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Canino is Olympiad bound
It was sealed by an 83-move draw with Woman FIDE Master Cherry Ann Mejia of a Sicilian in the 10th and penultimate round of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship at the Malolos City Hall in Bulacan......»»
Southeast Asian Police, Prosecutors Join Forces to Fight Scamdemic
Bangkok - Police and prosecutors across Southeast Asia are forging new ways of working together to thwart and pursue the sprawling criminal networks behind the online scam centers that have quickly taken root in the region, experts involved in the effort have told VOA.In a few short years, scamming hubs bilking billions of dollars out of victims across the globe have set up shop in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippine.....»»
Women shaping Philippine monetary policy
Women have made significant strides as leaders in the Philippine financial services industry even as challenges continue to persist. At the helm are two distinguished female members of the Monetary Board (MB) – the policy-setting body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) –both of whom are breaking the bias for women in finance......»»
DFA launches e-Apostille service; first in Asean region
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs Office of Consular Affairs (DFA – OCA) announced that it launched an e-Apostille service for civil registry documents. DFA said the system will allow the public to apply online for e-documents and e-Apostilles from the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) without having to appear in both offices. Foreign Affairs.....»»
National women s chess tilt: Frayna stops Canino to stay in title contention
Janelle Mae Frayna restored some order in the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship after she stopped wonder girl Ruelle Canino in the ninth round Friday to remain in the title race in Malolos, Bulacan......»»
Canino back on top
Prodigious Ruelle Canino, regarded as the future of Philippine women’s chess, sustained her fine form in the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship in Malolos, Bulacan.....»»
Thai football association boss resigns over SEA Games brawls
Thailand's football association president announced his resignation on Saturday, following political pressure over brawling between the kingdom's national team and Indonesia during the men's final at the Southeast Asian Games. Indonesia defeated Thailand 5-2 in extra time in the May final that saw players and coaches on both sides clash on two occasions with four red cards issued. Thailand's football association later apologized and handed out lengthy bans to two players, two officials, and a coach. In a statement on Facebook, football association boss Somyot Poompanmoung said Thai deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who heads the country's national Olympic committee, had ordered him to stand down as president at a meeting on Friday. "As President of the Football Association of Thailand... I am ready to follow the order of General Prawit," Somyot said in the Saturday statement, adding he would notify the ASEAN Football Federation, the Asian Football Confederation, and the international governing body FIFA. Men's football at the biennial SEA Games is played between under-23 sides. The final had been billed as a chance for Indonesia to restore some pride to its football following a deadly stadium disaster and the loss of hosting the Under-20 World Cup. But the game will be remembered for the chaotic scenes which began in the 97th minute when Thailand -– who had been 2-0 down -– scored to make it 2-2 and force extra time. Thai officials celebrated by running over to the Indonesia bench, prompting the first melee, and there was more trouble when Indonesia retook the lead early in extra time. The post Thai football association boss resigns over SEA Games brawls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BSP bans six money service firms for violations
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has banned six money service businesses from registering their companies further in the Philippines they were caught operating without a license. In a statement released on Monday, BSP’s policy-making body Monetary Board has disqualified the entities and any sole proprietorship owned and/or controlled by their respective owners/operators from registering with, and/or obtaining a license from the BSP to engage in any activity that is authorized or supervised by the BSP for operating as MSB without prior BSP registration. "The (disqualification) is pursuant to Section 901-N of the Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions, and is part of BSP’s efforts to address the proliferation of entities engaged in the operation of unauthorized MSBs," the Central Bank explained. Of the six MSBs that BSP recently banned, three are located in Makati City, two in Pasay City and one in San Fernando, Pampanga. Last February, the BSP also disqualified one MSB in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, and another one in Panglao, Bohol. Last year, the BSP disqualified 10 MSBs from obtaining a license to operate because they failed to register with the BSP. MSBs are non-bank entities that provide remittance, money changing and foreign exchange dealing services. MSBs can also deal in virtual assets, which are digital representations of value that can be traded or used for payment. As of the end of 2022, the BSP has registered 7,584 MSBs, an 0.18 percent increase from 7,570 in 2021. The BSP said it is committed to ensuring that MSBs are properly regulated and supervised to protect the public. The post BSP bans six money service firms for violations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lost gem
The Philippines has lost yet another gem after fencing sensation Maxine Esteban underwent naturalization to be eligible to see action for Ivory Coast in major international tournaments. Esteban’s departure is a huge slap in the faces of Filipino sports officials. Aside from being a four-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion for Ateneo de Manila University, Esteban is also an eight-time national titleholder and emerged as No. 16 in the world junior ranking. Her stock soared even higher when she hired legendary Italian mentor, Andrea Magro, who helped her become the No. 62 fencer in the world — the highest ranking ever reached by a Filipino. The way she was performing, the Paris Olympics seemed within reach. But things didn’t go according to plan. Esteban tore her anterior cruciate ligament while representing the country in the World Fencing Championship in July last year. Although it wasn’t really bad, Esteban still spent her own resources to go to Australia for surgery and worked double time to recover, hoping to see action in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last month. Eventually, Esteban was given the green light to compete by noted sports surgeon Dr. Edgar Eufemio in December, towing away the massive roadblock for her return to the national team. But for some reason, the Philippine Fencing Association didn’t reinstate her. She was dropped from the national roster. Without a team, Esteban trained and immersed herself in the Ivory Coast — a West African country that is known more for its lovely beaches and world-class cocoa beans than for being a global sports powerhouse. The Ivorians welcomed Esteban with open arms as she spent a lot of time there holding fencing clinics for young children and other outreach projects for the less fortunate. With that, officials of the Ivory Coast fencing federation immediately processed her naturalization papers in a bid to make her their entry to the next Summer Games, after Gbahi-Gwladys Sakoa who competed in the women’s epee event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. The PFA and the Philippine Olympic Committee released Esteban to Ivory Coast without any resistance, even requesting the International Fencing Federation to waive the three-year waiting period for Esteban so she could immediately compete for her new country in international events that offer ranking points for the Paris Olympics. In a letter to Nathalie Rodriguez, chief executive officer of the world governing body in fencing, PFA president Richard Gomez said they supported Esteban’s decision to join Ivory Coast as they believed in the Olympic spirit that “sports has no nationality.” POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, for his part, said he supported Esteban’s goal of sharing her talent with a country like Ivory Coast. And just like that, Esteban — the country’s former top fencer — is gone. The Philippines’ loss is Ivory Coast’s gain. Esteban’s case is another heartbreaking story of “what could have been” in Philippine sports. We’d seen it before when chess wizard Wesley Go pledged allegiance to the United States after failing to collect his incentives for winning the gold medal in the 2013 Summer Universiade and when golf sensation Yuka Saso opted to carry the colors of Japan for better opportunities. Esteban could have been a national treasure, an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao or Hidilyn Diaz, given the opportunity to compete in major international events. She is smart, pretty, hard-working, and very talented. She also comes from a well-off family and didn’t mind spending a fortune to get the best training from the world’s best coaches so she could bring honor to the country. But the country failed her. Instead of being repaid for her love and sacrifices for the past 10 years, she was sacked from the national team after suffering an injury while representing the country in a world-class tournament. Is this how we treat our national athletes? Esteban is a gem of an athlete. She will surely shine wherever she goes — even in the vast deserts of Africa. The post Lost gem appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pig’s blood on fish
Octogenarians are not easily provoked. They are ever protective of their mental and physical health, fragile as they are. Their low immune system is vulnerable to being compromised if negative emotions are aroused. Science and medicine tell us that these emotions could trigger chronic diseases and cardiac, respiratory and other related medical issues common to the elderly. A bad temper leads to blood pressure rising and if untreated angina and myocardial infarction or stroke. Hence, when they cannot suppress anger, it means their tolerance level has reached rock bottom. Muslim elderly had experienced this outburst of anger recently. A bit of news, pedestrian it may seem in media reporting has provoked the ire of this writer. It was a bad hair day. This may have skipped notice from readers who are more focused on headline-hugging news. It was buried in the inside pages. And in the print media of yore, perhaps along with obituaries. A report last week datelined General Santos, Philippines says “A group of inspectors uncovered a deceitful practice . . .on which several market vendors were found coating fish slices with pig’s blood to make them look fresh. Plastic packs of pig blood were seized from the vendors involved. The discovery sparked controversy among Muslims and other non-pork eaters . . .” This has opened Pandora’s box. It triggered indignation and condemnation from Muslims and non-Muslims. It was most deceitful and malevolent. This should not be treated only as a “public health issue.” It is an attack upon the sensitivity and religious beliefs of some sectors of society. The Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists, and others shy away from eating pork and its derivatives because of their religion. We suggest that the local government of General Santos City impose the corresponding penalty commensurate to the gravity of the crime. It should not stop from merely imposing administrative sanctions like canceling the license of vendors but also filing a criminal case for fraudulent misrepresentation or other deceit. Allow me to quote part of the article I wrote earlier about the same issue. “What is in pork that makes it an abhorrent animal? Why is it specially mentioned in the Holy Koran as prohibited for consumption by Muslims? For one, it is considered one of the dirtiest animals which thrives on filth and unsanitary environment. Pig is considered garbage and waste eliminators. . . “which eat its own feces, as well as dead carcasses of sick animals, including their own young.” The scientific reasoning is that “Swine serves as a vector for pathogenic worms to enter the human body. Infections by Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium are not uncommon. Fatty acids and composition of pork fat have been mentioned as incompatible with human fat and biochemical systems.” In other words, the strong underlying reason for this religious proscription is its damaging effect on humans which could cause a variety of medical issues like “increased cancer risk” and many health problems. It is for this reason that Islam is not the only religion that bans pork from its adherents. Other religious sects like the Seventh Day Adventists, the United Church of God, the Orthodox Jewish Kosher, etc., prohibit pork consumption. In an article by Dr. Josh Axe he mentioned that “in the Old Testament, God warned us that the pig was an unclean animal. Why? Because pig is a scavenger and not meant for human consumption.” The greatest fear among Muslims and non-pork-eating citizens is that this may have been going on in several markets in the country without being detected. The local government units should be uncompromising in the exercise of their supervisory and monitoring power over market operations to prevent a repeat of this criminal act. It should never abdicate its inherent oversight duty. How can one person be possessed of so much greed to resort to a reprehensible way that violates the belief of a fellow human being? It reflects a social malady that government must help to address. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Pig’s blood on fish appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kuwait ‘temporarily’ bans OFWs
A local business magazine published in Dubai reported that overseas Filipino workers are temporarily not welcome in Kuwait after the Kuwaiti government reportedly suspended the granting of entry and work visas to Filipinos. The Arabian Business reported on Wednesday that the temporary suspension came from Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, saying that the Philippines is not compliant with some parts of the labor pact between the two countries. Filipinos in Kuwait are reportedly around 268,000, according to a previous statement by Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, 88 percent of which are household service workers. Arabian Business also reported that groups such as the Kuwait Progressive Movement viewed the decision as ‘discriminatory,’ adding that foreign workers have been receiving unfair treatment from local employers. However, the labor ties between the Philippines and Kuwait have soured this year with the gruesome death of 35-year-old Jullebee Ranara, whose body was discovered burned in a desert last January. Another notable case was the abuse experienced by Myla Bagbag who jumped off from a building unit to escape her employer. Such cases caused outrage leading to calls for a deployment ban and the eventual instatement of a deployment ban for first-time household service workers. Previously, DMW Secretary Susan Ople expressed her disapproval over a deployment ban, arguing that it should be addressed through a diplomatic review of the two countries’ labor agreement. Daily Tribune sought comment from the DMW but has not yet responded. Arabian Business also reported that groups such as the Kuwait Progressive Movement viewed the decision as ‘discriminatory,’ adding that foreign workers have been receiving unfair treatment from local employers. The post Kuwait ‘temporarily’ bans OFWs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Who says ‘walang iwanan?’
While there are laws that limit a ship charterer’s responsibility in an oil spill, a company mouthing solidarity during the pandemic and beyond appeared to have lost its voice and its sense of community following the oil spill tragedy in Mindoro. Considering the strong proof that San Miguel Corp. is responsible for the toxic cargo of the star-crossed MT Princess Empress, the Asian conglomerate has been amazingly keeping its distance and silence on the disaster that has afflicted the areas around Oriental Mindoro, including the ecological treasure Verde Island Passage. During the pandemic, SMC’s battle cry was “Walang Iwanan,” which residents of the devastated communities are now waiting to be fulfilled. Lately, reports from environmental monitors indicate that the polluting slick has reached the main tourist spot of Puerto Galera. A Philippine Coast Guard report referred to an analysis by French outfit Cedre showing that the oil scooped from the sea off Mindoro is industrial fuel of the same quality found in the tank of the SL Harbor Bulk Terminal operated by a San Miguel subsidiary, San Miguel Lighterage and Shipping Corporation. The oil samples were forwarded to the Center for Documentation, Research, and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution based in France by a French oil spill expert sent to Oriental Mindoro. “Cedre compared the samples collected on the shoreline to two reference oil samples considered representative of the fuel onboard the MT Princess Empress before the accident — the first oil sample collected at sea in the direct vicinity of the wreck, and the second sample gathered from the tank of SL Harbor Bulk Terminal in Limay, Bataan, where the vessel acquired its industrial fuel oil,” the PCG report stated. The sunken MT Princess Empress, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services, was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil that leaked and is now spreading in the waters off Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Palawan and Antique. The catastrophe inflicted on nature had Oriental Mindoro bearing the brunt of its effect and the efforts to contain the damage had turned to the Verde Island Passage, a body of water between Batangas and Mindoro which is a global center of marine biodiversity. Local governments in the affected areas reported a total of 37,871 families in 187 barangays in Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Palawan and Antique suffering the effects of the spill as a result of fishing bans and the negative impact on tourism. Humanitarian and ecological groups said efforts to contain the oil spill and hold accountable those responsible for it should be speeded up as Puerto Galera’s waters were recently declared unsafe for swimming. The economic disruption is happening in the middle of the summer peak season for tourists. “Puerto Galera and other areas in the VIP affected by the oil spill are set to lose millions in expected income from tourism. The continued spread of the oil slick will cause more damage unless it is completely contained by the government. Damage already done must be compensated for by those responsible, whom the government must identify,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Protect Verde Island Passage convenor, said. The chief ecology advocate in the area said residents rely on income brought by tourists who wish to see the beauty of the Verde Island Passage. In total, Gariguez’s group estimated that communities have foregone P1 billion in income as a result of the spill, which would constitute a reasonable percentage share of the record P4.5-billion group income of the top Philippine corporation. The company had said during the health emergency that it had responded to the challenge of helping the nation in times of need. That promise seems to have lost its fizz like stale beer. The post Who says ‘walang iwanan?’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fifa bans English fans from wearing medieval crusader costumes, calling them ‘offensive’
Ahead of the World Cup match between England and the United States on Friday, soccer’s governing body FIFA said the Crusaders’ outfit was worn by.....»»
World chess body looks to capture attention of young people
ISTANBUL - One of the priorities of the world's top chess body is to spread the game among children and young people, the director-general of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) said on Wednesday."Various educational programs, agreements with governments and ministries to introduce che.....»»
Candidates Tournament set
The FIDE Candidates Tournament, suspended halfway last year due to the pandemic, will resume play April 19-29 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, the governing global chess body announced recently......»»
Philippine pro chess body to invite foreign teams for Open Conference
Think of the buzz chess and Philippine chess will get if chess teams from other countries will compete as guest squads......»»
Wesley So s advice to Filipinos: Get into chess
"I can guarantee this – if you train your brain with chess, you will go much farther ahead in life than if you train with your body for other physical sports.".....»»
Philippine pro chess body bares plans for maiden tourney
Philippine pro chess body bares plans for maiden tourney Rick Olivares (Philstar.com) – November 23, 2020 – 1:04pm MANILA, Philippines – The Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) is launching the first professional chess tournament in the world on January 15, 2021. PCAP was granted a professional license this past July 28, 2020 by […].....»»
Philippine pro chess body bares plans for maiden tourney
The Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) is launching the first professional chess tournament in the world on January 15, 2021......»»
Chess body clears Mariano, lifts ban
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines on Thursday lifted the three-month ban on Nelson Mariano III, allowing the FIDE Master to resume his campaign in NCFP-organized tournaments......»»