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QC fire marshall goes on leave
Quezon City Fire Marshal, Senior Supt. Aristotle Bañaga has gone on leave following a call from Mayor Joy Belmonte for his removal in the wake of several fire incidents this year in his jurisdiction. This was confirmed by Bureau of Fire Protection chief Director Louie Puracan who said Bañaga filed his leave of absence Monday, following a DAILY TRIBUNE report that Belmonte wrote Interior and Local Goverment Secretary Benhur Abalos to recommend his relief and that of his Fire Safety Enforcement Section head, Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion for their lapses. In her letter dated 14 September, Belmonte told Abalos that the city’s investigation found “serious lapses in the inspection process”of the two officials. “After an investigation into the deadly fire last 31 August in Tandang Sora, wherein 15 lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business in 2022, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa, this city, into residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters “office only” contractor of clothes, garments and bags as its business area and nature of business,” Belmonte said in her letter. “At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities, Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021 and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023.” Belmonte added that the capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to fires appears to have decreased significantly wherein the severity of this year’s incidents necessitates a call for a change of leadership in the city fire district. “Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Banaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion,” the mayor stressed. In response to the letter, Abalos said he personally instructed the BFP to investigate thoroughly and determine the officials’ accountability. Puracan, meanwhile, said that Banaga’s deputy, Supt. Gilbert Arellano, a lawyer, will temporarily assume office to pave the way for an ongoing investigation. Aside from the deadly fire that left 15 people dead, fire incident protocols were also allegedly broken in the aftermath of a blaze that also claimed the life of Retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another fire in Culiat also injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. The post QC fire marshall goes on leave appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC fire marshall gone on leave — BFP
Quezon City fire marshal, Senior Superintendent Aristotle Bañaga, has gone on leave following a call from Mayor Joy Belmonte for his removal in the wake of several fire incidents this year in his jurisdiction. This was confirmed by Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) chief, Director Louie Puracan, who said that Bañaga filed his leave of absence on Monday, following a piece of news published by Daily Tribune that Belmonte wrote Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos to recommend his relief and Fire Safety Enforcement Section head, Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion, for their lapses. In her letter dated 14 September, Belmonte told Abalos that the city’s investigation found “serious lapses in the inspection process” by the two officials. "After an investigation into the deadly fire last August 31 in Tandang Sora, wherein fifteen lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business in 2022, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa , this city, into residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters 'office only' contractor of clothes, garments, and bags as its business area and nature of business,” Belmonte said in her letter. “At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities, Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021, and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023.” Belmonte added that the capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to fires appears to have decreased significantly wherein the severity of this year’s incidents necessitates a call for a change of leadership in the city fire district. “Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Banaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion,” the mayor stressed. In response to the letter, Abalos said he personally instructed the BFP to conduct a thorough investigation and determine the officials’ accountability. Puracan, meanwhile, said that Banaga’s deputy, Supt. Gilbert Arellano, a lawyer, will temporarily assume office to pave the way for an ongoing investigation. Aside from the deadly fire that left 15 people dead, fire incident protocols were also allegedly broken in the aftermath of a blaze that also claimed the life of Retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another fire in Culiat also injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. The post QC fire marshall gone on leave — BFP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BFP to investigate QC fire marshal, inspector over lapses
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday directed the Bureau of Fire Protection to "investigate thoroughly" Quezon City Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga and his inspection chief Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion for lapses committed in the wake of several fire incidents this year in their jurisdiction. Abalos said he has ordered BFP Chief Louie Puracan to investigate thoroughly and determine the accountability of the two fire local officials. Abalos made the move after QC Mayor Joy Belmonte in her letter dated 14 September, copy of which was obtained by Daily Tribune, recommended that the two officials be transferred from their position after their investigation found "serious lapses in the inspection process" of the two BFP officials. "After an investigation into the deadly fire last August 31 in Tandang Sora, wherein 15 lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa, this City, into a residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters 'office only' contractor of clothes, garments, and bags as its business area and nature of business. At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities. Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021 and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023," Belmonte's letter read. "The capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to these fires appears therefore to have decreased significantly," Belmonte wrote. The severity of this year's incidents, according to the Mayor, necessitates a call for a change in leadership of the QCFD. "Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Bañaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion," Belmonte added. She also cited that their evaluation conducted on fire incidents that occurred this year showed an average of more damage, injury, and deaths compared to previous years. Earlier, fire incident protocols were also broken in the aftermath of a blaze in Tandang Sora that claimed the life of retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another blaze, a five-alarm fire in Culiat injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. “I’ve instructed the BFP to strengthen the training of BFP personnel on fire prevention and suppression. Vigilant and rigorous inspections are the key to mitigating future fire incidents.” Abalos said. He also thanked the Quezon City government for its assistance to those injured or rendered homeless in these recent fires. “Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Mayor Joy Belmonte sa kanyang pakikiramay sa mga nasunugan. Pinahahalagahan natin ang kanyang pakikipagtulungan sa pagtiyak ng kaligtasan ng publiko," the DILG secretary said. The post BFP to investigate QC fire marshal, inspector over lapses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hawaii county sues power company re wildfires
Legal action has been taken against Hawaii’s electricity provider by the county of Maui following the fatal fire that destroyed Lahaina on the island. With videos purportedly showing downed cables lighting up vegetation in the hours before the tragedy, the lawsuit is the latest step in a growing critical focus on the power provider in the wake of the blaze that killed at least 115 people. The lawsuit alleges that Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries were negligent in keeping power lines operational despite having ample warning of strong winds from a nearby hurricane. “These power lines foreseeably ignited the fast-moving, deadly and destructive Lahaina Fire, which completely destroyed residences, businesses, churches, schools and historic cultural sites,” the lawsuit, filed Thursday, says. “Defendants knew that the high winds the (National Weather Service) predicted would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation. Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate,” it added. The county — which is itself under pressure over what critics say was a lack of preparation ahead of the fire and a lackluster response in its aftermath — is demanding unspecified damages and compensation for the destruction. WITH AFP The post Hawaii county sues power company re wildfires appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hawaii county sues power company over deadly wildfires
Maui County is suing Hawaii's electricity company over the deadly fire that leveled Lahaina, alleging the destruction could have been avoided if power lines had been shut off. The lawsuit is the latest step in a growing critical focus on the power provider in the wake of the blaze, which killed at least 115 people, with videos apparently showing downed cables setting light to vegetation in the hours before tragedy struck. The lawsuit says there was plenty of warning of strong winds from a nearby hurricane, but Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries negligently kept power lines live. "These power lines foreseeably ignited the fast-moving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which completely destroyed residences, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites," the lawsuit, filed Thursday, says. "Defendants knew that the high winds the (National Weather Service) predicted would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation. "Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate." The county -- which is itself under pressure over what critics say was a lack of preparation ahead of the fire and a lackluster response in its aftermath -- is demanding unspecified damages and compensation for the destruction. "Maui County stands alongside the people and communities of Lahaina and Kula to recover public resource damages and rebuild after these devastating utility-caused fires," the county said in a statement. Power companies in California routinely shut down large stretches of above-ground power lines in strong winds, a strategy credited with helping to avoid some blazes. On 14 August, Hawaiian Electric boss Shelee Kimura defended the decision to keep the network live, saying electricity was necessary to keep water pumping in Lahaina. The 8 August fire was the deadliest wildfire the United States has seen for more than a century. It burned through around 2,000 acres (800 hectares) and laid waste to the historic town of Lahaina, a former Hawaiian royal seat and a thriving tourist hub. Flames, fanned by powerful winds, moved so quickly that many residents were caught unaware, only learning there was a fire when they saw it for themselves. Some abandoned their cars as they tried to flee the town and sought refuge in the ocean, where they cowered for hours as their homes were incinerated. The official toll is expected to rise as a grim search of the ashen remains of Lahaina is completed. Thousands of people have been made homeless, with recovery expected to take years. Federal estimates suggest the fire caused $5.5 billion of damage. The lawsuit, which also includes a demand for a jury trial, comes a week after the head of Maui's emergency management agency resigned amid criticism for not sounding the island's network of warning sirens. Also on Thursday, Maui county officials released a list of 388 names of people who remain unaccounted for. Police said the aim was to encourage anyone who knew the whereabouts of people on the list to come forward, so they could be removed. The practice is common in the wake of a disaster, and the figure of 388 does not indicate that this number of people are likely to be dead, only that they have been reported to authorities as not having been seen. The post Hawaii county sues power company over deadly wildfires appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM: Forget farm imports
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is making sure the calamity that struck Northern Luzon as a result of typhoon “Egay,” which primarily devastated vegetable farms, will not be taken advantage of as he barred imports. The President declared on Saturday the country “would not import vegetables” despite many agricultural areas having been affected by the recent onslaught of storms. “That will not become a policy. We will not import any agricultural product unless we see that the supply is so low that the prices will become out of reach of ordinary consumers,” Marcos said, after receiving reports of many vegetable farms in Benguet having been affected by “Egay.” Marcos led the situational briefing with different agencies and local officials in Abra, which has been placed under a state of calamity along with the Mountain Province. No repeat of past In the aftermath of past typhoons, prices of agricultural products spiked, which, in turn, was used by unscrupulous traders to push the Department of Agriculture to allow importations. Later, it turned out that in several cases, such as with the recent onion shortage, the market was manipulated by cartels in the sector. Marcos, who is concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said the government will review the local vegetable supply to determine remedial measures to stabilize prices. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that “Egay” caused P833.88 million worth of agricultural damage. NDRRMC said some 76,093 fisherfolk and farmers were reeling from the impact of the typhoon as well as the ongoing effects of the southwest monsoon or habagat. The agricultural production loss in volume due to “Egay” was placed at 103,958 metric tons, affecting over 91,651.56 hectares of crop area. A state of calamity was declared over the Ilocos provinces, Cavite, Sanchez Mira in Cagayan and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro due to the destruction from the tropical cyclone. The declaration put in effect an automatic price freeze on basic commodities. The government said it has distributed P39.69 million worth of assistance in the form of family food packs, financial aid, blankets and others. Marcos led the distribution of various assistance to the affected farmers and fishers such as seeds, medicines, and biologics for livestock and poultry and fingerlings. The President ordered the DA to prepare the department’s Survival and Recovery Loan Program and the quick response fund to promptly assist the typhoon victims. He said the government will also provide building materials to affected families. Agencies and local governments were ordered to prioritize the provision of assistance to families affected by “Egay,” as he assured that the government will immediately follow through with recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Rice gets priority During the distribution of government assistance in Abra province, the President directed the government to find rice suppliers “so that the National Food Authority could provide all the emergency support.” “Again, rice for me is the most important,” he said, adding that more assistance and food packages were on the way. Marcos directed the government to find rice suppliers “so that the National Food Authority could provide all the emergency support.” The President noted that the authorities were only waiting for the areas to be cleared of the aftermath of the typhoon, including landslides and floods. “It will be followed through with recovery and rehabilitation efforts and then rebuilding initiatives. That is why we are looking as to how big was the damage and how many houses were destroyed so we can provide them building materials so they can rise again and go back,” Marcos said. He said the government will also prioritize the restoration of the power supply in the typhoon-hit areas in the Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region. Although the government wants to restore power quickly, Marcos said the “huge number of toppled poles and power lines will make immediate electricity restoration difficult.” “That is why it is going to take a little time. So, of course, we are going to do it as quickly as possible but that can’t be rushed. It needs to be restored, if not the substations will be destroyed,” he added. The post PBBM: Forget farm imports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Beijing hospital fire death toll rises to 29
Chinese authorities said on Wednesday they had detained a dozen people over a hospital fire in Beijing that left at least 29 dead and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape. The blaze, which broke out on Tuesday afternoon at the Changfeng Hospital in China's capital, killed mostly patients, and left scores of other people injured. Dramatic footage posted to social media showed people clinging to ropes and jumping from the building, while others perched on external air conditioning units in a desperate bid to shelter from the flames. The Fengtai district's deputy mayor expressed his "deep condolences" over the deaths of the 16 women and 13 men killed in the inferno, the deadliest in Beijing in over two decades. "We feel deep remorse and guilt," Li Zongrong told journalists as he announced the toll at a press conference on Wednesday. "I hereby express our deep condolences for the victims, and express our sincere respects to the victims' families, the injured and their relatives, and apologise to the people of the whole city," he said. Twelve people, including the hospital's director, have been detained in connection with the fire, said Sun Haitao from Beijing's public security bureau, adding that representatives from a company renovating the facility were among those being held. A preliminary probe revealed the blaze had been caused by "sparks generated during the internal renovation and construction of the inpatient department of the hospital", according to Zhao Yang from the city fire brigade. The sparks "ignited the volatile elements of the flammable paint on the site", Zhao said. 39 hospitalized State broadcaster CCTV reported that out of the dead, 26 were patients at the hospital, two were hospital staff and one was a patient's family member. State-run People's Daily reported that as of Wednesday morning 39 people were being treated in hospital with injuries, and another three had been discharged. Top city officials visited the hospital shortly after the fire, which broke out at around 1 pm on Tuesday and was extinguished half an hour later. Beijing party secretary Yin Li vowed to "quickly identify the cause of the accident and hold the relevant responsible persons accountable", according to the Beijing Daily. AFP journalists on Wednesday saw dozens of people outside the entrance to the hospital, where a large number of police officers were stationed. Some of the hospital's windows appeared blackened and at least one was broken. The facade of one of the hospital buildings was completely blackened by soot. AFP journalists saw people who appeared to be investigators taking photos from inside the blackened building, with the interior visibly damaged by the flames. Many family members lost contact with patients in the aftermath of the disaster, the China Youth Daily said in a separate report on Wednesday, adding that many of them were elderly people with mobility problems. A police officer on the scene on Wednesday told AFP the city "will probably make the appropriate arrangements" to take care of victims' relatives. The hospital is located in the capital's western urban area, about 25 minutes by car from Tiananmen Square. Deadly fires are common in China due to weak safety standards and lax enforcement. Tuesday's tragedy was the deadliest in the Chinese capital since a June 2002 fire at an internet cafe killed 25 students. Ten people died in an apartment block blaze in northwestern Xinjiang in November, sparking protests against Covid-19 lockdowns blamed for hindering rescue efforts. And 38 people were killed in a fire at a factory in central China, also in November, with authorities blaming workers for illegal welding. The post Beijing hospital fire death toll rises to 29 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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.....»»
NBA: James triple-double pulls Lakers past Grizzlies
LeBron James returned from a one-game absence to post a 23-point triple-double on Wednesday and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 136-124 NBA victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. James sat out the Lakers’ come-from-behind double-overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday with a sore left ankle. READ: NBA: Giannis tows Bucks over Thunder .....»»
NBA: Warriors win against Magic despite Green ejection
The Golden State Warriors, fueled by 23 points from Andrew Wiggins and two late baskets by Stephen Curry, beat the Magic 101-93 in Orlando, despite the ejection of Draymond Green just 3 minutes 36 seconds into the contest. Curry was left shaking his head when Green was tossed, receiving two quick technical fouls for heatedly.....»»
Philippines beats India for back-to-back wins in women’s Asia ice hockey tiff
The Philippine women’s ice hockey team picked up where they left off after their opening win in the 2024 IIHF Women’s Asia and Oceania Cup with a 7-0 shutout of India at the Bishkek Arena in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday......»»
Cavite nagdeklara ng ‘state of calamity’ dahil sa ‘pertussis outbreak’
NASA ilalim na ng “state of calamity” ang probinsya ng Cavite. Ito ay dahil dumadami na ang mga nahahawa ng pertussis o whooping cough sa probinsya. Ayon sa provincial government, nakapagtala na sila ng 26 confirmed cases at kabaling na riyan ang anim na namatay dahil sa nasabing sakit. Narito ang datos ng Cavite kaugnay.....»»
Cavite declares state of calamity due to pertussis outbreak
The province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared a state of calamity on Wednesday, according to the Cavite’s information office......»»
54 buses to offset LRT-1 shutdown for Cavite extension, Holy Week
The Department of Transportation will be deploying passenger buses starting Wednesday to offset the shutdown of LRT-1 operations during the Holy Week and in preparation for the opening of five new stations this year......»»
The Mystery of Post-Inflation Stability: Exploring Economic Uncertainty
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Alternergy reallocates IPO proceeds to Tanay and Alabat projects
Alternergy, the renewable energy generation company founded by Vince Pérez (former DoE Secretary), announced that its board of directors reallocated P65 million of the IPO proceeds that were originally scheduled for the Solana Solar Project, Ibulao Mini Hydro Project, Cavite Offshore Wind Project, Tablas Strait Offshore Wind Project, and the operationalization of Green Energy Supply Solutions Inc......»»
The Daily Guardian: Windows feature left unupdated for 30 years
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Rombawa, Diaz triumph in Escudero juniors netfest
Aljhon Rombawa proved to be an unstoppable force at home, claiming two titles in the boys’ category, while Bacoor, Cavite’s Jana Diaz dominated the girls’ division in the Don Arsenio Escudero Sr. National Juniors Tennis Championships......»»
Avoiding the play-in
The NBA regular season ends on April 14, meaning only 20 days are left to determine which teams from the East and West will figure in the dreaded play-in tournament......»»
Rombawa, Diaz twin champs in Escudero netfest
Aljhon Rombawa proved to be an unstoppable force at home, claiming two titles in the boys’ category, while Bacoor, Cavite’s Jana Diaz dominated the girls’ division in the Don Arsenio Escudero Sr. National Juniors Tennis Championships at the Aera Tennis Club in San Pablo City......»»