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Mt. Apo closed from Mar 20-30
Mount Apo, located at the border of Davao del Sur, North Cotabato and Davao City, is temporarily closed to the public.....»»
DA chief orders transfer of suspended NFA supervisors’ authority
The transfer of authority of suspended warehouse supervisors of the National Food Authority has been ordered by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday as NFA facilities remain closed amid the suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman......»»
Visayan growth
This piece is being written as I traverse the Visayan region which is carrying greater prospects for future economic growth. For the past months, I’ve written on Mindanao and Central Luzon and how these regions have experienced rapid development thanks to the nationally elected political leaders who hail from their provinces, Vice President Sara Duterte and the former president now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, respectively. At times neglected in the discussions is the Visayas region. This time around, I was able to spend time in Iloilo and Cebu – both highly urbanized regional growth areas outside of Metro Manila. Iloilo is a wonderful city as it exists harmoniously with its bodies of water. Esplanades and walkways allow everyone to enjoy the river, which serves as a leisure area, transportation hub, and entry for goods, which is quite uncommon in the Philippines. Usually, Philippine rivers are either for people or for goods, not both, since our rivers are easily polluted. But in Iloilo, as well as neighboring Guimaras, their rivers bring life to the province. The only eyesore in Iloilo would be the “sinking” Ungka flyover located in Pavia. This project cost the government P680 million but it was closed shortly after it opened because motorists experienced a “wavy” sensation while driving on it. It was later learned that some of its pillars were sinking at the rate of two centimeters per day. A study showed it would take an estimated P250 million to repair the flyover and make it safely usable to the public. One reason to be excited about Iloilo should be the proposed revival of the Panay Railway, which was mentioned by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. in his SoNA last year and included in the Infrastructure Flagship Projects approved by NEDA. On this trip, I learned that Panay used to have a working railway that connected Iloilo City to Roxas City, and that plans for its revival would further connect Iloilo to Caticlan thus, the resort island of Boracay. Imagine having tourists land in Boracay, spend a few days there, then take a train to Iloilo where they would further be immersed in Philippine culture in one of the oldest cities of the country. Cebu is an established gem of a city, with traffic nearing Manila levels. Walking around Cebu feels like being in Alabang or BGC. One thing missing in Cebu is tollways to connect its cities and municipalities. This may change soon with the inclusion of the Metro Cebu Expressway in the NEDA-approved IFPs. The 72-kilometer project, once completed, will connect Naga City to Danao City, cutting travel time from three hours to 50 minutes. The project was started years ago, but only a reported five kilometers of it have been finished so far due to lack of funding. At this rate of budget allocation, it will take 20 years to finish it. Now, the project will continue and be finished sooner via a PPP arrangement after Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. — the same company that built the iconic Cebu Cordova Link Expressway bridge — has expressed interest in it. Whenever I visit Cebu, it seems that a major development had taken place. This time was no different. Even in Iloilo, there are new buildings erected almost monthly. One notable building is the 14-story Stronghold Insurance Building in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, an area surrounded by Ayala, SM, Vista Land, and Megaworld developments. As this Administration has heralded, this time the purpose is to “Build, Better, More” for the benefit of all Filipinos nationwide. For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com. The post Visayan growth appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GERI reports 37% profit fall, improving sales
Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI), Megaworld’s integrated tourism and leisure unit, reported lower earnings in the first half of the year although sales have started to recover in the second quarter. In a statement, GERI said that, excluding non-recurring gains, the company’s net income for the first half of the year reached P728 million, down 9 percent from P801 million during the same period last year. Attributable net income dropped 37 percent to P544.8 million in the first half of 2020 from P865.13 million in the same period last year. Consolidated revenues for the first half of 2020 registered at P2.9 billion, reflecting a 29 percent decline from P4.1 billion during the comparable period last year. On the other hand, rental income weakened by only 8 percent from P377 million last year to P347 million in the first half of 2020 even if mall operations were affected by the Taal eruption in the first quarter, and the strict quarantine measures in the second quarter. Hotel operations declined by 67 percent from P484 million last year to P162 million for the first six months of 2020 due to the quarantine restrictions during the period. However, the decline in revenues from the company’s core businesses was offset by the 30 percent reduction in costs and expenses, from P3.1 billion in the first half of 2019 to P2.2 billion this year. “Boracay was closed to tourists during the second quarter but as soon as the quarantine measures were relaxed in June, we saw a steep climb on the sales of our commercial and village lots in Boracay Newcoast. Buyers now prefer residential and leisure products in nature-rich settings outside of Metro Manila,” explained GERI President Monica T.Salomon. GERI’s reservation sales of residential projects during the second quarter of the year rose to P3.6 billion from P2.2 billion in the first quarter. The firm noted that the growth was achieved even as the country was placed on strict lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. It did not provide comparative figures for 2019. Residential projects in Boracay Newcoast in Aklan, Arden Botanical Estate in Cavite, Eastland Heights in Antipolo, Rizal, and Hamptons Caliraya in Laguna comprised the bulk of sales during the first half of the year, which reached P5.8 billion. “When the news of a possible lockdown came out in mid-March, we had already braced for a conservative outlook for our residential segment,” said Salomon. She added that, “But, while the country was placed on strict quarantine, we saw aggressive take-ups of our provincial projects. In fact, on the average, our second quarter sales are 61 percent of what we have booked for the entire first half of 2020. And we still have enough inventory to address the demand for residential projects in these areas.”.....»»
PCG braces for Boracay’s reopening
The Philippine Coast Guard is ready for the reopening of Boracay after more than two months that it was closed to tourists as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus disease 2019......»»
Filipina rescued from mail-order bride syndicate
The Bureau of Immigration rescued a suspected victim of a mail-order bride syndicate, targeting Filipinas sent to China under false pretenses......»»
Church visits are allowed only until 10 p.m. – Police chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Church visits on Maundy Thursday will only be allowed until 10 p.m. the chief of the Cebu City police announced on Thursday, March 28. Police Colonel Ireneo B. Dalogdog, City Director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said that the public is not allowed inside religious places past 10:00 p.m......»»
CV wage board sets public hearing for kasambahay pay
CV wage board sets public hearing for kasambahay pay.....»»
Infrastructure projects get better loan terms from Japan
The Philippines has secured better financing terms for two big-ticket infrastructure projects funded by the Japanese government aimed at improving public transport and road connectivity......»»
Killua
News on the brutal killing of Killua, the Golden Retriever from Bato, Camarines Sur, has ignited a wave of public outcry, particularly among animal-loving Filipinos......»»
Oplan Harabas yields 3 drivers positive for drugs
FOLLOWING the surprise drug test conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Davao and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on public utility vehicles (PUVs) last March 26, 2024, two taxi drivers in Davao City were found to be positive for drugs......»»
88% of Pinoys oppose Cha-cha – Pulse Asia
Public opinion on Charter change, which last year was roughly divided among Filipinos, is now largely skewed toward those opposed to changing the country’s Constitution, a survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed......»»
Boracay, Palawan named among ‘Best Islands in Asia-Pacific’
Two island destinations in the Philippines were included in the 10 “Best Islands in Asia-Pacific” by a foreign travel magazine......»»
Ati tribe fenced off in Boracay
Tension has sparked in Boracay after security guards allegedly fenced off parcels of land owned by members of the Ati tribe......»»
Globe closed on an additional P1.16-B in tower sales
Globe Telecom, the Zobel Family’s telecommunications company, disclosed that it closed on the sale of another 91 cell towers to Frontier Towers to raise approximately P1.16 billion in cash......»»
Yogi Ruiz: Salaries, incentives for City Hall employees must be paid on time
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Job order (JO) employees at the Cebu City Hall have not been paid their salaries from January to March 2024. They have not also received their share of the Charter Day incentive amounting to P5, 000 each. Councilors Noel Wenceslao and Nestro Archival have raised a concern on the delay in.....»»
Mga babaeng nakunan pwede bang mag-leave with pay?
SA pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Mga Kababaihan, nagbigay ng libreng konsultasyong legal ang public service program na “CIA wita BA” at isa na nga rito ay kung maaari bang mag-leave with pay ang mga babaeng nakunan. Maraming napag-usapang batas na may kinalaman sa mga karapatan ng kababaihan. Isa sa mga natalakay sa segment na “Yes.....»»
UP Diliman warns of unofficial ads about online courses
The University of the Philippines Diliman on Wednesday warned the public against the spread of advertisements claiming to offer online courses in the university's name......»»
No objections for e-motorcycle tax breaks in EO12 review
Views and position papers elicited from government agencies and EV industry stakeholders for the revision of an executive order have offered no objection to the inclusion of e-motorcycles in the tax incentives......»»
Fisherfolk raise alarm over demolition of Navotas City fishing structures
“Affected fisherfolk and other residents ‘highly believe’ that the dismantling order is part of the 650-hectare reclamation project in the area.” The post Fisherfolk raise alarm over demolition of Navotas City fishing structures appeared first on Bulatlat......»»