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PBBM wants list of rice retailers inclusive for SLP cash aid – DSWD chief
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian reiterated the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the list of the small rice retailers who will be given cash aid under the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program must be inclusive. “Ang instruction ng Pangulo, dapat inklusibo ‘yung listahan. Ang ating Pangulo ay nakikinig. Alam niya ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga rice retailers. Nauunawaan niya iyon,” Gatchalian said. Gatchalian along with his DSWD-SLP team met with officials of the Department of Trade and Industry at the Central Office in Quezon City Friday to finalize the initial list of rice retailers who were affected by the price ceiling on regular milled and well-milled rice as mandated by the Executive Order No. 39. Under EO No. 39 which took effect September 5, regular milled rice was given a price cap of Php41 per kilo while the well-milled rice was given a ceiling of Php45 per kilo. During the meeting between DSWD and DTI, it was agreed upon that rice retailers located in wet markets, public markets, and other areas accessible to the general public (excluding supermarkets and convenience stores) shall be entitled to the SLP cash assistance amounting to P15,000. Even sari-sari stores located outside of wet markets and public markets are now eligible for a P5,000 SLP subsidy, according to the DSWD chief. “Unlicensed rice retailers and sari-sari store owners selling rice are also included in the SLP payout which is in line with the President’s directive that the list of beneficiaries should be inclusive,” Gatchalian pointed out. The amount of P15,000 has been calculated as the maximum amount allowed to compensate rice retailers classified as a micro-enterprise (based on Republic Act No. 9501 or Magna Carta for MSMEs) for losses incurred for at least seven days from the effectivity of EO 39. Based on the DTI guidelines, a copy of which was furnished to the DSWD, a subsidy in the amount of P15,000 will be released by single payment under the following conditions: Retailers with a license issued by the Business Permits and Licensing Office and are engaged in the actual sale or offering for sale of RMR and WMR rice within the price ceiling at the time of surveillance or monitoring activity; Retailers who are registered under the DTI as sole proprietors and retailers who are registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission as partnerships and corporations and are engaged in the actual sale or offering for sale of RMR and WMR rice within the price ceiling at the time of surveillance or monitoring activity; Unlicensed retailers engaged in the actual sale or offering for sale of RMR and WMR rice within price ceiling, as validated by the concerned DTI office at the time of surveillance or monitoring activity; and Unlicensed retailers as validated by the Market Masters and/or verified by the relevant DTI Office after the presentation of proof of actual selling of RMR and WMR rice within the price ceiling at the time of the effectivity of EO 39. According to the DTI guidelines, “ any rice retailer who meets the above criteria but is found to have violated EO 39 during the surveillance or monitoring activity by the concerned DTI office must submit additional proof of actual sale of RMR and WMR rice within the mandated price ceiling for a period of 7 days from the date of commission of the violation.” For rice retailers located in the National Capital Region, the DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau shall be the lead DTI office in preparing the list of qualified recipients based on the listed eligibility criteria. For rice retailers located outside of the NCR, the DTI Regional Operations Group shall be the lead DTI office in preparing the list of qualified recipients based on the listed eligibility criteria. Sari-Sari stores located outside of wet markets and public markets are eligible for a P5,000 SLP subsidy to be released in single payment under the following conditions: Sari-Sari stores with a license issued by the Business Permits and Licensing Office and/or are registered with DTI as sole proprietors, and are engaged in the actual sale or offering for sale RMR and WMR rice within price ceiling at the time of surveillance or monitoring activity; and Unlicensed sari-store stores engaged in the actual sale or offering for sale RMR and WMR rice within the price ceiling at the time of surveillance or monitoring activity of the concerned DTI office. “Any sari-sari store that meets the above criteria but is found to have violated EO 39 during the surveillance or monitoring activity by the concerned DTI office shall be required to submit additional proof of the actual sale of RMR and WMR rice within the mandated price ceiling for a period of 3 days from the date of commission of the violation,” the DTI guideline said. The amount of P5,000 has been calculated as the maximum amount allowed to compensate sari-sari stores for losses incurred for at least seven days from the effectivity of EO 39. The DTI Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development shall be the lead DTI office in preparing the list of qualified sari-sari store recipients based on the listed eligibility criteria. The post PBBM wants list of rice retailers inclusive for SLP cash aid – DSWD chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Smooth transition between Makati, Taguig urged
A teachers’ group is calling for a smooth transition between the cities of Makati and Taguig to ensure that classes in the affected public schools will not be disrupted by the territorial tension with only a week to go before the opening of classes on 29 August. Teachers’ Dignity Coalition national chairperson Benjo Basas said the two cities should respect the Supreme Court decision, noting that the delivery of education for the learners should not be compromised amid the ongoing tension over a boundary dispute between these two neighboring cities. Noel Meneses, president of the Fort Bonifacio High School Faculty Club, has also called for an immediate resolution on the issue. “We hope the two cities would make an agreement to restore the normal school operations,” Meneses said. According to Meneses, majority of the teachers were affected by the sudden transfer of schools division particularly when the documents are immediately needed for transactions like certifications, assignment orders, permits, or loan applications that are very much needed in time for the beginning of classes. Meneses, who is also speaking on behalf of the local chapter of the TDC, said teachers need to be informed of the situation affecting the two cities because “they are at the frontlines in education, and directly involved with learners, their parents, and the community, and can help the DepEd to disseminate proper information.” Meanwhile, the school principals of the public schools located at the so-called enlisted men’s barrios said they have no problem if the schools are now under the jurisdiction of the local government of Taguig City. Makati Science High School Principal Dr. Felix Bunagan said that the conduct of this year’s “Brigada Eskwela” was a success, which was participated in by Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano. Earlier, students and teachers of the Tigaban High School in East Rembo warmly welcomed Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano who actively engaged in the annual Brigada Eskwela activity. Earlier, West Rembo Elementary School principal Alma Cayabyab Adona said that while the two cities have good intentions, they should focus first on the welfare of the learners to establish a smooth opening of classes. She also reminded her fellow teachers to remain non-partisan and always do the mandate from the Department of Education. “We have no bias as long as the order must come from DepEd. That’s what we’ll stand for. We are not held by anyone,” she said. A total of 14 public schools involving some 1,500 teachers and 30,000 learners are affected by the transition, the TDC said. Basas said that the Department of Education’s central office’s assumption of authority over the affected schools would ease tension and open the door for more friendly talks between the two local government units. “With just a week to the opening of classes, our schools will need to make preparations, and in order to do this, teachers and other school personnel should be allowed to work, business as usual. We hope that things will get better sooner,” Basas said. The post Smooth transition between Makati, Taguig urged appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Over 10K cops deployed for Kadayawan security
DAVAO CITY — More than 10,000 personnel from the security cluster will secure this year’s Kadayawan Festival celebration, particularly the “Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan” activity on 19 August. Davao City Police Office head PCol. Alberto Lupaz said Thursday that security detail on the day of the activity will be composed of uniformed personnel from the DCPO with augmentation from the Philippine National Police, the Task Force Davao with supplementary forces from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Davao City Public Safety and Security Office’s Civil Security Unit, as well as force multipliers from the local government. Indak-Indak is one of the highlights of the Kadayawan Festival and is expected to draw in the greatest number of spectators. “The city’s security cluster had already conducted a series of coordinating conferences to ensure a smooth and orderly implementation of the security plan for Indak-Indak. In this year’s Kadayawan, this will start at 2 p.m. so we are expecting activities in Davao City’s main thoroughfare to last until night time,” said Lupaz. He added that the DCPO has raised its level of alertness by doubling security assets such as its K9 Unit to improve monitoring capabilities in the evening and all security personnel will be bringing flashlights to observe and patrol better at night. “The usual guidelines still apply to those who want to join the activities. Backpacks, non-transparent water containers, and laser lights will not be allowed within the vicinity of the event venue,” Lupaz said, adding that people may still wear jackets but will have to remove them upon inspection. The post Over 10K cops deployed for Kadayawan security appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GERI profits nearly P1B in H1 amid real estate boom
Buoyed by the robust performance of its real estate, rental, and hotel businesses, Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. or GERI, a subsidiary of Megaworld Corp., delivered a 17 percent growth in its first-half profits. In a stock exchange report on Tuesday, GERI disclosed that its net income during the first six months of the year reached P996 million—a significant improvement from last year’s P848 million. Likewise, net income attributable to owners during the period also increased by 13 percent to PP848-million from last year’s P748-million. Consolidated revenues, on the other hand, surged by 32 percent to P3.9 billion from P3 billion in the same period last year. According to GERI, its real estate arm, which accounted for 79 percent of its total revenues, led the entire company’s growth. From January to June, real estate sales climbed by 32 percent to P3.1 billion from last year’s P2.3 billion. Reservation sales also soared by 39 percent to P11.7 billion during the first half of the year. “Our focus on our tourism townships allowed our company to achieve remarkable growth through the first half of the year,” GERI president Monica T. Salomon said in the report. “The company’s core businesses, especially those in our destination estates, largely benefited from the increasing tourism in our country. This second half, we are determined to leverage our expertise and hope to continue capturing the increasing tourism opportunities in the sector.” Demand for GERI’s residential and commercial properties remained strong, particularly for its projects in Boracay Newcoast, Eastland Heights in Antipolo, Rizal, and Twin Lakes in Laurel, Batangas. Its newest project, the P817-million Ocean Garden Villas Cluster C in Boracay Newcoast, which was only launched earlier this year, is now 94 percent sold as of end-June. Hotel revenues, on the other hand, doubled to P308 million from last year’s P158 million due to higher occupancy and room rates as local tourism and travel recover. Leasing revenues, likewise, rose by 29 percent to P273 million from last year’s P211- million. The contribution of retail spaces to the company’s leasing income grew from the year-ago level as foot traffic and tenant sales already recovered from the slowdown. To date, GERI operates nine tourism estates and integrated lifestyle communities across the country covering more than 3,300 hectares of land. The post GERI profits nearly P1B in H1 amid real estate boom appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Operation Greyhound’ yields over P1M
TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology disclosed on Sunday that its “Operation Greyhound” has yielded large amounts of cash and other prohibited items after an inspection at the Tacloban City jail male dormitory. The BJMP said that it will conduct a swift and thorough investigation regarding the incident. Tacloban City jail warden Jail Chief Inspector Gusser Gadong Sr. revealed that a total of P1,378,160 were found among the belongings of persons deprived of liberty, prompting the jail officials to conduct a more thorough investigation on how the money was brought in and if there are other transactions associated with the money. The operation was conducted last 29 July 2023. Gadong, however, quickly pointed out that there were no drugs found during the conduct of the operation and clarified that what was found were items that are not allowed to be possessed by PDL. Other than money, found in the possession of the PDL were communication devices such as 17 android phones, 10 keypad cell phones, one pocket wifi, one tablet, as well as other banned items. Gadong said the operation was conducted following a letter request from BJMP asking the TCPO led by City Director Police Colonel Michael Palermo to assist them. He added that an investigation will be conducted following the due process. “Operation Greyhound” is considered an essential operational activity of BJMP to maintain peace and order inside the facilities and for the safety of PDL. During the conduct of the operation, the inmates are instructed to stay out of their prison cells and group themselves at the open space within the jail facility as the inspection of the jail cells was conducted. The inspectors would then check the beddings, lockers and personal belongings of PDL for questionable items such as communication devices, money, drugs and bladed and pointed weapons. The post ‘Operation Greyhound’ yields over P1M appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A Moro’s wish for PBBM’s 2nd SoNA
The day after tomorrow being the 4th Monday of July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will face the nation before a joint Congress assembly for his State of the Nation Address. He will be performing the constitutionally mandated ritual of informing the Filipinos about the country’s political, financial and social condition, and about his future plans. This being his 2nd SoNA, he will likewise submit his accomplishment report card for last year which will be subjected to a surgeon’s scalpel-like scrutiny by gadflies. The politically-oriented public will be all ears to what the President will report. Heavy issues like the environment, the West Philippine Sea, and similar concerns with a global impact will be tackled. But in the Muslim Autonomous Region, Moros wish that something will be said about issues close to their hearts. Hereunder is the bucket list of issues that they hope would be addressed. Foremost of these issues which occupy the minds of Maranaw Muslims is the fate of the compensation promised by the government for victims of the 2017 Marawi siege. While there is a law that mandates its payment, it does not provide funding or the source of funding to implement the law. The burden is shifted to the Office of the President for financing. A yearly appropriation can create problems. A one-time budget appropriation similar to a block grant is ideal. Yes, an amount of P1 billion (a crumb vis-a-vis the huge damage to be compensated) was initially budgeted but it was mainly for the administrative expenditures of the Marawi Compensation Board. The processing of the claims by the MCB is in full swing and pretty soon, hopefully, they will start the process of payment. This presents a huge problem for the Board if the total budget is not predetermined. How will they distribute the money? What will happen if the government fails to appropriate a budget in the coming years (the law says five years) and some legal claimants remain unpaid? What payment mechanism will the MCB adopt? Will it wait for the completion of the processing and pay the victims pro rata based on its evaluation? Will it be on a “first come-first served basis” — the reason there is now a mad scramble by claimants to have their claims processed first? Again, this all depends upon a commitment to provide a one-time budget for the claims. Then it will save the claimants the anxiety and worry of their claims being unpaid. Corollary to this is perhaps a word from the President about Task Force Bangon Marawi. It seems the rehabilitation has reached a dead-end. Nothing is heard about the completion of the city’s rehab, and residents don’t see any ground activity on the projects yet to be finished. Admittedly, the public infrastructure projects promised by the past administration are almost complete, but the national government has an ear-splitting silence about finishing them. In fact, people have the impression the Task Force has folded its tent and become functus officio. A word or two about this will assuage the project’s completion uncertainty. Moros will likewise welcome a word from the President about the speeding up or completion of the decommissioning of the rebels so that they could be integrated into the armed or police forces to legalize the carrying of their firearms in public. Right now, Moros are bewildered about the existence of two armed forces in their area, one from the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the other, the regular defense and peace-keeping forces of the country. As we had warned before, this could be a potential flashpoint that could ignite an armed confrontation at any time. With the barangay and youth elections fast approaching, this could lead to a situation where one group, which has a registered political party, the Bangsamoro Justice Party, will be in an advantageous position with its armed militia allowed to carry their firearms during the campaign and on election day. This column empathizes with the Bangsamoro Governor Caucus which earlier raised this alarm. Will this wish merit attention from the speech writers of Malacañang? Or are the Moros shooting for the stars? As a caveat to my fellow Moros, there is a great chance these issues will not be mentioned as in past SoNAs. Prepare your minds for this possibility. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post A Moro’s wish for PBBM’s 2nd SoNA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Musk threatens to sue Meta over Threads
Elon Musk’s Twitter is threatening to take Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to court over its new rival social media app, Threads. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, accused Meta of using “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property” to build Threads. Spiro also suggested that Meta had been “crawling and scraping” Twitter data on users and followers by reminding the company such activity is “expressly prohibited.” A spokesman for Meta denied the allegations, saying that no former Twitter employees are working on Threads and that the app is not powered by Instagram. Twitter representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The letter comes amid growing tension between Musk and Zuckerberg. The two men have been trading barbs on social media, and Zuckerberg has even taken shots at Twitter and Musk in public. It remains to be seen whether Twitter will actually sue Meta. However, the letter is a sign of the increasing legal battles between the two tech giants. Threads is a new social media app from Meta that is designed for close friends and family. The app allows users to share photos, videos, and text messages with a select group of people. Twitter is concerned that Threads may be a copycat of its own app, Fleets. Fleets was a short-lived feature on Twitter that allowed users to share ephemeral posts that disappeared after 24 hours. In the letter to Zuckerberg, Spiro accused Meta of using “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property” to build Threads. Spiro also suggested that Meta had been “crawling and scraping” Twitter data on users and followers by reminding the company such activity is “expressly prohibited.” A spokesman for Meta denied the allegations, saying that no former Twitter employees are working on Threads and that the app is not powered by Instagram. The post Musk threatens to sue Meta over Threads appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl Navy, Air Force & US Marine to kick off support activity on 6 July
The Philippine Marines Corps is set to hold a marine aviation support activity, scheduled beginning 6 July until 21 July, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the country’s naval infantry force. Captain Jarald Rea, director of the Marine Corps Public Affairs Office, said the combined interoperability exercises and training, to be held across Luzon, will be joined by Marines troops, personnel from the Naval Air Wing of the Philippine Navy, and Philippine Air Force along with the staff from the United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific. The San Antonio local government in Zambales will host the two bilateral trainings including Helicopter Rope Suspension Training and Maritime Strike. The maritime strike involves the conduct of live fire maneuvers wherein the combined forces will have to sink a decommissioned PN vessel and this will take place approximately 10 to 12 nautical miles west of the Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqi Beach on 13 July. “A semi-annual activity of the Philippine and US military, MASA 2023 hopes to further improve interoperability, allowing both forces to operate seamlessly and effectively in joint operations,” Rea said. During the training, Rea fisherfolk of the abovementioned municipalities will not be allowed to go fishing considering safety reasons. The Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps, in coordination with the Provincial Government of Zambales and with assistance from the private sector, will have a joint civil-military program within coastal communities that will be affected by the exercises. This assures that fisherfolk in the affected areas will get sufficient assistance throughout the implementation of the exercises. This year’s MASA is focused on the aligned procedures, tactics, and communications among marines, navy, and air forces. It targets to enhance combined capabilities and readiness, leading to a more synchronized response to the evolving security challenges. The Philippine Marine Corps has been conducting amphibious, expeditionary, and special operations missions for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The post Phl Navy, Air Force & US Marine to kick off support activity on 6 July appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Mystery’ plane unlinked to Afghan issue — DFA
The Department of Foreign Affairs has dispelled speculations a US Air Force plane that landed in Manila without an advisory had something to do with Washington’s request to temporarily house Afghans in the country. DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza confirmed, however, that a diplomatic clearance was issued to an inbound American military aircraft. “We understand that a diplomatic clearance was issued to an aircraft of this type in relation to a bilateral defense cooperation activity,” Daza said. “It is not related to the request for temporary housing of Afghan SIV applicants, which is still under discussion,” she added. Daza issued the statement in response to a vlogger’s post that purportedly showed a US Air Force C-17 plane at an undisclosed airport in the Philippines. To recall, Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, led an investigation into a US request for Afghans to be allowed to stay temporarily in the country while Washington processes their special immigration visas to the US — not as refugees but as former US government employees during America’s occupation of their country. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez had said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may decide to grant the US request to allow the temporary housing of Afghans in the country next month. Romualdez noted that if the request was granted, not all the Afghans applying for SIV status would be transported to the country at once, saying they may arrive in batches of 1,000 to 1,500. The post ‘Mystery’ plane unlinked to Afghan issue — DFA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Love blooms at Munti in June
The Bureau of Corrections has granted 355 people incarcerated at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City permission to visit their loved ones at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. In a statement, the bureau disclosed the visitations happened from 12 to 16 June that gave the PDLs an opportunity of a lifetime to meet their family, friends and loved ones, especially in this year’s celebration of Independence Day.” BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said they continue to prioritize the importance of well-being and provide ways to improve the living conditions of detainees. The CIW PDLs were allowed to meet their loved ones at the Bilibid’s Social Hall during the five-day activity. Present during the activity was Catapang and Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Angelina L. Bautista, the concurrent Bilibid superintendent. Also present were BuCor Legal Service Chief Al Perreras and Camp Commander C/SInsp. Purificacion Hari. The bureau on the last day of the event said that PDLs of the Bilibid’s Reception Diagnostic Center received visitors from the CIW. The post Love blooms at Munti in June appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Postpone BARMM barangay, SK polls
A call for action if sounded once may not gain traction. It could be the offshoot of a single event. But it deserves a second look when it is played up at various times during significant occasions. It could perhaps be a forewarning of future adversity if not addressed properly and timely. We see this premonition in the Muslim Autonomous Region. Having said that, the situation in the Bangsamoro Region is sui generis. It is dissimilar to other regions in the country. The autonomy it is presently enjoying came at a very high price — the lives of martyred mujahideen and the tears of mothers and loved ones. Under these circumstances, it deserves no less than special attention from the national policymakers. Thus, when its leaders take a stand over a certain issue it should be taken seriously, or else government might regret ignoring it. The postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the region has been the subject of serious discussion by leaders of BARMM in various fora. It’s at the top of their agenda and discussion has been belabored continuously. In fact, they launched a wide media campaign to get the attention of the national policymakers and the Commission on Elections. Foremost among the reasons advanced is the serious security problem in the area which might jeopardize any electoral exercise and result in failure to exact the people’s true will. It might even lead to election-related armed confrontations. In the meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Maimbung, Sulu over the weekend, it was reported that the governors of BARMM had renewed their call for the postponement of the October election. In a position paper, they demanded the deferment “until after the former combatants of the MILF had fully given up their firearms under the peace accord decommissioning process.” What spawned the request is the peculiar situation in BARMM. While in other areas in the country, anyone who is not a member of the defense or security forces of government who displays a firearm faces arrest, we see MILF militia flaunting their arms before the public with impunity. They invoke the decommissioning agreement between the government and the MILF to justify their actions. The decommissioning process is part of the normalization mechanism agreed on by both the MILF and government peace panels. It was reported that around 30,000 to 40,000 MILF fighters need to be disarmed, but so far only about 19,000 combatants and some 2,000 firearms have been decommissioned. In the meantime, the MILF has revved up on full throttle their political party, the Bangsamoro Justice Party, which, according to their political lieutenants, will participate in the forthcoming election even if the barangay election is theoretically a nonpartisan activity. Reports have it they will either field their own candidates or support candidates who will lead the cadre of campaigners for the bigger and more important 2025 national and regional elections. They will test the ground to see how they will fare in the 2025 elections. As we have said in past columns, under the present circumstances, an election cannot be conducted on a level playing field if one party is allowed to publicly display their firearms while other partisans would face sanctions if they bore arms during the election period. With the barangay election only about four months away, there is no way to fully implement the decommissioning process. It’s a tedious procedure that needs ample space and time. To complicate the situation, last Wednesday the residents of Marawi City woke up to a heavy firefight between government troops and rebels during which a top ISIS local commander was killed. This incident followed a series of skirmishes involving the same group in the town of Marogong, Lanao del Sur. Sleeper terrorist cells are teeming, safely ensconced in the hinterlands. On the same day, a police car was ambushed by armed elements in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, killing two policemen. An air of uncertainty is sweeping Morolandia brought about by the series of skirmishes. Are these enough reasons to postpone the election in the BARMM? We say yes. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Postpone BARMM barangay, SK polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Major Mayon eruption unlikely
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday warned that the minor eruptions of Mayon Volcano are inevitable amid its increased unrest, but major eruption remains “unlikely.” In a television interview, Phivolcs-Bicol resident volcanologist, Dr. Paul Alanis, noted that sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions are expected over the Mayon Volcano given its current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes. “Right now, the scenario of a major eruption is quite remote… But of course, there is still a possibility of small eruptions,” he said. Mayon Volcano is currently emitting moderate plumes at 200 meters tall drifting to the west-southwest slowly curving to the north. Alanis said ashfall events may affect the west and north of the Albay province, including municipalities of Camalig Giunobatan, Ligao and Oas. Residents are advised to cover their nose and mouth with a damp, clean cloth or dust mask should ashfall events occur within their communities. “So far we are looking at two possible scenarios with the ongoing activity in Mayon,” he said, citing the 2014 Mayon eruption that posed a “quiet explosion” with rockfall and minor lava flow of the Mayon and the major eruption with small bursts and a major lava flow-like in 2018. Alanis said the pressure in the volcano remained in the peak part, while there is a weak pressure on the lower slopes. At least 74 rockfall events have been recorded in the Mayon volcano. The latest Phivolcs bulletin showed that the volcano edifice is inflated, but no crater glow has been observed. Phivolcs warned anew that entering within the six-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone is not allowed as explosions, rockfall, and landslides are expected with the Mayon’s ongoing unrest. Also, flying any aircraft close to the volcano’s summit is prohibited as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. The post Major Mayon eruption unlikely appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Deezer to detect AI-generated music clones
Music streaming app Deezer said Tuesday it was launching a tool to detect and tag songs with AI-generated vocal clones in a bid to protect the revenues of the real artists. Artificial Intelligence tools have recently allowed people to recreate the sound of famous artist vocals, from The Beatles to Oasis. "Heart on a Sleeve", a track featuring AI-generated copycats of Drake and The Weeknd, racked up millions of hits on TikTok and other platforms. Music companies fear this could eat into future earnings since there is currently no way to copyright the sound of someone's voice. But Deezer said it plans to identify AI-generated music, focusing initially on those which recreate the voices of existing artists. The French company said it aimed to create a system to tag these tunes in the app, which can alert artists, labels and users to this "fraudulent activity". "Our goal is to weed out illegal and fraudulent content, increase transparency, and develop a new remuneration system where professional artists are rewarded for creating valuable content," said Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira in a statement. He said more than 100,000 new tracks are uploaded to Deezer's site daily, making it increasingly important to distinguish between human- and machine-generated music. "AI can be used to create new incredible content and I believe there are massive benefits of using generative AI," he added. "But we need to ensure it’s done in a responsible way." The post Deezer to detect AI-generated music clones appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Expensive errand boy
When confronted in a recent forum about the misdeals in his term primarily the Joint Maritime Seismic Undertaking among three oil companies of West Philippine Sea claimants, former Philippine National Oil Co. president Eduardo Mañalac reasoned that he was just taking orders from the top. In his potshots against the landmark Malampaya deal, who is he now taking orders from? Mañalac came out of the woodwork in an obvious well-funded attempt to torpedo the extension of Service Contract 38 that will allow 15 years more for the Malampaya consortium to operate and explore the natural gas field, which has so far generated at least $10 billion in government revenue. Due to the priorities of its parent company, the former operator, Shell Philippines Exploration, did not infuse money in the search for new wells since 2017. The tripartite Joint Maritime Seismic Understanding or JSMU which Mañalac brokered and packaged would have allowed state-owned oil company China National Offshore Oil Corp. and government-operated PetroVietnam to survey for oil or gas deposits on a 142,886 square kilometer area in the West Philippine Sea inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. During a forum on the West Philippine Sea dispute, Mañalac’s excuse for spearheading the deal that the Supreme Court found unconstitutional in a recent ruling was that it was part of the “government’s effort to acquire or reach energy independence for the people.” JMSU, he said, came at a time of “high dependence on imported petroleum and rising oil prices in 2004.” It was, he said, part of an “ambitious” five-point plan to reach energy independence. In short, Mañalac wanted the people to believe that he was merely following instructions. “It is not my idea. It is the idea of the government as part of its energy independence strategy,” he said. Since he is used to taking orders, the former PNOC chief must be making his move as part of a demolition campaign which should be a reprisal of his role in the previous regime when he was instrumental in the PNOC-Exploration Corp.’s withholding of its consent on the sale of the Spex shares. As a 10 percent partner in the consortium, the approvals of PNOC-EC were necessary for any sell-out of the partners in the energy project. The illegal JMSU has Mañalac as a signatory for the Philippines which makes him liable for the unconstitutional deal. JMSU, the former energy official insisted, did not allow exploration but “data gathering.” The deal isn’t a treaty but simply a “commercial and operative agreement between three national oil companies to jointly acquire seismic data.” Still, the SC did not share the appreciation of Mañalac on the deal. The Tribunal voted 12-2-1 in voiding the agreement. The SC debunked the argument of Mañalac as it ruled that the JSMU is unconstitutional for allowing wholly-owned foreign corporations to participate in the exploration of the country’s natural resources without observing the safeguards provided in Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution. The term “exploration” pertains to a search or discovery of something in both its ordinary or technical sense and the JMSU involves the exploration of the country’s natural resources, particularly petroleum, according to the ruling. “That the Parties designated the joint research as a ‘pre-exploration activity’ is of no moment,” the Court added. A Constitution offender’s motive would hardly be in line with the interest of the public such as in Mañalac’s case. The post Expensive errand boy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Globe Group, Aklan LGU push for responsible tourism in Boracay
Globe recently partnered with the local government of Malay, Aklan in its move to encourage sustainable tourism with the return of Love Boracay (formerly known as LaBoracay) held on 28 April to 1 May 2023. Globe has been supportive of Boracay’s environmental conservation efforts by conducting offshore clean-up drives, coral reef rehabilitation, community support for prevention of untreated effluents from entering the sea and raising awareness among the youth and the community on how they can contribute to environmental conservation. "Globe fully supports the local government of Malay, Aklan in its efforts to advance responsible tourism in Boracay. At this year’s Love Boracay, we carried out activities to encourage customers to adopt sustainable practices. We hope that this event raises awareness for responsible tourism throughout our country," said Pia Gonzalez-Colby, Globe chief marketing officer. To encourage Boracay visitors to “Go Lang Nang Go” and discover how they can responsibly enjoy the island’s beauty, Globe held various activities at the Globe Eco Station located at the picturesque beachfront of Boracay’s Station one. Plastics for a prize. Tourists got the chance to spin and win prizes by turning over single-use plastic bottles, plastic cups, cans or plastic bags and presenting their GlobeOne app and proof of SIM card registration. They also got a shot at the prize by donating at least P10 to the Save Philippine Seas group via the GlobeOne app or GCash. GForest signup. A GCash booth allowed customers to sign up to GForest, where actual trees are planted through points collected via activities such as walks tracked on health apps or transactions within the e-wallet, from bills payment and bank transfers to buying load. Globe At Home cash giveaway. Globe At Home gave away P5,000 in GCash credits to customers who took a photo at the Globe At Home photo wall and shared it on social media. The photo with the most likes and shares got the prize. Customers also received P50 GCash credits for turning over plastic bottles at the Globe At Home booth. Globe and KonsultaMD essentials. Globe also had booths at D’Mall and Lake Town where customers got the chance to win beach kit essentials by downloading the GlobeOne app, registering their SIM or registering to Go+99 via GCash. KonsultaMD also offered medicine vouchers, vitamin packs and other freebies to those who registered and downloaded the app. At the GCash booth, customers also got a kit with beach essentials for every proof of payment with GCash at partner establishments. For sports fans, the Globe Boracay Sportsfest proved to be a treat. The event held tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball and soccer competitions at the Station 1 beachfront from Estacio Uno to Ambassador on 29-30 April. The awarding ceremony was held at the sunset session featuring a local DJ, with Globe and GCash providing cash prizes for the games. Globe also brought top DJs and bands at the Globe Love Boracay Musicfest in Lake Town. [caption id="attachment_135104" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Globe held various activities at the Globe Eco Station located at the picturesque beachfront of Boracay’s Station 1.[/caption] “GCash has been powering the Globe Group's goal of promoting a digital ecosystem in the country. For example in Boracay, you can now pay for your e-trike rides, food trip, activities and other local shopping via the GCash app. This is our way of not only promoting local tourism but also making sure that businesses in Boracay benefit from the growing digital economy," said Neil Trinidad, GCash Chief Marketing Officer. To learn more about Globe’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability. The post Globe Group, Aklan LGU push for responsible tourism in Boracay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Power transmission strife probe sought
A lawmaker on Monday is seeking an investigation into the country’s series of power interruptions and electrical disturbances for the past weeks, insisting that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines should be held liable. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian — who is also the vice-chairperson of the committee on Energy — filed Resolution 607 calling for a Senate inquiry into the series of disturbances in the country’s power transmission system “in the hope of ensuring a reliable and continuous electricity supply.” “These successive transmission system disturbances caused inconvenience to communities and losses to businesses,” said Gatchalian. “The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines as the operator of the transmission system in the country should be held to account for the root cause of these disturbances.” The senator made the call after the NGCP placed the Luzon grid under red and yellow alerts after reporting the power plant outages due to the tripping of the Bolo-Masinloc 230kV Line 2 on 8 May. He also cited that it led to the tripping of 2 units of the Masinloc Coal Power Plant which, in turn, caused a power loss of 659 megawatts in the Luzon grid. “Such disturbances brought power interruptions in the franchise areas of various distribution facilities across Luzon island,” said the senator, adding that in the Meralco franchise, in particular, more than 300,000 customers in Paco and Sta. Mesa in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Batangas, Antipolo in Rizal, San Pedro and Biñan in Laguna, and San Rafael and Pulilan in Bulacan were affected by the tripping activity. To recall, Meralco on 9 May reported power supply cuts due to a temporary system imbalance caused by a sudden plant outage, saying that the power supply disruption was caused by an automatic load dropping of approximately 290 MW as a result of the tripping of the Duhat-Hermosa 290kV line. On 27 April, the NGCP reported a system disturbance in the Visayas, causing a loss of 322.3 MW and power interruptions that persisted until 30 April. More than 1.5 million households were affected by the power interruptions in the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros. The power outages last up to 12 hours. Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito is seeking to review the NGCP’s franchise and assessment of its performance after receiving reports that foreign shareholders have more control of the company. “Utilities that are concerned with national security should remain with the national government, controlled by the Philippines,” Ejercito said. As this developed, more senators on Monday expressed their openness to the call to review the Congressional franchise given to the NGCP due to the recent power outages in several parts of the country. Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that her panel is open to the review of the congressional franchise of the NGCP “as it concerns a critical need of Filipinos.” “The recurring power outages being experienced by millions of households amid the scorching months should not be the norm,” Poe said. “We must also exercise vigilance when it comes to our power lines, to ensure that electricity running from Luzon to Mindanao remains under the control of Filipinos amid security concerns raised by senators.” Senator Risa Hontiveros echoed the same sentiment, saying there is nothing wrong with the Upper Chamber if it would review the franchise of the privately-owned corporation. “Even during the previous Congress, we have started, in a way, the review of at least some provisions in the franchise because the government is not only one that has an obligation in this contract but the corporation itself,” Hontiveros said. In other developments, the Energy Regulatory Commission is already doing its part by auditing the NGCP on the completion of the transmission projects as part of the ongoing rate reset process of the grid operator, ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta told Daily Tribune. Dimalanta’s remark came in response to Albay Rep. Joey Salceda’s call to ERC to use its powers under Republic Act 9511 or the NGCP franchise to mandate performance improvements in the transmission company following blackouts caused by delays and damage to the company’s transmission lines. “If you recall, NGCP’s allowable revenues are set on a 5-year cycle supposedly, but the last one happened back in 2010, which set NGCP’s allowed revenues and corresponding rates for 2011-2015,” Dimalanta said. She added that the power regulator is already “conducting the review and reset now for the past years (2016-2022) and in parallel the process to set their revenues based on forecasted expenses for 2023-2027.” Salceda tapped the ERC to conduct a performance audit on the NGCP after its supposed deadline for its major three major projects -- the Cebu-Negros-Panay connection and the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection -- that was due by August this year. With Edjen Oliquino The post Power transmission strife probe sought appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Implementing the amendments to the Public Service Act (3)
Critical infrastructure In the previous article, I discussed the authority granted to the President to reclassify, and the mandate to Administrative Agencies to monitor the performance of, a public service to ensure the quality of services provided to the public. As a safeguard to national interest, Republic Act 11659 (the Amendment) imposes foreign equity restrictions on public services which are deemed vital or critical to the country’s national security. The Amendment imposes a 50 percent foreign equity restriction on “critical infrastructure”. This is defined as “any public service which owns, uses, or operates systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the Republic of the Philippines that the incapacity or destruction of such systems or assets would have a detrimental impact on national security, including telecommunications and other such vital services as may be declared by the President of the Philippines.” Unlike a public utility, the Amendment allows full foreign ownership of critical infrastructure if the country of the foreign investor accords reciprocity to Philippine nationals. The Amendment further provides that such reciprocity may be satisfied according to rights of similar value in other economic sectors. The Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Amendment or PSA IRR clarifies this reciprocity requirement. Section 45(b) of the PSA IRR provides that the reciprocity requirement is deemed satisfied if: Philippine nationals are allowed to own more than 50 percent of capital stock in any activity related to agriculture, industry, and services in the home countr of the foreign national; or If the home country of the foreign national allows Philippine nationals to invest the same value of capital in any economic activity related to agriculture, industry, and services. The documentary evidence to support reciprocity may include the following: A copy of the official publication of the law and/or other government issuances granting rights and privileges to Philippine nationals attested to by the foreign government officer having legal custody of the record, or his deputy; or Relevant documents granting rights and privileges to Philippine nationals to invest in the country of the foreign investor and certified in accordance with the Apostille Convention or consularised by the Philippine embassy having jurisdiction in the home country of the foreign investor. The PSA IRR further clarifies that the reciprocity requirement applies to investments made after a public service has been declared critical infrastructure. Currently, only the telecommunication service sector is classified as critical infrastructure. The President is authorized, by issuing an executive order, to declare other public services as critical infrastructure. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA may also recommend to the President, motu proprio, or upon request of the relevant Administrative Agency, the classification of public service as critical infrastructure. In the course of its review to determine its recommendation, the PSA IRR requires NEDA to consider whether the operation of such systems or assets is so vital to the country that the incapacity or destruction of such would (a) impair the country’s ability to secure the territorial integrity; or (b) adversely affect the safety, security, and well-being of the public. NEDA is also required to consult with the relevant stakeholders, and agencies in the national security sector, as part of its review process. The Amendment also imposes other restrictions on foreign investments in other public service sectors, whether classified as a critical investment or otherwise, in the interest of national security. The national security review will be discussed in the next article of this series. For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Implementing the amendments to the Public Service Act (3) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pandemic task force allows point-to-point air travel for leisure from ‘NCR Plus’
The government’s pandemic task force has allowed point-to-point air travel from the so-called “NCR Plus” area for leisure purposes in a bid to revive economic activity in tourist destinations that took a major blow due to the pandemic......»»
NCR Plus messaging unclear as PNP says tourism allowed, Palace says stay at home
"The only thing prohibited is for example leaving our bubble...If you are in Manila and you go to Boracay, that will be a problem for us. But within the bubble, we won't be restricting the travel of our kababayan," he said in a mix of Filipino and English. .....»»
Alice & Jacqueline Eduardo: Two for the road
For the country’s “Woman of Steel,” there is no “ceasefire” from building. As soon as safety protocols allowed construction activity in the country to resume, she was out amid the cranes and the backhoes again, whether in the Entertainment City that she built almost entirely, or the new 60-hectare township she is building along C-6 in Taguig City......»»