the Final Four of the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship yesterday at the Al Nasr Club......»»
Strong Group bound for semis after thwarting Moroccan squad
Strong Group Athletics (SGA) is going to the semifinals of the Dubai International Basketball Championship after drubbing Morocco's AS Sale, 92-80, Saturday morning......»»
Strong Group seeks semis berth, faces Moroccan squad
Undefeated Strong Group shoots for a coveted Final Four ticket when it tangles with As Sale of Morocco in the knockout quarterfinals of the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship Saturday at the Al Nasr Club......»»
Health and Wellness Products are Booming in Cebu Amid Post-Covid Scenario
The sale of health and wellness-related products is booming in Cebu as the country continues to reel from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic some three years ago. And this is why an exporter couple from Cebu invested in these products diversifying their existing business into a retail market for health equipment. Owners Paul and […].....»»
Remulla asked: Approve clemency of 84-year-old PDL
Political prisoner group Kapatid urged Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to approve the clemency of Gerardo Dela Peña which the group said is the oldest political prisoner in the Philippines. .....»»
ACEN earnings rise by 59 percent
ACEN Corp. the energy platform of the Ayala Group, grew its earnings by more than half in the nine months ending September on the back of higher revenues and gains from the sale of a stake in the Salak and Darajat geothermal plants in Indonesia......»»
Britain’s iconic red phone boxes get new lease of life
In a workshop packed with historic memorabilia, from rusty petrol pumps to vintage enamel signs, Carl Burge skillfully applied the finishing touches to the red British telephone box he was restoring. "They're iconic," said Burge, 54, who has been working on revitalising the tired, ageing phone kiosks for over 20 years. Emblematic of the UK worldwide, these sturdy red pillars first rolled out in the 1920s have endured everything from vandalism to the country's famously wet weather over the ensuing decades. "If you were to send a postcard with nothing written on there apart from a picture of a telephone box and send it anywhere in the world, chances are 95 percent of people will say: that's England," he added. The number of phone boxes in Britain peaked in the 1990s at around 100,000, though many were not the famous red designs. While less used now with the widespread use of mobile phones, around 20,000 working public payphones remain nationwide. Redundant red and other phone boxes are increasingly being adopted by local communities and converted into facilities such as mini libraries, visitor information stands and defibrillators. Some are even rented out by small businesses, like the tiramisu shop called "Walkmisu" in central London. Daniele Benedettini has set up shop inside two red boxes on the edge of Russell Square, selling the famous Italian dessert and coffee. "I think it was a really cool idea to use something really English traditional with something very Italian," Benedettini told AFP. 'Real gem' The cost of running a business from a phone box has also proved lower than opening a regular shop, he added. The 29-year-old, who rents the boxes from a private owner, said they were his first business before also opening a cafe nearby. The phone boxes have been renovated inside and fitted with shelves, a fridge and coffee machine but outside they remain largely the same, as they have stood for decades, apart from some posters on the windows. Burge said that restoring a telephone box takes an average of six weeks, starting with the "painstaking" process of stripping it down to the "bare bones". "You don't know what you are going to find under that paint. You might find a real gem," he added. Burge has seen many phone boxes come through his workshop in the town of King's Lynn, eastern England, and says they are often broken, missing glass from the window panes or their wooden doors are rotting. Once the box's cast-iron frame is stripped of all internal and external components, it is sandblasted to remove paint, rust and any other impurities. The next step is applying body filler and sanding out any imperfections in a laborious process that is done by hand and which can take several days to complete. Finally the telephone box is spray painted with the "Post Office Red" colour, laminated glass is installed and the door is fitted with a new hardwood outer frame. 'Enthusiasm' Burge, who worked in the motor trade for 20 years, turned his passion for collecting British memorabilia into a full-time business called "Remember When UK". He spotted his first phone box while driving past a property that was going on sale. He bought it off the owners, restored it and kept it in his front garden. Burge later sold the phone box but said he "missed it" and thought he would like to refurbish another one. One turned into many, and now Burge is working on restoring several telephone boxes at a time. Among them is an example of the famous K2, which was Britain's first red colour telephone box introduced in 1926 and designed by British architect Giles Gilbert Scott, who is also known for his work on London's Battersea Power Station and other public buildings. But even after two decades in the trade, Burge said he hasn't lost his passion for the work that he does. "I'm getting a little bit older now. Everything seems to be getting a little bit heavier. But I think my enthusiasm level is on par with where it was 22 years ago," he said. "If anything, it's probably more," he added. The post Britain’s iconic red phone boxes get new lease of life appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ASF vaccine importer denies black market caused virus spread
The importer of the African swine fever vaccine countered the claim of farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura chairman Rosendo So that the sale of ASF vaccine in the black market was the cause of the spread of the virus in the country......»»
Farmers’ group blames black market vaccine for ASF spread
The spread of African swine fever in the country can be attributed to the illegal sale of 300,000 vials of ASF vaccine to hog raisers, an official of the farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura said......»»
Female-dominated farmer group thanks DAR official for helping them on International Women’s Day
A female-dominated agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) in a remote village in this town thanked the newly-assigned Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) for helping them obtain legal documents that would strengthen their claim as legitimate owners over two lots they acquired......»»
War in Israel a new front in US election campaign
The surprise Hamas assault on Israel has opened up a new front in the US election campaign as Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of being soft in his defense of Israel and in his handling of Iran. "I think this is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel -- time and time again –- and Joe Biden has been weak," Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Saturday on Fox News. Americans will choose a new president and control of Congress in November 2024, with Biden, 80, seeking another term in a race that looks likely to pit him against former president Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. Trump used the stunning Hamas attack by land, sea, and air at dawn Saturday to target Biden. “The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as weak and ineffective and with a very weak leader,” he said. Other Republican presidential hopefuls, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, also dismissed Biden as weak. US stands with Israel A stern-faced Biden gave a short speech from the White House on Saturday to stress firm US support for Israel. "Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas," Biden said. "In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back." Republicans zeroed in on a recent decision by the Biden administration to release $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue frozen in South Korea in exchange for the release of five Americans who were being held prisoner in Iran. Tehran is the main sponsor of Hamas, which the United States and other countries classify as a terrorist group. Senator Rick Scott, for instance, said that in unfreezing that money -- it was transferred to a bank account in Qatar for use only for humanitarian purposes -- the United States had in effect financed the Hamas attack, which won praise from Iran. That charge angered the White House, which called it a "shameful lie" and insisted that the money was tightly controlled in how it could be used and none of it had been spent. A senior administration official speaking to reporters on Saturday accused Republicans of spreading disinformation. Help from congress The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed it was too early to say whether Iran was directly involved in Hamas' large-scale attack, but that there was "no doubt Hamas is funded, equipped and armed by Iran and others." Aside from the 2024 election, the Republican attacks pose political problems for Biden. The United States already provides billions of dollars a year for Israel but Biden will need Congress if he wants to send more now that Israel has declared itself at war with Hamas. That means Biden has to work with the Republicans, who are blocking passage of a yearly budget. Making matters worse, the House of Representatives is in chaos and limbo now because of the ouster of its speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last week in a revolt by a handful of far right Republicans. The White House would also like the Senate to approve Jack Lew soon to be the new American ambassador to Israel. His nomination was announced more than a month ago. This will require goodwill from the Republican minority in that chamber. The post War in Israel a new front in US election campaign appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Eco group warns vs toxic lead spray paints
An environmental group on Wednesday has urged authorities to look into the sale of five lead-containing spray paints being sold in Metro Cebu cities. According to the EcoWaste Coalition, the spray paint brands — the yellow Bad Axe Spray Paint which contains 23,080 ppm lead, canary yellow, jade green, Gongcheng orange yellow and deep yellow variants — had 21,610 ppm, 21,500 ppm, 20,040 ppm and 15,700 ppm. It added that it discovered these spray paints are being sold in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue. “Our discovery of five more lead-containing aerosol paints in Cebu indicates the need for improved compliance monitoring, particularly outside Metro Manila and Luzon, to protect the health of children and adults from this continuing source lead exposure,” said EcoWaste Coalition’s Manny Calonzo. These five Bad Axe brand spray paints are being sold each for less than P100 per 400 ml can. As indicated on the label, Bad Axe can be used for coating the interior and exterior wood, steel and other metal surfaces of household appliances, equipment, furniture, bicycles and the like. “The product has no manufacturer’s markings and its country of manufacture is unknown. It provides no information or warning about the paint’s lead content,” said the group. However, the product’s date of manufacture is indicated at the bottom of the can and all variants of Bad Axe were manufactured between 2021 to 2023, or after the completion of the national phase-out deadline for lead-containing decorative paints in December 2016. The World Health Organization, which co-manages the Secretariat of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint or the Lead Paint Alliance, has warned that lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. EcoWaste Coalition added that exposure to lead is known to result in adverse health effects such as damage to the brain and central nervous system, slowed growth and development, hearing and speech problems, learning difficulties and behavioral problems, which can cause reduced ability to pay attention, underperformance in school, and lower intelligence quotient. The country’s lead paint regulation is stipulated under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 2013-24, which established a maximum limit of 90 ppm for total lead in paint. This landmark chemical policy phased out leaded decorative and industrial paints in December 2016 and December 2019, respectively. The post Eco group warns vs toxic lead spray paints appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»