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Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China
Manila [Philippines], March 28 (ANI): Amid the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr has announced decisive measures to protect his country's sovereignty and maritime rights while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Marcos, known as Bongbong, said that the measures, aimed at addressing what he said is the "open, unabating, and illegal" actions by China's Coast.....»»
NEWS BRIEFS | 26 March 2024
P101-M sea wall to rise in Surigao Sur town A P101.3 million sea wall will be constructed in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur to protect lives and properties from storm surges there. Rep. Romeo Momo (1st District, Surigao del Sur) led the ground breaking of the Marihatag Seawall Project last Sunday, March 24. “The project is a […].....»»
Philippines, EU resume free trade agreement talks
MANILA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines and the European Union (EU) resumed negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday, the Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced Tuesday. "Strengthening economic engagement with the EU remains a priority for the Philippines," said Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, adding that the Philippines aims for an ambitious, b.....»»
‘Oppressive’ heat wave scorches US West and South
Swaths of the United States home to more than 80 million people were under heat warnings or advisories Sunday, as relentless, record-breaking temperatures continued to bake western and southern states. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of "a widespread and oppressive heat wave" in parts of the Southwest, western Gulf Coast and southern Florida, with sizzling temperatures carrying into the coming week raising health risks for millions. Southern Californians, who saw thermometers peak at 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit (41-43 Celsius) on Saturday, faced a second day of similarly brutal temperatures Sunday, with the mercury expected to top 115F (46C) in parts of California, Nevada and Arizona, the NWS said. By Sunday afternoon, California's famous Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, had reached the near-record temperature of 126F (52C). Tourists visited the national park to get a glimpse of what the NWS warned would be "life-threatening daytime heat" set to last until Tuesday night. Visitor Eliana Luna told broadcaster MSNBC on Sunday the heat felt like a "burning sensation" on her body. "The heat, you can feel it dripping through the back, all the way down," she said. The NWS has said heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States and urged Americans to take the risk seriously. "In total, from South Florida and the Gulf Coast to the Southwest, over 80 million people remain under either an Excessive Heat Warning or Heat Advisory as of early this morning," the NWS said in a Sunday morning bulletin. The day before, the town of Idyllwild, east of Los Angeles and some 5,400 feet (1,645 meters) above sea level, blew past its previous record to reach 100F. - 'It's hell' - Authorities have been sounding the alarm for days, advising people to avoid outdoor activities in the daytime and to avoid dehydration, which can quickly become fatal in such temperatures. In Arizona, the state capital Phoenix has recorded 17 straight days above 109F, as temperatures hit 113F (45C) on Sunday afternoon. The city, home to over 1.6 million people, is under an Excessive Heat Warning until Wednesday evening, according to the NWS, which said the record seven-day average was likely to be broken. Volunteers have been organized to direct Phoenix residents to cooling centers and distribute bottles of water and hats, but program head David Hondula told the local ABC station that its three-days-per-week schedule is "clearly... not enough." In Miami, the NWS on Sunday issued its first-ever Excessive Heat Warning for the region, in effect until 7:00 pm, as heat and humidity mixed to create a "feels-like" temperature expected to hit 112F. "It's hell, it's hot, it's crazy hot," Miami visitor Lola Cee told AFP along the famed Ocean Boulevard. "I've never experienced this heat before," she added. Residents of the sprawling Texas city of Houston have been asked to conserve electricity from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm Saturday through Monday, in an attempt to mitigate pressure on the electricity grid. - 'Not typical' - Heat waves are occurring more often and more intensely in major US cities, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, with a frequency of six per year during the 2010s and 2020s compared to two per year during the 1960s. "This heat wave is NOT typical desert heat," the NWS's Las Vegas office tweeted Thursday, specifying that "its long duration, extreme daytime temperatures, & warm nights" were unusual. In Canada, which is suffering from warm temperatures combined with months of below-average rainfall, the amount of land burned by devastating wildfires so far in 2023 climbed to an-all time high of 24.7 million acres (10 million hectares) on Saturday. "We find ourselves this year with figures that are worse than our most pessimistic scenarios," Yan Boulanger, a researcher at Canada's natural resources ministry, told AFP. On Sunday, a firefighter died while working in Canada's Northwest Territories, authorities announced, only days after a 19-year-old woman lost her life working to extinguish a fire in nearby British Columbia. While it can be hard to attribute a particular weather event to climate change, scientists insist human-linked global warming is responsible for the multiplication and intensification of heat waves. Flooding has also ravaged parts of the northeastern US in recent weeks. Officials in eastern Pennsylvania's Bucks County reported on Sunday that five people had died and two children were missing after a storm the day before unleashed up to seven inches (18 centimeters) of rain in one hour, causing flash flooding that swept away vehicles. bur-mlm/des/caw © Agence France-Presse The post ‘Oppressive’ heat wave scorches US West and South appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Rolly’ may pass close to Metro Manila after Quezon landfall Sunday
After its landfall over Quezon province this Sunday, typhoon “Rolly” (international name: “Goni”) will possibly pass close to Metro Manila between Sunday evening and Monday morning. In its weather bulletin Saturday morning, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Benison Estareja said Rolly will move west-southwest this Saturday toward the sea off the coast of Bicol region. (DOST PAGASA / MANILA BULLETIN) The typhoon was already around 540 kilometers east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, moving at 20 kilometers per hour (kph) around 7 a.m. Beginning early Sunday, it will gradually turn west-northwest, bringing its inner rainbands-eyewall region near or over Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur during the morning-afternoon hours and over Quezon-southern Aurora area during the afternoon-evening hours. The center of the eye of the typhoon may pass very close or over the Calaguas Islands by Sunday afternoon and make landfall in Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon in the evening. Estareja said the eye of Rolly will likely pass directly over Quezon-Aurora, entire Central Luzon, “where Metro Manila and Rizal will be closest,” and over parts of Ilocos Region, particularly Pangasinan and La Union. After crossing Central Luzon, the center of Rolly may exit the mainland Luzon landmass, most likely through the Zambales-Bataan area by Monday morning, Estareja said. Signal No. 2 up; Metro Manila under signal No. 1 The wind signal in some provinces in the Bicol region were upgraded to tropical cyclone wind signal No. 2 as damaging gale-force to storm-force winds is expected to affect these areas in the next 24 hours. Signal No. 2 has been hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias Island, and the southeastern portion of Quezon (San Francisco, San Andres, San Narciso, Mulanay, Catanauan, Buenavista, Lopez, Guinayangan, Calauag, Tagkawayan). More areas were also placed under signal No. 1 in anticipation of strong breeze to near gale conditions associated with the approaching typhoon. These areas were Metro Manila, the rest of Masbate including Ticao Island, the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, Oriental Mindoro, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, southern portion of Isabela (Aurora, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, San Mariano, Palanan, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, San Agustin, Jones, Cordon, Santiago City, Ramon, San Isidro, Angadanan, Alicia, Cauayan City, Cabatuan, San Mateo), Northern Samar, northern portion of Samar (Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santo Nino, Tarangnan, Catbalogan City, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao), the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Taft, Can-Avid, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo), and the northern portion of Biliran (Kawayan, Maripipi). PAGASA said signal No. 3 may be raised over portions of Bicol region late Saturday. Based on the intensity forecast, the highest possible wind signal to be raised will be signal No. 4 for very destructive typhoon-force winds. Elsewhere, areas that are not under not under tropical cyclone warning signal may experience strong breeze to near gale conditions due to the northeasterlies, particularly over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and the coastal and mountainous areas of Cagayan and Isabela. Nears super-typhoon status As of Saturday morning, Rolly has maximum sustained winds of 215 kph and gustiness of up to 265 kph. It is close to reaching the 220 kph maximum wind speed to be classified as a supertyphoon. PAGASA is not ruling its possible intensification into a supertyphoon within 12 hours. Estareja said Rolly has a high chance of intensifying into a supertyphoon while on its way to the country, but there is still a slim probability that it may make landfall as a supertyphoon. However, it is still expected to remain a strong typhoon or near supertyphoon strength by the time it makes landfall over Quezon. While traversing Luzon, the tropical cyclone may weaken considerably to a minimal typhoon (120 kph to 140 kph yung maximum sustained winds), Estareja said. Nonetheless, Rolly is still possibly destructive. It may emerge as a severe tropical storm over the West Philippine Sea. Typhoon impacts This Saturday, the trough or extension of Rolly will bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Central Visayas, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Palawan, including Cuyo Islands, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Sulu archipelago. From late Saturday throughout Sunday, heavy to intense rains due to the direct impact of Rolly will already be felt over Bicol region, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Metro Manila, Central Luzon Marinduque, and the northern portions of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro. Moderate to heavy rains will also be experienced over Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. PAGASA warned that flooding, rain-induced landslides, and sediment-laden streamflows or lahar may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall, especially in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazards. There is a moderate to high risk of storm surge of up to 3.0 meters (m) over the northern coastal areas of Quezon including Polillo Islands and up to 2.0 m over the coastal areas of Aurora, Marinduque, Bicol region, and Northern Samar, and the other coastal areas of Quezon in the next 48 hours which may result in life-threatening and damaging coastal inundation. PAGASA said this storm surge may be accompanied by swells and breaking waves reaching the coast. Rough to “phenomenal” seas (2.5 to 15.0 m) will be experienced over the seaboard of areas where tropical cyclone warning signal is in effect and rough to very rough seas (2.5 to 5.0 m) over the remaining seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Eastern Visayas (that are not under tropical cyclone warning signals) and Caraga. Sea travel is risky for all types of seacraft over these waters, especially those under storm warning signals. Meanwhile, moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 2.5 m) will be experienced over the remaining seaboards of the country. Mariners of small sea vessels were advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea, while inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions. Another cyclone approaching While Rolly is raging over Luzon, Estareja said the tropical depression with international name “Atsani” could enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Sunday afternoon. It will be assigned its local name “Siony” once inside the PAR. It was estimated at 1,605 km east of Visayas around 4 a.m. Saturday. Atsani has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph, while moving west-northwestward at 25 kph. It is likely to re-intensify into a tropical storm in the next 24 to 48 hours, and further into a typhoon in the next few days. It remains less likely to affect any portion of the country over the next three days. But Estareja said PAGASA is not ruling out a possible landfall in Central or Southern Luzon, before recurving toward the southern islands of Japan in the coming days. He also reiterated that a Fujiwhara effect is unlikely between Rolly and Atsani. Fujiwhara effect happens when two typhoons pull each other in a seesaw-like motion......»»
DOLE: Distressed businesses may avail of bank loans for 13th month pay
The Department of Labor and Employment told distressed businesses which can’t afford to pay for their employees’ 13th-month pay to avail of loans from banks. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR. / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Bankers Association of the Philippines had earlier said it is open to offering loans for businesses heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Siguro pwedeng umutang muna para may pambayad sila (Maybe they could borrow from banks so they could pay their employees’ 13th month),” Bello told DZMM Teleradyo in an interview. Aside from borrowing from banks, Bello said the labor department is also eyeing to subsidize the 13th-month pay of employees from micro and small enterprises (MSE). Malacanang said it will discuss the matter with the Departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and Finance (DOF) to see if the government can shoulder the 13th month P13.7 billion needed to subsidize the 13th-month pay of MSE workers. Bello reiterated that there should be no deferment in the giving of 13th-month pay to employees. The labor secretary said it should be given on or before December 24, with no extensions. Employees entitled to a 13th-month pay include those who have been working at a business or company not less than a month regardless of their employment status......»»
BREAKING: Another highest single-day surge for PH at 6,958 new COVID-19 cases
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported yet another highest single-day increase in new COVID-19 cases at 6,958. Based on DOH’s latest COVID-19 bulletin, the country’s coronavirus caseload now stands at 136, 638. Of this, 66,286 are tagged as “active” with 91.6 percent of which experiencing mild symptoms while 7.2 percent […] The post BREAKING: Another highest single-day surge for PH at 6,958 new COVID-19 cases appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
BREAKING NEWS | 2 climate activists found
Rights group Karapatan and other groups confirm that environmental activists Eco Dangla and Jak Tiong are "no longer in the hands of their abductors, bruised but alive." The post BREAKING NEWS | 2 climate activists found appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
MILF cites non-Moro governor’s support to peace process
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Wednesday awarded a non-Muslim governor of a province outside of the Bangsamoro region a special citation for supporting the peace overture between the MILF and Malacañang since its inception in 1997......»»
Manila Archbishop: Washing of feet maintains faithful’s connection to Jesus
In his homily at the Manila Cathedral on the evening of Maundy Thursday, Advincula stressed the importance of the washing of the feet, not merely as a hygienic act but as a sign of one's relationship with Jesus......»»
US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
Washington, DC [US], March 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila in defending its sovereignty while criticising China's "dangerous" water cannon attack at the Philippine supply mission vessel on Saturday. In a telephonic conversation between Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the US Secretary reiterated the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.....»»
Contagious pertussis disease continues spreading in Philippines
MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The contagious pertussis has continued spreading in the Philippines, where it has caused at least 40 death cases, after a province near the capital region reported an outbreak of the disease. In a social media post on Wednesday night, the Cavite government posted a resolution declaring the province under a state of calamity "due to the outbreak of pertussis" after logging 36 cases an.....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
China: PH is ‘straying down a dangerous path’
MANILA, Philippines — China continued to blame the Philippines and its ally, the United States, for the continued tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In a statement on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian warned that the Philippines is going down a dangerous path. READ: No letup in Chinese water cannon attacks.....»»
7 lumang simbahan sa Metro Manila na swak pang-‘Visita Iglesia’
TUWING sasapit ang Semana Santa, isa sa mga tradisyon ay ang “Visita Iglesia.” Para sa mga hindi aware, isa ito sa mga taunang ginagawa ng mga Katoliko na bumisita sa pito o higit pang simbahan upang magdasal at magmuni-muni sa mga istasyon ng Krus. Sa pamamagitan nito, ibinabandera ng mga deboto ang kahalagahan ng pananampalataya,.....»»
Philippines logs 40 pertussis deaths this year
MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Forty children have died of whopping cough, a respiratory infection also called pertussis, since this year, the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) has reported. The DOH said in a statement on Wednesday that cases have continued to increase since the start of this year, recording 568 cases from Jan. 1 to March 16. "The total number of cases for the same period in 2023 was.....»»
DMK criticises Election Commission for being biassed in allocating symbols to political parties
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 28 (ANI): The Deputy Secretary of the Student Wing of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Ka Amutharasan, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of having a biassed attitude towards opposition parties by allocating election symbols as per their wishes. "ECI has allocated the symbols for the Tamil Manila Congress and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhgam that those parties wished for. Th.....»»
Antipolo City throws support on Ajido
The Antipolo City government led by Mayor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III will provide support to Antipolo-born swimmer Jamesray Mishael Ajido, who won the country’s lone gold medal in record-breaking fashion at the recent 11th Asian Age-Group Swimming Championships......»»
Unlock business success at Franchise Asia Philippines Expo
The Franchise Asia Philippines Expo 2024 is set to hold a series of dynamic seminars designed to empower entrepreneurs, investors and business enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of franchising. Slated from April 12 to 14 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, these seminars offer invaluable insights into key aspects of franchising and business growth......»»
Israel bombs Gaza, fights Hamas around hospitals
Israeli forces pounded besieged Gaza on Wednesday and fought Hamas around several hospitals, despite a UN Security Council demand for a ceasefire. Talks in Qatar towards a truce and hostage release deal involving US and Egyptian mediators have brought no result so far, with Israel and the Palestinian militant group blaming each other. READ: Israel.....»»