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Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at supply boats
Manila [Philippines], March 23 (ANI): The Philippines has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannons at one of its supply boats in South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that BRP Cabra managed to manoeuvre and reach Unaizah May 4 to provide assistance to the Philippine supply boat, which had sustained "significant damage."According to the Philippine military, the confrontati.....»»
Philippines lodges strong protest with China over water cannon attack in disputed South China Sea
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): In the wake of accusation by the Philippines that the Chinese Coast Guard wounded three of its soldiers during a water cannon attack in the disputed South China Sea, Manila on Monday summoned Beijing's envoy to lodge its strong protest, Al Jazeera reported. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement said that Manila conveyed its "strong protest against the aggressiv.....»»
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at supply boats
Manila [Philippines], March 23 (ANI): The Philippines has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannons at one of its supply boats in South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that BRP Cabra managed to manoeuvre and reach Unaizah May 4 to provide assistance to the Philippine supply boat, which had sustained "significant damage."According to the Philippine military, the confrontati.....»»
Pinoy Aquaman sets new record in successful 10k open water swim in Capiz
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Pinoy Aquaman” Ingemar Macarine never ceases to amaze after setting a new personal record for conquering the 10-kilometer open water swim in the Capiz Sea on Sunday, March 17, 2024. The 47-year-old Macarine bested his previous 10k open water swim in Masbate last year. From four hours and 22 minutes in.....»»
Bahay is NBTC’s back-to-back No. 1 HS cager
TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Cebuano star point guard Jared Bahay never ceases to amaze, as the National Basketball Training Camp (NBTC) recently named him the back-to-back No. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the Philippines. This announcement was made by the NBTC through its social media page, alongside the list of the top 25.....»»
The Daily Guardian: CDC Ceases Printing Covid-19 Vaccination Cards
Title: White Covid-19 Vaccination Cards Phased Out in U.S. as Federal Distribution Ends Subtitle: Authorities shift to alternative methods of preserving immunization records (Word count:.....»»
Decree dissolves Nagorno-Karabakh statelet by January
The separatist republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan will cease to exist by 1 January as more than 65,000 people from the Armenian enclave have fled. The separatist leader of Nagorno-Karabakh ordered on Thursday the dissolution of all state institutions by the end of the year, saying the separatist statelet “ceases to exist” from 1 January 2024. An Azerbaijani court then placed Ruben Vardanyan in pre-trial detention after charging him with financing terrorism and other crimes. A Baku court ruled that Vardanyan, a businessman who headed the ethnic Armenian region from November 2022 until February this year, should be arrested and placed in pre-trial detention for four months, Azerbaijan’s state security service said. Meanwhile, Yerevan said Thursday the exodus continued from the breakaway enclave which Azerbaijan recaptured last week in a lighting offensive. By Thursday morning, “65,036 forcefully displaced persons crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh,” Armenian government spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, said in a statement. Some 120,000 ethnic Armenians were estimated to be living in the territory before Baku’s offensive to retake the territory. “The state is providing suitable housing to all those who do not have a predetermined place of residence,” she said. On Sunday, Azerbaijan reopened the sole road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, the Lachin corridor policed by Russian peacekeepers — four days after Armenian separatist forces agreed to lay down arms and disband their army. The return of the Armenian-populated separatist enclave under the control of the central government in Baku has led to a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians. Internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, which broke away from Baku three decades, was at the center of two wars between mostly Christian Armenia and predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan. The post Decree dissolves Nagorno-Karabakh statelet by January appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Breakaway republic of Karabakh announces it will cease to ‘exist’
The self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh announced on Thursday it would cease to exist, after a military defeat by Azerbaijan followed by an exodus of over half of the enclave's population. The separatist leader of the territory issued a decree ordering the dissolution of all state institutions by the end of the year and said Nagorno-Karabakh "ceases to exist" as of January 1, 2024. The dissolution will bring to an end three decades of Armenia-backed self-rule for Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority ethnic Armenian enclave inside the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. The decree said residents should "familiarize themselves with the conditions of reintegration" offered by Azerbaijan and make "an independent and individual decision" on whether to stay. Separatist leader Samvel Shakhramanyan also said that an agreement struck with Azerbaijan would ensure the "free, voluntary and unhindered passage" for all those who wanted to leave. He said the decision to dissolve the state was "based on the priority of ensuring the physical security and vital interests of the people of Artsakh", the Armenian name for the region. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, in which tens of thousands have died. Last week, Nagorno-Karabakh separatists laid down their arms following a lightning military offensive by Azerbaijan. Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians have since fled the enclave to Armenia. The post Breakaway republic of Karabakh announces it will cease to ‘exist’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dismissal in disguise
Constructive dismissal has been defined as a dismissal in disguise, or an act amounting to dismissal but is made to appear as if it was not. More specifically, it is when an employee quits work because continued employment is rendered impossible, unreasonable, or unlikely, or when there is a demotion in rank or a diminution in pay and other benefits. (Dimagan v. Dackworks United, Inc., G.R. 191053, 28 November 2011). The test of constructive dismissal is whether a reasonable person in the employee’s position would have felt compelled to give up his or her employment under the circumstances (St. Paul College, Pasig v. Mancol, G.R. No. 222317, 24 January 2018). Here are some examples of acts that constitute constructive dismissal: In one case, an employee who was hired as a bookkeeper in a company engaged in the real estate business was held to be constructively dismissed when she was deprived of office space, was not given further work assignments, and was not paid her salaries until she was left with no choice but to stop reporting for work (Tan Brothers Corp. of Basilan City v. Escudero, G.R. 188711, 3 July 2013). In another case, an employee who was hired as a waiter in a hotel company was held to be constructively dismissed when his regular work days were reduced from five days to two days. The change in his work schedule thus resulted in the diminution of his take-home salary. The fact that he may have continued to report for work does not rule out constructive dismissal, nor does it operate as a waiver. (Regala v. Manila Hotel Corp., G.R. 204684, 5 October 2020). The Supreme Court explained that “constructive dismissal occurs not when the employee ceases to report for work, but when the unwarranted acts of the employer are committed to the end that the employee’s continued employment shall become so intolerable. In these difficult times, an employee may be left with no choice but to continue with his employment despite abuses committed against him by the employer, and even during the pendency of a labor dispute between them.” (The Orchard Golf and Country Club v. Francisco, G.R. 178125, 18 March 2013). In another case, a managerial employee was instructed to perform functions that were below her position. When she assigned another person to do the said functions and suggested a different procedure to her boss, the latter reacted negatively and told her she was stupid and incompetent. She was also asked to resign on more than one occasion but was later told to stay. After she was assured that she could keep her job, she was treated indifferently by the management. The Supreme Court held that acts of disdain and hostile behavior such as demotion, uttering insulting words, asking for resignation, and apathetic conduct towards an employee are tantamount to constructive dismissal. (Bayview Management Consultants Inc. v. Pre, G.R. 220170, 19 August 2020). In another instance, an employee became the subject of constructive dismissal in the guise of a transfer. She was initially promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in one of the employer’s branches. However, two months after her promotion, she was appointed instead as Compliance Manager, and her position of COO was declared abolished when the management decided to undertake an “organizational restructuring.” It appears, however, that the said position was actually never abolished as another employee was appointed to take her place. The appointment was even publicly announced via an official communication disseminated company-wide. The Supreme Court held that when another employee is soon after appointed to a position that the employer claims to have been abolished, while the employee who had to vacate the same is transferred against her will to a position that does not exist in the corporate structure, there is evidently a case of illegal constructive dismissal. (Ico v. Systems Technology Institute, Inc., G.R. 185100, 9 July 2014). An employee who is constructively dismissed is entitled to two reliefs, namely, back wages and reinstatement. However, where reinstatement is no longer feasible, the employee shall be granted separation pay in lieu of reinstatement (Cornworld Breeding Systems Corp. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. 204075, 17 August 2022). 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 Dismissal in disguise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prices rise and fall
In the law of supply and demand, it’s generally held that prices rise and fall. Differently stated, if supply is greater than demand, the price is low; when demand is greater than supply, the price is high. Along with this market behavior, there’s either government failure or market failure as corrective tools to protect consumers or producers, even both. The average family household is most concerned about its monthly water and electricity bills as these are the two basic necessities of urban living. Roads constitute a public good but not so in the case of toll expressways. Water is likewise a public good but, again, not so when it is managed by water concessionaires (i.e. Manila Water and Maynilad). Electricity also ceases to be a public good when it is run by electric cooperatives in some rural areas or Meralco in the case of Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon. On the issue of electricity, Dr. Maria Fe Mendoza has written, “Politics and Dynamics of Electricity Regulation: The Case of ERB and Meralco.” Quickly, as a sort of “disclaimer” found in the End Notes of her 60-page article is thus: “Caution and restraint have been initially exercised in presenting this case study so as to uphold the principle of sub judice when discussing court decisions.” She calls it her two cents-worth of opinion in the spirit of academic freedom. The contemporary scene wherein the Court of Appeals nullified the decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission to deny the rate hike petition jointly filed by power distributor Manila Electric Co. and two units of conglomerate of San Miguel Corporation due to losses overshadows the “findings and inferences” embedded in Mendoza’s well-documented research on regulatory governance. Specifically, in the instant case, the “surge of fuel costs” may have compelled SPPC and SMEC to suspend the power supply agreement with Meralco as the CA denied their rate hike proposal. Meanwhile, the largest electricity distribution utility suffers from daily losses, while consumers live in fear of imminent rate increases. Meralco’s hands appear to be tied after it was denied a rate hike and the termination of its contracts (i.e. Meralco to suspend PSA). If we contextualize developments affecting the regulator arising from these so-called “quasi-judicial” and “judicial proceedings” within ERB and the courts, it would be easy to validate the interesting findings of Dr. Mendoza. For scholars of public policy, there ought to be a shift in bureaucratic mindset — one perhaps that can accommodate the notion that typical problems arising from rate adjustments gravitate around a management issue. Interestingly, as a lesson learned, Dr. Mendoza has this to say, viz., “With regard to who benefited, the study learned that rate regulation is a pendulum of forces and legal maneuvers that swayed in favor of the utility firm at some points and tilted in favor of the consumers and the regulator at other points.” Further, she adds: “Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the processes and procedures adopted by ERB for rate regulation, ERB would insist it was only following rules. Thus, the ERB (i.e. Case 93-118, as cited) transcended beyond the quasi-judicial policy arena towards the judicial arena and became regulation by lawsuits.” Truly, in iteration, “due to the legal mindset of most of our leaders and regulators, reforms in the regulators and our model of regulation would take a lot more time and, hence, debates, deliberations, hearings and other legal and policy proceedings would be required before consensus is arrived at and change effected.” As suggested, regulation can be redefined as not a question of facts or of law. Both regulator and regulated could be more pragmatic to achieve a win-win further down the policy path — increased “managerialization” of government as against “judicialization.” The post Prices rise and fall appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Disaster resiliency must be prioritized
Typhoons occur very often in our country. Located along the typhoon belt in the Pacific, the Philippines is visited by 20 typhoons on average yearly. Some have been more devastating than most — ravaging lands, destroying properties, and claiming the lives of our affected Filipinos. And because of climate change, in addition to our geographical location in the Pacific, the Philippines is exposed to natural calamities that are getting more often and more severe. While we can’t prevent the entry of typhoons, we could very well stay one step ahead to minimize the damage brought by these natural disasters and hopefully save more lives through a more prepared and proactive approach, better coordination among concerned government agencies, and stronger cooperation from the public. As super typhoon “Betty” entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday, I pray for the safety of all our affected kababayans and hope for an efficient restoration of normalcy once the typhoon passes. I commend our frontline government agencies and local authorities who, days before the typhoon’s entry, so far have reportedly already made necessary preparations to deal with this and its aftermath. These preparations and more go a long way in securing the lives and property of our affected Filipinos. Nevertheless, considering our country’s vulnerability to natural calamities, we must continue instituting measures that will ensure more proactive and effective disaster preparedness and response. Thus, I continue advocating for several disaster resilience measures, including the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience through my proposed Senate Bill No. 188. If the bill is enacted into law, the DDR shall serve as an empowered and highly-specialized cabinet level-department with a clear unity of command, responsible for ensuring safe, adaptive, and disaster-resilient communities. It shall lead the crafting and implementation of programs and activities to reduce the risk of all types of natural hazards and effects of climate change and manage the impact of disasters. I have also filed SBN 193, or the proposed Mandatory Evacuation Centers Act, which seeks to require the establishment of evacuation centers in every province, city, and municipality throughout the country that shall provide basic needs and assistance to all evacuees. Also, I have introduced SBN 192, also known as the Rental Housing Subsidy Act, in a bid to provide disaster victims better and more affordable access to the formal housing market through the provision of rental subsidies by the government. Finally, SBN 1709 proposes to amend the provisions of the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010” to mandate the grant of hazard pay to the personnel of respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices and Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Committees, as well as all accredited community disaster volunteers enlisted to their respective territorial jurisdictions during the State of Calamity declared by the President. Under the proposed measure, all personnel of the LDRRMOs in all provinces, cities, and municipalities and all accredited community disaster volunteers, regardless of their employment status, shall be granted a hazard pay of P3,000 every month if it is enacted into law. This is in recognition of their invaluable sacrifices and contributions in looking after the safety of our people in the face of disasters and even at the risk of their own lives. Similarly, our dedication to public service never ceases. From Monday to Sunday, our work inside and outside the hallowed halls of the Senate continues. On top of our Senate sessions, I led the distribution of aid to 1,663 indigents from Gapan City, municipalities of Cabiao and Peñaranda in Nueva Ecija; 1,000 in Pasig City, as well as 1,201 fire victims in Sta. Cruz, Manila last week. On 25 May, I also visited Davao de Oro for the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center, inspect a two-story multi-purpose building, and led a relief activity for 1,000 residents in Maco town. We attended the groundbreaking of Super Health Centers in Libertad town and Barangay Balubal, Cagayan de Oro City, and spearheaded three relief operations for 1,000 indigents in Libertad, and 2,000 in Barangay Balubal, and another 300 in the city on 26 May. Apart from the groundbreaking of the Escalante City Super Health Center in Negros Occidental on 27 May, I aided 2,000 residents of the city composed of fisherfolks, tricycle drivers, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens. I joined the 25th Manlambus Festival where I was able to watch a carabao race and provided aid to 200 carabao owners. On 28 May, I inspected the Sariaya Super Health Center in Quezon province and helped 1,000 indigents in the town. In Lucena City, 1,500 residents received aid. I also joined the Pasayahan Festival and inspected the Lucena City Promenade, whose funding I supported. My outreach teams extended aid to 400 barangay health workers and nutritionists in Macalelon, Quezon; 373 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority graduates in Argao, Cebu; and 1,200 tricycle drivers in San Luis, Pampanga. Indigents, including 81 in Llanera, Nueva Ecija; 500 in Binuangan, Misamis Oriental; 250 in Dipaculao and 233 in San Luis, Aurora. Also, our office joined the dental and medical mission of 150 indigents in Pandan, Antique. In the face of inevitable natural hazards, we all must exert efforts to build a more disaster-resilient nation. Through effective measures, preparations, proper coordination, and widespread cooperation, we can all save lives, help each other recover, and rise again even stronger. The post Disaster resiliency must be prioritized appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ChatGPT and digital finance
Technology never ceases to amaze, and ChatGPT is the latest digital advancement to cause a worldwide stir......»»
Brad Pitt greeted Chico Perez and expressed his admiration: “Nice to meet you, it’s great to see you run”
Celebrities exchanged a few words. (Twitter capture: redbullracing) Checo Pérez never ceases to amaze locals and outsiders alike with his extraordinary mastery of the world’s.....»»
A fearsome shark is pulled from the depths of the ocean and has baffled scientists – Teach me about science
Nature never ceases to amaze us and as much as man has tried to decipher all its mysteries, this seems an impossible task, because every.....»»
Equality and identity
It never ceases to amaze me how a word such as “equality” can trigger such virulent resistance......»»
A SOJOURNER’S VIEW: An Art Fair in This Time of the Pandemic?
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 October) — A fair – understood as an event organized for the general public held in a big public space where there are various exhibits of all kinds of products and where people have fun with games and all – ceases to exist in a time of the pandemic when […].....»»
Cebu City Health ceases release of COVID-19 info
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) will no longer post the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on their Facebook page as mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). In an advisory, the CCHD said that they had been advised by the IATF to cease the publishing of the cases until […] The post Cebu City Health ceases release of COVID-19 info appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»