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Iraqis display full might vs Philippines XI
Iraq rained goals on host Philippines in a 5-0 shutout that pushed the Filipinos to the brink in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Tuesday at the packed Rizal Memorial Stadium......»»
Phl booters eye revenge vs Iraqis
After a close loss to Iraq in Basra, embattled Philippines aims to see its upset plans through on familiar grounds when it faces the Asian power again tonight in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium......»»
Saintfiet confident, hopes for ‘miracle’ as PH men’s football team hosts Iraq
Hoping to take advantage of playing at home, the Philippine men's football team targets a breakthrough win in the joint qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup as it battles favored Iraq.....»»
Marcos, First Lady Liza have made full recovery from flu-like symptoms, says Palace
President Marcos 'has been in meetings today and will resume his public duties tomorrow,' Malacañang says on Monday, March 25.....»»
Princess Kate praised for ‘extraordinary dignity’ after cancer diagnosis
LONDON – Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, and her husband Prince William have been “enormously touched” by the messages of support received since she announced her cancer diagnosis, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said on Saturday. Kate said on Friday she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests done following her major abdominal surgery in January revealed cancer had.....»»
King Charles, leaders offer support to Princess of Wales after cancer announcement
LONDON — Britain’s King Charles, political leaders, and the US White House offered support to Kate, Princess of Wales, after she said tests following abdominal surgery showed cancer had been present and she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy. Buckingham Palace, on behalf of Britain’s King Charles “His Majesty (HM) is ‘so proud of Catherine for her.....»»
Pinoy booters bow to Iraqis
New-look Philippines put up its best effort against powerhouse home team Iraq but ended up empty-handed in a 0-1 defeat in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Thursday night in front of a 63,750-strong crowd at the Basra International Stadium......»»
Philippines bows down to Iraq in FIFA Qualifiers
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mohanad Ali scored a late goal for Iraq that sent the Philippines to the bottom of Group F in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Friday, March 21 (March 22, Manila Time) at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq. With the defeat, the Philippines’ chances to.....»»
Philippines booters face Iraq foes
Debuting Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet aims to harness the trademark Filipino fighting heart as new-look Philippines resumes its FIFA World Cup Qualifiers drive Thursday (today in Manila) against fancied Iraq on the road in Basra......»»
Love the idea, failed execution : RR Enriquez chimes in on Chocolate Hills resort issue
Host-model and self-titled "Sawsawera Queen" RR Enriquez shared her thoughts regarding the viral issue of a resort situated in the vicinity of Bohol's Chocolate Hills......»»
MindaNews kids shookt after Boomers, GenX speak like GenZ
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 January) – The small meeting room at The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases here erupted in laughter as the crowd of the mostly-veteran MindaNews journalists got their baptism of fire on Generation Z (Gen Z) lingo over the weekend. Of the 17 persons in the room, six are in their […].....»»
Speed travel at 21 kph
The brouhaha over the EDSA Bus Carousel ended in the dramatic suspension of its designated chief implementer, retired Navy Colonel Edison “Bong” Nebrija......»»
Taking a tumble
All top five government leaders slid in their approval ratings, according to the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia from 10 to 14 September. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fell 15 points from 80 in June to 65 this September. Vice President Sara Duterte took an 11-point slide from 84 to 73 in the same time frame. From 56 in June, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s rating slid to 50 in September — six points down. Approval of House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s also decreased, from 52 to 41, another 11-point slide. In the judiciary, Supreme Court Justice Alexander Gesmundo’s approval rating fell 10 points — now only 34 from 44 in June. It’s no mystery why disappointment ruled sentiments in the last quarter. Gas prices climbed every week; the Chinese incursions had made a grievous comeback in the public consciousness; and the “confidential funds” brouhaha had made its way to meme-dom. The numbers are not too alarming; some say they are within a range that still shows confidence in our leaders. Why this is significant at this point lies in one truth we refuse to see: a country will see no substantial progress unless the people respect their leaders. Think of our situation today — how many presidents do we need to try to “save” us from poverty and inequality? We keep saying the Philippines is rich — and perhaps we are, indeed, in natural resources and a workforce and talent that can rightly compete in any part of the world. And yet, we go through perennial problems like hunger and unemployment, a weak peso, corruption scandals, and a massive national debt hanging over our heads. It seems nothing will ever change with this cycle of leadership we can never get rid of. Over the last few decades, we may have learned enough that political feuds among powerful families only slow down the nation. And we may have realized that power struggles continue to diminish our productivity, impeding our forward movement. Research published in July 2016 focused on political dynasties in the Philippines and said: “Despite overwhelming recognition that political dynasties breed patronage politics and corruption, no substantial steps have been taken to address this issue.” Nothing changed after the so-called People Power Revolution, as the same family names continued dominating Congress. The trend continues till today, election after election, with only the occasional new name rising out of the morass because, perhaps, the voting public could no longer stomach the way power and resources are concentrated on a few. And even so, after some time, some of these promising new leaders end up as trapped in the dirt as the ones they removed from power. Either they end up playing the game, now so deeply entrenched, or they leave. Only “a few good men” ever make it past a certain political lifespan. At the same time, we continue to be bogged down by mysteries like why the Philippine General Hospital is getting a zero budget when, obviously, it is the only affordable good hospital that caters to the majority of Filipinos. We continue to wonder why some agencies are getting hefty funds, some even under wraps, when these could be funneled into so many other things like food sustainability, road improvements, solutions to environmental problems, modernizing the agriculture sector, supporting local inventions, and so on. The people look up to their leaders for direction and vision. People will follow — and feel the need to pull their weight and contribute to the work — when they see their leaders as upright and having their welfare always in view. When people feel taken advantage of or taken for granted, they lose faith. Their attitudes change. The country slows to a stop. The post Taking a tumble appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The inanities and shenanigans of Vice Ganda
The mere mention of his showbiz moniker Vice Ganda immediately brings to mind this persona of a blabbermouth — a cross-dressing, larger-than-life gay man that is the creation of Jose Marie Viceral. As Vice Ganda, he has had his lion’s share of box-office hit movies and sold-out concerts, as well as becoming one of the pillars of the noontime program It’s Showtime and an inspiration to the descamisados, madlang pipol and maricons aspiring for and coveting what he possesses and represents. Vice is famous, affluent, social media and traditional media-savvy, with an Ion Perez as a lover that completes his fairy-tale existence. His sense of humor and the kind of comedy that his adoring public consumes polarize viewers. His movies are no way near the guffaw-inducing antics and commitment of a Roderick Paulate. The comedic elements are almost similar but not quite with the political incorrectness and craziness that are staples in the movies of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon. Definitely, the humor in Ganda’s offerings are not as funny and pale in comparison with the intelligently written sketches and characters of Michael V. The junk food masquerading as laugh-out-loud fare is inferior to the charisma, magic and legend of the one and only Philippine Comedy King Dolphy. It is a given that Vice Ganda is an easy target of the nakakainis na nagmamalinis demographics. Proof of this: An aging politician hogged the headline lately when he lambasted the comedian: “Sarili mo lang ang iniisip mo, akala mo maganda iyang ginagawa mo. Super bastos ka, bastos kang tao (You only think about yourself, you think what you are doing is good. You’re super rude, you’re a rude person).” This outburst and judgment from a political dinosaur is lamentable. But with this tirade, the stock value of the reigning fairy this side of Hollywood actually gets a reboot and a fresh dose of relevance. Prior to this high and mighty summation of who Ganda is and what he represents, public perception was ripe that the hold, popularity and reign of Vice was going downhill. Whatever he was holding on to was all confined, controlled and milked in the afternoon program and early primetime weekend singing competition that he hosted. When Vice became the replacement brand ambassador of an online shopping app, the decision puzzled some, given the lackluster sales of the makeup brand that Ganda carries. Add the fact that even during the height of Jose Marie’s reign and popularity, there were only a handful of brands that gave their trust to him. It has been so many days since the app’s sale date and still, there is no official statement on how massive the increase in purchases has been with Vice as the figure employed to seduce the public to spend their hard-earned pesos online. Likewise, the box-office powers and premium of Ganda are no longer stellar and superior. Well- chronicled and documented are his “may pera sa basura” kind of movies. But for two years now in succession, his movies have been clobbered by family dramas that put an exclamation point to his producers laughing their way to bank supremacy. Indeed, it was an astute decision not to participate in this year’s December festival, because his movie not grabbing the number one spot is almost inevitable, and it will be further proof of the old saying that bad luck comes in threes. But now, I cannot help but wonder: With a political dinosaur’s statements about his crudeness and salacious behavior, and a “criminal case” filed by a “kapisanan” latching on to the MTRCB brouhaha, will everything turn rosy and robust once more for the career and romance of the Unkabogable Vice Ganda? Time, being the best storyteller, will provide us the answer. The post The inanities and shenanigans of Vice Ganda appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mga UNGA(s)
The United Nations General Assembly, or UNGA, is the “chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations,” according to the UN’s official website. And says the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs, our country’s representative to the UNGA is a diplomat of ambassadorial rank appointed by the President. This is as it should be, for it is a doctrine beyond cavil that the President is the main architect of our country’s foreign policy, hence, the country’s delegate to the UNGA must act under the direction of our Chief Executive. Anyone who has gone through high school civics class and/or can use an internet browser would know that. In other words, while the Legislature has not been locked out of certain foreign policy considerations (such as the approval of treaties and the confirmation of ambassadors), its main function is to make laws. If memory serves, it’s called the separation of powers. But then, some members of our Senate — which Ferdinand Marcos Sr. wisely did away with in 1972 — specifically Senate President Zubiri and Senator Hontiveros, thought it would be politically expedient to pander to the growing throng of Filipinos constantly angered by the Chinese harassment of our fishermen. Thus, in aid of election (he to the vice presidency, she to the presidency, if the grapevine is to be believed), the two strange bedfellows shepherded through the chamber Senate Resolution 718, which practically dictated to the Department of Foreign Affairs, through a so-called five-pronged approach, how it should deal with the West Philippine Sea problem. Now, it, of course, shouldn’t be a problem for individual legislators to express their opinions as to how the WPS question should be handled by our government. After all, the members of Congress, even as citizens — and more so as elected representatives — have as much right as anyone to do so. But for the Senate, as an institution, to practically boss around the DFA on what to do, especially with regard to our actions in the UNGA, leaves a bad taste in the mouth, to be charitable about it. Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile was more blunt. He called it “stupid.” A Senate Resolution, although not law, expresses the sense of that body on a particular issue. It can be made to cut for good when the Senate throws its institutional weight behind a subject of national interest. But the mandate at large of the senators does not justify trenching upon the prerogatives of the President when it comes to conducting international policy. When that happens, the Senate’s sense, in that sense, becomes nonsense. There is a reason why the President is the one mandated by the fundamental law to lay down our foreign policy. By virtue of his being commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Philippines, as well as the head of government, he is privy to top secret information that all others — senators included — have no access to. And as head of state, he receives information from other heads of state — formally and through backchanneling, that aid him in determining the best strategy to adopt in our relations with other nations. Resolution No. 718 thus not only preempts the Chief Executive, it tries to embarrass him by publicly suggesting steps that he is “strongly urged” to take. Worse, it presumptuously gives the subtext that the Senate knows better than the President in matters of foreign policy. Not good. It was right for the DFA to diplomatically call out the Senate on its resolution by saying that the option of bringing the WPS brouhaha to a vote in the UNGA should be seriously studied. Knowing China’s diplomatic clout in view of its trade partnership with so many nations, if the WPS topic dies on the floor of the UNGA, then the Senate will look like a bunch of “mga ungas” (stupid or ignorant people). The post Mga UNGA(s) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Too much on LTO’s plate?
The Land Transportation Office is back in the spotlight with a plot twist in the latest chapter of its License Plate Chronicles. According to news reports, the LTO had threatened to slap motorists with fines if they failed to claim their replacement green-to-white license plates within 60 days. Motorists have been waiting for eons to get their hands on those plates, and the LTO’s response was supposedly to dangle fines over their heads. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions, from anticipation to exasperation, in record time. It’s as if the LTO believes in taxing our patience and testing our fortitude. Let’s break it down. The LTO seems to be pointing fingers at motorists, and what’s the crime? Not making a beeline to the LTO offices to get something they paid for years ago! It’s like paying for a pizza delivery, only to be told the pizza is still in the oven eight years later. It’s enough to make you scratch your head in disbelief. In 2015, the LTO decided to jazz up our license plates with a new green-to-white makeover a sartorial upgrade for our trusty vehicles. It all sounded grand, except there’s a tiny hiccup the LTO’s delivery system has proven itself to be slower than a tortoise on a Sunday stroll. As a result, the streets are filled with motorists sporting the equivalent of fashion runway placeholders old plates that have seen better days. But here’s the kicker: The LTO seems to have forgotten a crucial detail. Who’s responsible for the delay in the first place? That’s right, none other than the LTO itself! It’s like a chef burning your dinner and then charging you extra for the fire show. The audacity is almost admirable, in a bewildering kind of way. So, what’s the takeaway from this brouhaha? Instead of playing the blame game and pointing fingers at motorists, the LTO should focus on its real task: Delivering those long-awaited license plates. If we paid for them, we deserve them; it’s as simple as that. And how about a little apology for the trouble? The “fines” fiasco started when LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, just weeks into the job, trumpeted the launch of the LTOPlateReplacement.com website, where motorists can check whether their replacement plates are already available and at which branch of the LTO they may be picked up. During that interview, a senator’s proposal to expedite the release of the plates by penalizing those who would not get them within 60 days seemed to have gotten LTO’s attention for possible implementation. Mendoza clearly has not thought of the glaring stupidity of that lawmaker’s proposal. As the anger mounts over the floated fines, it would serve Mendoza, the LTO and its mother agency, the Department of Transportation, to issue a categorical statement not a one-paragraph disavowal that it would not impose a cruel fine on motorists who may have lost interest in getting their new plates eight years too late. Lest we forget, at the backdrop of this saga is none other than the DoTr, which, with the LTO, orchestrated the perplexing Motor Vehicle License Plates Standardization Program in 2015, when motorists were coerced into paying for the phantom replacement black-on-white plates. Somebody must have made a lot of money in kickbacks getting that DoTr-LTO project rolling before it ground to a screeching halt after hitting road bumps. But perish that bad thought, as there’s the presumption of regularity in whatever government does. Yeah, right. We were not born yesterday. For 2022, the Commission on Audit reported that over 1.7 million plates had been paid for, yet remained unstamped and undelivered. A staggering P808 million in plates have remained in the realm of the unseen as if the LTO set out on a quest but forgot to bring the map. As CoA raised its voice and once more flagged the LTO, it echoed the sentiments of a populace that had waited far too long for their long-promised metallic emblems. But as LTO allegedly “disavowed” the fines, saying it intended to penalize its own branch officials who would not lift a finger to push the plates to their owners, we hope the curtains have been drawn shut on this act. We, however, are left to ponder what may have been a trial balloon floated by the LTO. Was the penalty proposition a mere shadow, or a harbinger of impending chaos? The LTO and DoTr are the architects of this tale–the 2015 payment for plates that never graced the roads, the CoA’s admonitions, the confusion, and the turmoil. Can Mendoza step back, please, into the spotlight to, with more vigor, clarify and rectify that crazy fines pronouncement? We, the people, deserve an explanation. The post Too much on LTO’s plate? 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......»»
A soggy bill
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” so said Albert Einstein. Some lawmakers are intent on passing into law the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression or SOGIE Bill, notwithstanding the disastrous experience of countries that have enacted a similar law. There is no space here to detail the dangers of creating a privileged class made up of a small minority, and the resulting sense of entitlement that has resulted in destroying traditional family ties that have served humankind well and made it the dominant species. Suffice it to say that there is no lack of such information on the internet. The recent brouhaha over the performance art of one Pura Luka Vega, where he danced to a “modernized” version of “Ama Namin,” has again brought to the fore the hazards of a SOGIE bill that places the rights of a few over those of the many. To the multitude that criticized his presentation, Vega unapologetically and loudly claimed that such was art, some sort of “intersection of queerness and religion” (whatever the hell he means by that). He even arrogantly declaimed that “that performance was not for you (meaning the Roman Catholics) to begin with” and that “(it is my experience and my expression.” Aye, there’s the rub, to use my favorite Shakespearean paraphrase. If the SOGIE bill becomes law, all will be prohibited from “stigmatizing” members of the LGBTQ community under the pain of imprisonment or fine. However, the definition of “stigma” in the law is one of the vaguest I have ever seen in any piece of legislation: It “refers to the dynamic devaluation and dehumanization of an individual in the eyes of others which may be based on attributes that are arbitrarily defined by others as discreditable or unworthy and which result in discrimination when acted upon.” What in heaven’s name is that? The overbreadth of that definition is such that it could be interpreted to mean that we cannot criticize anything that anyone in that community says or does, such as Vega’s performance, since our critique might discredit or dehumanize them. Under that law, we cannot call Vega — or anyone who duplicates his act — a “blasphemer.” Priests or religious preachers cannot quote certain Biblical passages that say that homosexuality is an “abomination” and that homosexuals will rot in hell, because that would make the LGBTQ “unworthy.” I don’t know, but from where I sit it looks like a law that impairs both free expression and freedom of religion. But then, while the law can punish us for — heaven forbid! — offending the LGBTQ community, queers like Vega can feel free to offend us, trigger our sensitivities and parody our religious rituals in the name of their freedom of expression. Biological males can offend the sensitivities of biological females by freely entering toilets and locker rooms meant for the privacy of the latter, but you cannot object to such intrusions — even if you have your wife or daughter inside — because the LGBTQs would be “discriminated against.” These are only some of the logical consequences that can happen if the SOGIE bill becomes the law of the land. In fine, the SOGIE bill is not about equality; instead, it will institutionalize the creation of a special class of people who are practically protected by the principle of lese majeste. It will provide an unwarranted shield behind which abusive members of the LGBTQ community — who are not just a few, as recent events will show — can hide in order to escape the consequences of their actions. It may be providential that the Awra and Pura scandals happened on the cusp of the SOGIE bill’s passage. Perhaps someone up there does not want such a half-baked and soggy legislation to become law. The post A soggy bill appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P73-B land title brouhaha perennial, PPA chief says
The P73.548-billion land issue that was recently flagged by the Commission on Audit has been a perennial issue of the Philippine Ports Authority, and they are addressing it, general manager Atty. Jay Santiago said. The P73.548-billion land issue that was recently flagged by the Commission on Audit has been a perennial issue of the Philippine Ports Authority, and they are addressing it, general manager Atty. Jay Santiago said. “It has been our problem since 1974. And since then, we have been addressing that,” said Santiago in a press conference on Tuesday. The CoA report stated that the PPA has more than 3.925 million square meters of land in its books amounting to P73.548 billion that were not supported by original certificates of title. State auditors said a government agency should present a certificate of title when purchasing property under the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines. “When I was seated as PPA general manager, we had been addressing that. There are many processes before we can complete that. That’s been since 1974. We are still surveying those lands. Mind you, the titling entity is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, so what do you expect,” Santiago said in English and Filipino. He added that there were lands that were already titled, while some were not, but they are addressing the issue. “In 2017, during my time, we had constituted a titling committee composed of members of the PPA board, namely, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. And to be fair, this has been an issue long before our administration. And it was in my administration that we initiated steps to rectify this issue,” Santiago said. He said the flagging happened in 2022, but the current PPA management has already taken the initiative to at least heed and address the CoA findings. “The reason why the CoA report came out is because of my request. It was on the PPA’s initiative that the lands would be titled,” he said, pertaining to the 3.925-million square meters of parcels of land being questioned by CoA. CoA flagging Santiago said a CoA flagging does not mean an agency is corrupt, but that issues must be addressed. “When you are flagged by CoA, would that mean that you are already corrupt? No,” Santiago told reporters. The 3.925 million square meters of land valued at P73.548 billion are not yet covered by the original certificate of title to show proof of ownership of the original or reclaimed land in the name of the PPA. “Ownership of the land is uncertain,” CoA said. The post P73-B land title brouhaha perennial, PPA chief says appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Frasco’s leave filed before fiasco
To set the record straight regarding the sudden leave of absence of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco more than a week after her department got involved in the brouhaha in the Love the Philippines tourism campaign, the Tourism Department said Frasco's leave had been filed in May 2023. "The application (for) the leave of the Secretary was filed and received by the Office of the President on 9 May. This was approved last 23 May 2023," the DoT- Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy, in a statement on Tuesday, said "The OIC is Usec. Elaine T. Bathan," it added. Further, the DoT said the purpose of the short leave beginning July 13-21 consisting of only 7 working days, is to spend time with her young family. "She is confirmed to attend the SONA. Any insinuation to the contrary is false," the DoT statement read. "Leave the Philippines" trended third on Twitter, on Tuesday, where some Twitter users were using the hashtag to poke fun at the DoT secretary due to her taking a leave in the middle of the tourism campaign mess. (Raffy Ayeng) The post Frasco’s leave filed before fiasco appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»