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Bong Go appeals for immediate action to protect OFWs caught in Israel-Gaza Conflict
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has issued an urgent appeal to various government agencies, including the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), to conduct immediate action to account Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, Go emphasized the need for a swift and comprehensive inventory of affected OFWs, particularly those who may have been victims of violence. There is also a need to plan for their immediate repatriation when necessary. "The safety of our kababayans is paramount. I urge the DMW, DFA, and POEA to act swiftly and ensure that every Filipino worker is accounted for," said Go. The senator also appealed to OFWs to ensure their safety by coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv. "I understand that many of you have built lives abroad, but your safety should always come first. Please coordinate with our embassy and avail yourselves of the government's assistance," Go advised. According to a recent report by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), around 200 OFWs based in the Gaza Strip are currently being monitored due to the conflict. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has also released a statement on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to DMW and OWWA to locate and account for all OFWs and their families in Israel. The government is also closely coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Israel to ensure their safety and welfare. Meanwhile, DMW has opened a hotline, as well as several mobile numbers, to accept calls and queries from OFWs and the Filipino community who are in need of government assistance. Go urged OFWs to make use of these channels to protect fellow Filipinos. The senator is a long-time advocate of OFW welfare. He was one of the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act No. 11641, which created the DMW. "The DMW Act was designed to protect our OFWs. Now, more than ever, it's time to put this law into action to protect our kababayans," Go emphasized. As the Israel-Gaza conflict continues to escalate, Go said that the Philippine government should take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of OFWs caught in the crossfire. "I call upon all relevant agencies to work hand in hand in this endeavor. Let us set aside bureaucracy and focus on immediate action. Lives are at stake here,” he urged. “Proteksyunan natin ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino nasaan man sila sa mundo lalo na ang mga itinuturing nating modern-day heroes na OFWs na nagtatrabaho para mayroong maitustos sa pamilya nilang naiwan,” he added,” Go concluded. The post Bong Go appeals for immediate action to protect OFWs caught in Israel-Gaza Conflict appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Businesswoman scammed out of P265K
CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — A businesswoman was scammed of P265,000 in cash by a suspect who claimed to be a “District Prosecutor.” Victim Natasha Abaya of Barangay San Isidro, Candon City, Ilocos Sur, filed a complaint with the Candon City police on Friday. Abaya said that at about 12:55 p.m. on Thursday, she received a phone call from an unknown person with the contact number 09087793623. The female caller introduced herself as District Prosecutor Angeline Delos Santos Ordonia and said she was looking for a relative of Elvis Imperial (Abaya’s cousin) who was facing criminal charges for violating RA 9165. The caller offered to help dismiss the case. During their conversation, the caller allegedly gave Abaya three options to settle the case, including paying P189,000 to have the charges dropped. At around 1:32 p.m., Abaya went to a store in Barangay San Jose, Candon City, and sent P95,000 to account number 09622372583 through “pay and go.” After Abaya sent the money, the caller told her that “if you fail to complete the amount, we will file the case against him, even if we get a million pesos, we will not be able to release him.” To complete the amount of P190,000, at around 2:24 p.m., Abaya sent another P95,000 to account number 09621662553 through “pay and go.” The caller then told Abaya that her cousin was facing two cases, Section 5 and Section 15. She told Abaya to send another P75,000 so that there would be no more cases against her cousin and that he would be immediately released. At around 3:58 p.m., Abaya sent another P25,000 to account number 09563886041 through GCash. Police gathered that at around 4:13 p.m., she sent another P50,000. The total amount sent was P265,000. After sending the full amount, the caller stopped answering Abaya’s calls after the last payment. The post Businesswoman scammed out of P265K appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHR to cooperate with ICC on drug probe
The Commission on Human Rights maintained a steadfast stance in its commitment to work with the International Criminal Court to probe the country's war on drugs on the watch of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. In the deliberations for the department's budget for 2024 before the House Committee on Appropriations, CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc assured lawmakers the agency would cooperate with the ICC by furnishing evidence it gathered in its past investigation. "As you may recall, the CHR has investigated extra-judicial killings in relation to the drug war before. And out of that investigation, the CHR has generated a report on EJK in relation to the drug war," Palpal-latoc said. The confirmation came following a question by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman about the extent of cooperation the human rights watchdog intends to grant to the ICC as it previously declared that they are "willing to cooperate" into the drug war probe, which has resulted "in thousands of extra-judicial killings, particularly the impoverished and marginalized drug suspects." About 7,000 people were killed under Duterte's drug war, based on the government's data, the majority of whom were from low-income families. However, local and international human rights organizations estimate it exceeded 30,000. According to Palpal-latoc, they are willing to supply the ICC evidence that the CHR already gathered in the previous investigation. However, he stressed that since the agency has yet to learn the details of the case filed in the ICC, the parameters of their cooperation are unknown. This, however, did not sit well with Lagman, asserting that the CHR should have been aware of this matter, taking into account the accusation made openly and publicly. According to the veteran lawmaker, CHR's pronouncement of cooperation without initiating communication with the ICC was merely a "soundbite" and a "press release" for the media. "Why don't you know? It's an open and public accusation before the ICC against the culprits in this war on drugs. Do you have a copy of the accusation brought before the ICC by some affected victims and advocates?" Lagman said. "You are fully aware that the official position of the national government is not to cooperate with the ICC and that bold statement is, in fact, a challenge to that position," he added. Palpal-latoc, on the other hand, countered that the CHR is "not a party" to the ICC investigation. Nonetheless, the CHR chief said that they are willing to provide legal assistance to the victims of human rights violations as well as witness protection pursuant to their mandate. Calls were made to cease the ICC's probe into Duterte's "war on drugs" that claimed thousands of lives during his six years of power that started in 2016. Justice Secretary Boying Remulla maintained a firm stance that the country would not engage in the ICC, claiming that the Philippine government would not let the court interfere in the country's business. Senator Bato de la Rosa, who led Duterte's anti-drug campaign, locally known as "Oplan Tokhang" previously said that he is ready in case a warrant of arrest has been served, but only by Philippine authorities and not by any foreigner directed by the ICC. The former PNP chief and Vice President Sara Duterte were the Philippine officials mentioned in the ICC prosecutor's report on the killings. The post CHR to cooperate with ICC on drug probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No point hiding
At a time of greatest need, one learns the true character of those who proclaim to always be on the side of the marginalized sector. Business big kahuna San Miguel Corp.’s motto, “Walang iwanan” (Leave no one behind), became an empty sales pitch during the Mindoro oil spill, one of the biggest catastrophes of its kind in the country’s history. SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage, contracted RDC Reield Marine Services to ship 900,000 liters of industrial oil on its tanker, the MT Princess Empress, that later sunk off the coast of Oriental Mindoro. SMC has not addressed calls to take responsibility for the 28 February incident. It has instead maintained its silence on its role in the MT Princess Empress tragedy. Groups representing the oil spill-affected communities in Mindoro decried the audacity of SMC in covering up its involvement with a mere cleanup drive. Mindoro communities continue to worry about the increased presence of tankers carrying toxic fuel in their waters courtesy of SMC, which is beefing up its liquefied natural gas business in the area. Protect the Verde Island Passage, which advocates freeing the marine treasure called the “Amazon of the Oceans” of human threats, said SMC cannot be trusted with safety due to its dismal record in safeguarding communities from the destructive effects of its businesses. “We hope that this time around, SMC will be called to account for its role in the MT Princess Empress oil spill, as stated in the Revised Rules on Prevention, Containment, Abatement, and Control of Oil Marine Pollution of Philippine Coast Guard Memorandum Circular 01-2005,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP, said. With SMC as the charterer of the oil tanker, it is considered the owner of the vessel and the spiller of the oil, according to the ecology warrior. His group has demanded that SMC pay at least P70 million in cash bonds consisting of P50 million for cleanup and containment and P20 million for the damage and payment to the impacted communities as a preliminary reparation. “Environmental destruction and livelihood deprivation come with a hefty price tag. SMC should be in the news for something big — we hope it will be for the biggest penalty ever imposed on a Philippine company,” Gariguez said. In a Senate investigation, it was estimated that the oil slick from the tanker affected 20,000 hectares of coral reefs, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares of seagrass beds in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan and Antique. In the investigation, it was found that RDC had been operating under a falsified certificate of public convenience that SMC appeared to have tolerated. The scant mention of SMC during the Senate proceedings did not escape the notice of many since the senators were directing the blame for the tragedy on the vessel owner and the maritime agencies. One senator even had the temerity to free SMC from any accountability, saying that under the law the charterer is not responsible for an oil spill. Given that such a law exists, it can’t be denied that the SMC cargo caused untold misery. The Asian conglomerate has pictured itself as a responsible corporate citizen, particularly during the pandemic years. It has been reported that residents affected by the oil spill continue to experience dizziness, nausea, headaches and fever. A report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, or NDRRMC, said the oil spill affected 42,487 families, 200,244 persons, and 24,698 farmers; caused P6.7 million worth of damage to the livestock, poultry, and fisheries industries, and P4.9 million in estimated damage to agriculture. In the Mindoro oil spill, SMC can’t use its minions in the judiciary and the legislature to escape accountability for its glaring neglect of the safe shipment of cargo it owned. It must man up to its responsibility. The post No point hiding appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate probe on school resumption proposed
To ascertain if basic education institutions are prepared to hold classes for school year 2023–2024, a Senate investigation is being sought. With the lifting of the public health emergency caused by Covid-19 and the threat of the El Niño phenomenon, proposed Senate Resolution 689 aims to shed light on how schools are preparing for classes. The sponsor of the motion pointed out that this year’s school break, which runs from 8 July to 27 August has become shorter due to the change in the academic calendar. On the other hand, remedial sessions will continue through 26 August in public schools. The draft resolution also calls for an immediate evaluation of the benefits and difficulties of holding in-person classes and using other forms of education. The public’s demand for the school vacation to be reinstated on its previous April-May schedule will also be taken into account. The Department of Education has previously stated that 29 August as opposed to 28 August may be the first day of classes. According to the DepEd, the department order for the school year 2023-2024 is currently being finalized. The post Senate probe on school resumption proposed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese hackers breached US govt email accounts: Microsoft
Chinese-based hackers seeking intelligence information breached the email accounts of a number of US government agencies, computer giant Microsoft said. "The threat actor Microsoft links to this incident is an adversary based in China that Microsoft calls Storm-0558," the company said in a blog post late Tuesday. Microsoft said Storm-0558 gained access to email accounts at approximately 25 organizations including government agencies. Microsoft did not identify any of the targets but a US State Department spokesperson said the department had "detected anomalous activity" and had taken "immediate steps to secure our systems." "As a matter of cybersecurity policy, we do not discuss details of our response and the incident remains under investigation," the spokesperson said. According to The Washington Post, the breached email accounts were unclassified, and "Pentagon, intelligence community and military email accounts did not appear to be affected." In the blog post, Charlie Bell, a Microsoft executive vice president, said "We assess this adversary is focused on espionage, such as gaining access to email systems for intelligence collection. "This type of espionage-motivated adversary seeks to abuse credentials and gain access to data residing in sensitive systems," Bell said. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan addressed the hack in an appearance on Wednesday on ABC's Good Morning America, and said it had been detected "fairly rapidly." "We were able to prevent further breaches," Sullivan said. "The matter is still being investigated, so I have to leave it there because we're gathering further information in consultation with Microsoft and we will continue to apprise the public as we learn more," Sullivan said. Microsoft said Storm-0558 "primarily targets government agencies in Western Europe and focuses on espionage, data theft, and credential access." The Redmond, Washington-based company said it had launched an investigation into "anomalous mail activity" on June 16. "Over the next few weeks, our investigation revealed that beginning on May 15, 2023, Storm-0558 gained access to email accounts affecting approximately 25 organizations including government agencies as well as related consumer accounts," it said. "They did this by using forged authentication tokens to access user email using an acquired Microsoft account consumer signing key," the company said. "Microsoft has completed mitigation of this attack for all customers." US Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the panel is "closely monitoring what appears to be a significant cybersecurity breach by Chinese intelligence." "It's clear that the PRC is steadily improving its cyber collection capabilities directed against the US and our allies," Warner said in a statement. The post Chinese hackers breached US govt email accounts: Microsoft appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate tackles airlines’ booking glitches, offloading mess
Growing complaints from various passengers against budget carrier, Cebu Pacific’s overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches have reached the Senate inquiry on Wednesday. This came after Senate committee chairperson, Senator Nancy Binay, filed Senate Resolution No. 575 pushing for an investigation on the customers’ complaints against Cebu Pacific due to recent flight cancellations. During the hearing, Binay said her office was able to compile at least 3,000 complaints from the passengers, which have been aired through social media platforms. “We have since seen it fit to invite our other airlines to this hearing because these problems, it seemed, have only grown in number. Our passengers face inconveniences on multiple fronts on account of flight delays, cancelations, offloading, and overbooking,” Binay stressed. Overseas worker, James Bartolome, said he has yet to receive his refund from Cebu Pacific after his flight going to Qatar was canceled. After knowing that his original flight was canceled, Bartolome opted to book another airline as the budget carrier won’t be able to give him an earlier flight. Senator JV Ejercito said the airport and airline operations will provide the “first and last impressions” to the tourists and potential investors entering the country. “We need to systematize this for our tourism and business climate,” he said, sharing that he was not even spared from experiencing flight delays. Binay emphasized the need to identify problems and immediately craft strategies to prevent similar complaints in the future. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said that Cebu Pacific and other similar airline companies should acknowledge the impacts of flight cancellations and other airline mess. “Incidents like these could discourage tourists so this hearing should serve as a platform to air the grievances of the frustrated and helpless passengers,” Go said, citing that these may affect the country’s tourism industry and the economy. “Remember that we are still reviving from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added. Go said the airlines must immediately act and rectify these issues by imposing proper mechanisms for compensating affected passengers—which includes food provisions during flight cancellation and alternative flight schedules. During the hearing, several Cebu Pacific passengers also complained about apparent website errors that resulted in them being charged multiple times for transactions yet it appeared to be unsuccessful. Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer, Candice Iyog, explained that there is a part of the flow where if a passenger clicks proceed, it commits the changes even before the passenger pays. “We recognize that and we are taking that feedback as well,” Iyog said. The Cebu Pacific, she added, is already working on “a fix or an enhancement” to the interface of the website, which will likely be ready at the end of this month. “Depending on when it's ready, we're looking at possibly, end of July that we will be able to implement this change in the user experience,” she said. Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented that in several instances when passengers’ original flights were canceled, Cebu Pacific offered flight rebooking and passengers were immediately made to pay before they could confirm their purchase of travel tickets. Citing a passenger’s experience, the airline’s website technical issue made them pay a bill of P16,000-worth of add-ons after availing of Cebu Pacific’s free rebooking option, following the cancellation of flights. Iyog said they recently reminded their customer service agents to allow passengers to get back to their original flight or to remove add-ons that were “accidentally added.” “We don’t want to cancel flights for our passengers. It’s bad business and we don’t want to disrupt our passengers—that’s why we give options,” Iyog noted. Tougher passengers’ rights Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe slammed the budget carrier for lacking customer service agents directly responding to these complaints. Poe called on for a tougher policy on air passengers' rights to address the cancellations and delays in flights by local airlines besetting travelers. "This pressing public service issue calls for urgent effective solutions as it involves not only the air passengers' rights but also the overall impact on the country's tourism and economy,” she added. While overbooking is a globally accepted practice, Poe said "systematic delays and cancellations are not." Also, Hontiveros pressed that the government agencies should step in to prevent more passengers from being disrupted in their travels due to canceled, rescheduled, and delayed flights in Cebu Pacific and other airline companies. “These kinds of inconveniences disrupt the travel experiences also of tourists, and as the chair said, could negatively affect the tourism sector,” she added. Aside from the reported overbooking, offloading, booking, and flight cancellations, Senator Raffy Tulfo said that adding extra flights daily amid lacking proper airplane maintenance can be called “abuses of the airline companies.” He lamented that it could pose danger and compromise the safety of all airline passengers, “There were safety issues surrounding the uploading, overbooking, and flight cancellations of airlines. If these airlines don’t care about fulfilling their obligations to provide air transport for their passengers, I will not be surprised that they are cutting corners when it comes to safety as well,” Tulfo pressed on. Tulfo said extra flights can also cause fatigue in pilots and flight attendants. For his part, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa wants the Civil Aeronautics Board to become proactive in resolving the massive airline mess in the country. Dela Rosa asked CAB if it is amenable to institutionalize the Air Passenger Bill of Rights in order to protect the public from erring airline companies. "What is your position? Do you agree with the proposal to create a law that will institutionalize the Air Passenger Bill of Rights?" asked Dela Rosa. In response, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, said they have been very supportive of the proposal. “But it seems it is not among the priorities of Congress,” he said. Dela Rosa said he is mulling to proposed the bill in the Senate “not to discourage the airline industry but to protect the public interest. The post Senate tackles airlines’ booking glitches, offloading mess appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Camille Pascual, of British Empire’s Most Excellent Order
My good friend, prominent banker Federico “Ding” Pascual, shared with me news about his daughter, Camille, who has just been bestowed by His Majesty The King with the honorific title of “Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.” On the occasion of His Majesty’s birthday, selected individuals are recognized twice a year for their services to the United Kingdom. Camille, who is the Marketing and Communications Head of the British Embassy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was officially honored on 23 May as an MBE for her services in promoting British Trade and Investment in the Middle East by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle. Below is an abridged version of Camille’s first-hand account of her investiture as an MBE. “I looked at my mobile one Saturday evening last year and saw that I had missed four calls from HM Trade Commissioner for the Middle East, Simon Penney. I immediately called him back as I was concerned that I would have to handle an urgent work request. He asked if I was sitting down. I wasn’t, so he told me to sit down and then proceeded to congratulate me, saying I had been awarded an MBE in HM The Queen’s Birthday Honors. The Honors List would be published in The Gazette — the UK’s official public record — on the 1st of June. I burst into tears. “Will you accept?” asked Simon. “Of course!” I replied. He swore me to secrecy, but that I could tell my husband and no one else until the Birthday Honors List was published. I have worked for the British Embassy in Dubai for 13 years, promoting the UK in the Middle East and Africa as a place to trade with, invest in, and do business with. Over the years I have supported hundreds of British companies, championing UK capability across all sectors from Infrastructure and Energy to Healthcare and Education. Outside the trade and investment sphere at the British Embassy, I was media lead working in Crisis Communications, including during the Covid lockdown to support stranded British nationals, and during the Afghanistan evacuation of 15,000 people to the UK through the UAE. When I told my parents on the morning of the day it was being announced, they could not have been prouder. We moved to the UK in 1982 when my father was posted there to head the Philippine National Bank’s European Headquarters. During our years in the UK, we traveled up and down the country and regularly visited many of the Royal Palaces: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, among others. We would stand with the crowds during the Trooping of the Color on HM The Queen’s official birthday in June. Suffice it to say that my parents have always been Anglophiles, with a deep love of the UK, so my MBE means as much to them as it does to me. Indeed, I would not have received this Honor had it not been for them. The investiture itself only lasted a few moments, but the memory will last forever. On the day of the Investiture, the weather was glorious, and Windsor Castle could not have been more beautiful in the spring sunshine. We were ushered up a grand staircase, past a string quartet, and into the Queen’s Drawing Room to await our turn under the portraits of Henry VIII and Charles II. We were given a program which told us that it would be HRH The Princess Royal — Princess Anne — who would be formally investing me into the Order. I was one of nearly sixty people being invested that day — a mix of civilians, military and civil servants. At the top of the list of recipients was Sir Salman Rushdie, who was invested as a Companion of Honor. When it was my turn, my family and I entered the castle’s Grand Reception Room, a stunning, ornate, gilded room decorated with magnificent chandeliers. They stood to the side of the dais where The Princess Royal stood. I felt nervous as I approached the dais, curtseyed, and walked towards her, but she was smiling and kind as she congratulated me and hung my medal on the small loop that had been clipped to my dress. She asked me what had brought me to Dubai and we chatted briefly about my time at the Embassy and she commented that our relationship with the UAE was very important. I thanked her for her support of charities active in the Philippines, and for her visits there, mentioning that my family and I had moved to the UK when I was eight. She thanked me again, shook my hand, and I retreated a few steps, curtseyed again, and joined my family. The investiture itself only lasted a few moments, but the memory will last forever. We moved to St. George’s Hall for official photos, and then outside and into the sunshine to take our own photos in the courtyard. As we walked through the grounds to leave the castle, a group of four Coldstream Guards in their red jackets and bearskin hats marched past. A perfect sendoff to mark the end of a truly magical experience.” Until next week… OBF! For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com. The post Camille Pascual, of British Empire’s Most Excellent Order appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Moira Dela Torre’s sister calls out Jason Hernandez for being a ‘user’
Sister of singer Moira Dela Torre slammed Jason Hernandez for the lyrics of his new song and for using the estranged couple's wedding footage in his song's music video. "Nakakatawa 'yung buong song, especially 'yung part na 'naghihintay pa rin hanggang ngayon sa ikaw at ako.' Kasi parang sa buong year never ka naman nag-effort sa ate ko???" J'mee Dela Torre said on Twitter. "Naiirita lang ako kasi ang layo talaga ng mga pinagsasabi mo sa lyrics ng kanta mo. Why do you need to manipulate people into thinking that you still love and miss her? Like WTF?" She continued. J'mee also claimed that Jason even used the video clips from the wedding, concerts, and "Tagpuan" music video without her sister Moira's permission. "LMAO forda clout chasing. Amp!" She ended her tweet. J'mee's Twitter account, however, has now been deactivated. A search into her @jmeedelatorre_9 Twitter handle would yield a result that states, "This account doesn’t exist." The post Moira Dela Torre’s sister calls out Jason Hernandez for being a ‘user’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Digital ‘budol-budol’
Often for kicks, I open the “Spam” folder of my Email and entangle myself with what digital fraudsters are up to lately in messing up people’s lives. I precisely did that after apprising the big news about the potential personal data breach at GCash, the popular digital payments platform of Globe Telecom Inc. and immediately searched for fake GCash emails. Usually, for safety’s sake, I quickly delete such fakeries. But I took a conscious effort at scrutinizing a message I got last month which purportedly came from the “GCash Help Center.” The message urgently asked me to activate my account by clicking the provided link. Helpful missive that was, innocent-sounding even. Only it was a head-scratcher: I never applied for a GCash account nor have no intentions whatsoever of enrolling into one. I often wonder how these people could assume I wasn’t strictly a cold-cash-paying Luddite struggling with where to place in my all too-small billfold those new-fangled unfoldable one thousand peso bills. Anyway, since I was also often bombarded by National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) text alerts imploring me to be ever watchful with digital fraud, or in the more suitable and folksier digital “budol-budol,” I had become suspicious enough to spot dead giveaways showing fraud. By the way, all of us really have to keep up with fraudsters’ ways. In fact, in our digital era “face-to-face fraud doesn’t really happen anymore. It’s all digital,” says Louis Smith, credit card Visa’s chief risk officer for Southeast Asia. At any rate, in the case of those fake emails, technically known as “phishing” emails, the dead giveaways I learned were: a. the email usually has a generic greeting like “Hi”; the email says your account is on hold because of a billing problem; and the email invites you to click on a link to update your payment details by sending all your personal data. Those raise fakery alarms since legitimate companies, even if they might communicate with you by email, won’t ever email or text you with a link to update your payment information. So there. Still, the growing sophistication and sheer volume of digital “budol-budol” every day catches us off-guard. Nowadays, the risks of digital fraud are alarmingly high. In fact, Globe Telecoms, which owns GCash, reported that it has already blocked 4.07 million malicious bank-related messages in the first quarter of the year, 2.7 percent higher than the number of malicious messages from last year. Last year, too, Globe blocked 85 million bank-related spam and scam messages, part of the record-high 3 billion scam and spam messages filtered by the giant telecom firm between January 2022 and January 2023. In another report, TransUnion, an American credit reporting outfit, says the nation had the third-highest rate of suspected fraudulent digital transactions among all countries and regions analyzed in 2022, with as much as 8.7 percent of digital transactions suspected as fraudulent. TransUnion also reported that from a three-month survey, 71 percent of Filipinos had been targeted by digital fraud attempts through emails, phone calls, online messaging, or texts. Eleven percent of those surveyed admitted to falling victim to fraud. The common fraud schemes experienced by Filipinos were “phishing (fraudulent emails, social posts, websites and QR codes), “smishing” (fraudulent mobile text messages), third-party seller scams, and identity theft. Now if all these scams make it our personal responsibility not to be duped, companies and the government also have to do all they can not to make things worse than it already is. Companies really have to beef up their cybersecurity measures and the government can’t content themselves with launching useless probes after a digital disaster or with registering cellphone SIMs. Where, for instance, is a government-run digital facility where the public can quickly report text or email scams? The US, for example, has SPAM (7726), a sort of 911 where Americans can forward any “smishing” text message. Here, we’re still resorting to reporting digital fraud on social media. The post Digital ‘budol-budol’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GCash: Customers’ funds ‘intact, safe, secure’
Ayala-backed financial super application GCash assured users on Tuesday that their e-wallet funds remain safe and secure following an investigation over attempted hacking incidents. In a statement, GCash affirmed that some customers reported a deduction in their cash account yesterday, but the company immediately extended scheduled maintenance to investigate and determined that no hacking occurred. “Rest assured, your funds are intact, safe, and secure with GCash. Our proactive cybersecurity policies are in place to protect our customers as the safety and security of your account is our top priority,” Gcash said. “We advise our users to remain vigilant in their online transactions. GCash will never send emails or messages with links nor reach out to customers via calls and other messaging platforms,” it added. GCash said affected cash accounts were credited their balances as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday. A news report on Tuesday disclosed that GCash detected a pattern of relatively small withdrawals from multiple accounts to only two recipient bank accounts — East West Banking Corp. and Asia United Bank. The report said the aggregate amount of the suspicious transaction was initially estimated at P37 million. For its part, EastWest Bank said it “immediately acted on these reports and initiated its internal investigation.” “Rest assured that we are cooperating with authorities and other institutions involved in the said report. We are working towards the immediate resolution of this matter,” the bank said. A financial super app with a full suite of services, including cash loans and buy-now-pay-later products, GCash is the lone double unicorn in the Philippines valued at over $2 billion. The post GCash: Customers’ funds ‘intact, safe, secure’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Two years since Bloody Sunday, calls for justice, accountability and peace continue to ring
Rights alliance Karapatan, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed indignation that two years since the Bloody Sunday, “none of the perpetrators of these attacks has been held to account.”.....»»
Traffic enforcer/father in Mandaue City gets netizens’ support
CEBU CITY, Philippines— A traffic enforcer in Mandaue City is on the spotlight for his simple side hustle, selling sweets at the back of the Mandaue City Hall. Netizen Glenell Mendoza Sevilla spotted the enforcer Joseph Angtud, who she calls “Kuya Joseph,” and shared on her Facebook account last June 11, 2021, a photo of […] The post Traffic enforcer/father in Mandaue City gets netizens’ support appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Latin America to bear worst impact from coronavirus: World Bank
Latin America and the Caribbean will suffer the worst economic and health impact from the coronavirus, the World Bank said Friday, forecasting a nearly 8.0 percent drop in regional GDP. “Our region is suffering the worst economic and health impacts of Covid-19 of anywhere in the world,” according to Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, the Bank’s regional vice president. He said the findings in the report “calls for clarity on how to combat the pandemic and put the economies back on track for a swift recovery.” In its report, “The Cost of Staying Healthy” the Bank addresses the impact of the pandemic in a region with with high Covid-19 mortality and infection rates such as Brazil, Mexico and Peru. “The number of deaths per million people is as high as in advanced economies, if not more, but the resources available to counter the shock are much more constrained,” it said. The bank forecasts a recovery with growth of 4.0 percent in 2021. The report forecasts a region-wide 7.9 percent drop in GDP, a slightly more negative outlook for 2020 than its last assessment in June of a likely 7.2 percent contraction. Crisis-wracked Venezuela — in acute recession for several years and with a government that at least 50 countries refuse to recognize — is not taken into account in the figures. The Covid-related economic crisis follows “several years of disappointing economic growth and limited progress on social indicators, and right after a wave of social unrest,” the report said. “The social damage is immense” the institution warned, adding that unemployment rates had soared across the region, “sometimes substantially.” Surveys conducted in 13 countries in the region showed that the share of households suffering a decline in income is higher than the share experiencing job losses, it said. The findings suggest that “the impact of the crisis is not only severe but also potentially long-lasting.”.....»»
Taiwan grandparents become Instagram stars modeling abandoned clothes
Taiwan’s trendiest couple these days are neither young celebrities nor teen influencers — they are an octogenarian duo who run a mom-and-pop laundry service and have become an online sensation by modeling abandoned clothes. Chang Wan-ji, 83, and his wife Hsu Sho-er, 84, have racked up nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram over the last month as their attitude-filled fashion portraits went viral (AFP Photo/HSU Tsun-hsu) Chang Wan-ji, 83, and his wife Hsu Sho-er, 84, have racked up nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram over the last month as their attitude-filled fashion portraits went viral. They have even been featured in the Taiwanese edition of Vogue and Marie Claire. The couple have run a laundry for decades in a small town near the central city of Taichung. Over the years, customers have either forgotten or failed to collect reams of clothing that the couple never felt able to throw away. Grandson Reef Chang, 31, hit upon the idea of using the clothes to alleviate the couple’s boredom. “My grandpa and grandma were staring blankly at the streets because business wasn’t good,” he told AFP. “I wanted to find something new they could enjoy doing.” The pair were naturals in front of the camera. “Modelling these clothes makes me feel 30 years younger,” beamed Chang, when AFP paid a visit to the store earlier this week. “Many people are telling me ‘You are famous now and you look younger’.” Hsu felt so, too. “I am old in age but my heart is not ageing,” she said. “I like to put on pretty clothes and go out to have some fun.” Worldwide fame It was while modelling other people’s garments, Hsu came to remember that she also had many forgotten outfits in her closet which she has since rediscovered. “I even found some clothes I bought 30 years ago and I can still wear them. It’s a happy surprise,” she said. The couple’s Instagram account — @wantshowasyoung — is managed by grandson Reef. Chang currently only uses the Line messaging app to make free phone calls but Reef says his grandfather is keen to learn how to make the perfect Instagram post. The account first started going viral abroad and around 400,000 new fans have started following in the past week alone after major international media picked up on their success. Reef said he translates and reads out fan mail pouring in from all over the world. “We’re very moved by the messages,” he told AFP, “Many people are saying that ‘Wantshowasyoung’ is the first happy news they’ve seen in this dark year marred by the Covid-19 pandemic and problems in many countries,” he added. The couple’s worldwide fame has also prompted a few forgetful customers to pick up old clothes, while some local fans have started visiting their sleepy town to see the store. The shop is named “Wan Sho” — a combination of the middle character of their Chinese names. Re-use clothes The couple tied the knot in an arranged marriage six decades ago, a practice then common in Taiwan. Chang said he had thought about retiring but decided to stay on as long as he can as the laundry business has become less labour-intensive thanks to machines. “Elderly people should keep moving and remain active or we will age faster… When I am working and being kept busy, I don’t have time to worry,” he said. Chang says he has lost count of how many garments have gone uncollected in his shop over the decades but he thinks there are at least 400 items at the moment. Many more have been donated to charities and impoverished families over the years. The couple hope to use their new social media clout to promote the concept of “environmental fashion”. “Instead of following ‘fast fashion’ and keep buying new clothes, we hope people can see that old and second-hand clothes can be fashionable if you arrange and combine them in new ways,” said Reef Chang. “This would cause less damage to the earth and the environment.” .....»»
Metrobank warns against scammers
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. advised customers to be wary about calls from an unknown number asking them to give out details related to bank account or credit card and warning them that their bank accounts may be deactivated......»»
PCG to investigate alleged hacking of Facebook account anew
The Philippine Coast Guard announced its plan to investigate the reported breach of its social media account......»»
Pokwang tinawag na laos, rumesbak: Jusko! Saan galing mga animal na ‘to?
SINUPALPAL ng Kapuso TV host-comedienne na si Pokwang ang isang laiterang netizen na tumawag sa kanya ng “laos.” Miyerkules Santo, March 27, rumesbak ang komedyana sa isang hater na tumira sa kanya sa X (dating Twitter). Ni-repost ng isang supporter ni Pokwang sa kanyang social media account ang pangnenega ng basher na nagsabing “laos” na.....»»
Councilor Javi’s FB account hacked
DAVAO City Second District Councilor Javi Campos confirmed that his account has been hacked by still unknown individuals......»»
Jaishankar calls on Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, values his perspective on current state of world
Singapore, March 25 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday and conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar valued Lee Hsien Loong's perspectives on the current state of the world. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Honoured to call on Prime Minister @leehsienloongat The Istana. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. V.....»»