Cat out of the bag: TSA officers shocked to see feline in checked suitcase
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Officers in one of the world’s busiest airports rescued a cat apparently trapped inside a checked luggage. Personnel from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States government at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York were shocked to see a live cat inside a checked suitcase. The […] The post Cat out of the bag: TSA officers shocked to see feline in checked suitcase appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Bucket list checked : Kim Chiu fulfills dream of being slapped by Maricel Soriano
The Kapamilya actress checked one of the things in her bucket list as she was slapped by the "Diamond Star.".....»»
How secret are CIFs?
Confidential and intelligence funds have been the buzzword since the budget season started in late August. It snowballed after Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was pressed to explain how the Office of the Vice President spent the P125-million Confidential and Intelligence Fund (transferred from the Office of the President contingent fund). As it became a highly debated topic — legislators like Senator Risa Hontiveros and Makabayan bloc members in the Lower House sought disclosure on the use of confidential funds to the public. Close to wrapping up the budget deliberations last week, the OVP and the Department of Education may lose their CIF requests in the 2024 budget as several solons agreed to realign them to the security operations of agencies that need them most. In a nutshell, arguments were in favor of transparency and against it. The decision will ultimately depend on the specific circumstances and the policies in practice. CIFs typically refer to discretionary funds allocated for specific purposes within an organization or government agency. Usually intended for confidential or sensitive activities requiring secrecy or discretion, the purpose of secret funds varies widely depending on the organization. Still, some common examples include intelligence gathering, covert operations, paying confidential informants, and other clandestine activities. Regarding national security, using CIFs may be related to sensitive national security matters. Disclosing details about these activities could compromise ongoing operations or endanger the individuals involved. Former National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr.’s explanation of where CIFs are used is clear enough. CIFs are not exclusive to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. Civilian agencies also use them for counter-intelligence — protection of personal documents and communications; and intelligence operations — use of human intelligence, technical intelligence, and other ways of collecting information. The CIFs, the former AFP chief said, are significant in maintaining the people’s allegiance to the government and safeguarding against potential espionage and threats from within the state. Equally appalling as the laxity of some government agencies in recruiting people who are supposed to be fit for the job, whose loyalty is to the people and not to overthrow the government, is the recruitment of young students and out-of-school youth to the communist cause. It, therefore, coheres that teachers’ loyalty to the Department of Education and their commitment to enhancing learning capabilities and development of the youth should be beyond doubt. Who needs teachers who lead in recruiting young minds to be radicalized? Imposing a mandatory disclosure on the use of CIFs is synonymous with informing enemies of the state of the government’s plans against them, which could potentially impede the efficacy of specific operations. It pays to understand that some security endeavors necessitate a certain degree of secrecy to accomplish goals. As long as the allocation, management, and purposes of CIFs are subject to specific laws, regulations, and internal policies, there should be no fear of misuse, corruption, or unethical behavior by those entrusted with managing the funds. The last time we checked, the dictionary had not made revisions to the definition of confidential. It still is an adjective that means “intended to be kept secret or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class.” The post How secret are CIFs? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC advises vs online dummy review
The Supreme Court Office of the 2023 bar chairman yesterday issued an advisory to warn the public about the existence of fake online training program. The SC said that it has come to its attention that certain information has begun circulating on social media, origins of which were traced from a Facebook group page called Bar Law for Dummies Training Program and from one Tzidkenu Dizon Facebook account. The court said the posts contain claims that the 2023 Bar Examinations shall be sorted, checked, and corrected by means of artificial intelligence. “The Office of the 2023 Bar Chair condemns these social media publications as false, baseless, irresponsible, defamatory, contumacious, detestable, and formulated with apparent intent to erode the integrity of the digitalized Bar Examinations.” Bar 2023 Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando said, “I reiterate what has been stated in Bar Bulletin No. 1, Series of 2023: all stakeholders are exhorted to rely exclusively on the Court’s official communication channels.” “The 2023 Bar Examinations shall be checked by four examiners per subject, all of whom are established experts in their respective fields, and who are by no means created or powered by artificial intelligence.” The initial probe commenced by the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair has unveiled the identity of the administrator of both Facebook accounts. The court is currently undertaking proper measures against the said individual, particularly, the prompt engagement of the National Bureau of Investigation in the conduct of criminal investigation of the nefarious activities and questionable circumstances surrounding this personality. The post SC advises vs online dummy review appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC belies rumor circulating on social media that bar exams to be checked using AI
The Supreme Court Office of the 2023 bar chairman yesterday issued an advisory to warn the public about the existence of fake online training programs. The SC said that it has come to their attention that certain information is circulating on social media, which can be traced from a Facebook group page called Bar Law for Dummies Training Program, with a certain Tzidkenu Dizon Facebook account, doing the posting. The court said the posts contain claims that the 2023 Bar Examinations shall be sorted, checked, and corrected by means of artificial intelligence. "The Office of the 2023 Bar Chair condemns these social media publications as false, baseless, irresponsible, defamatory, contumacious, detestable, and formulated with apparent intent to erode the integrity of the digitalized Bar Examinations." Bar 2023 Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando said: I reiterate what has been stated in Bar Bulletin No. 1, Series of 2023: all stakeholders are exhorted to rely exclusively on the Court’s official communication channels. The 2023 Bar Examinations shall be checked by four (4) examiners per subject, all of whom are established experts in their respective fields, and who are by no means created or powered by artificial intelligence. The initial probe by the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair has unveiled the identity of the administrator of both Facebook accounts. The Court is currently undertaking proper measures against the said individual, particularly the prompt engagement of the National Bureau of Investigation in the conduct of the criminal investigation of the nefarious activities and questionable circumstances surrounding this personality. The post SC belies rumor circulating on social media that bar exams to be checked using AI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec must come clean
More than ever, Commission on Elections officials need to come clean about the alleged fraudulent transmission of the May 2022 election results. Particularly so after the poll body’s chief again admitted last week that most of the election results were electronically transmitted using just one private internet protocol or IP address. After Chairman George Garcia’s admission before senators, opposition Senator Aquilino Pimentel III blurted out, “I’m in shock to find out that our entire election system (in 2022) was one large private network.” Similarly, Senator Imee Marcos, confronting Garcia, said, “So you are telling us that it’s true that the transmission of the results came from a single IP address? So that is true?” Like Ms. Marcos and Mr. Pimentel, most of us, too, need to inform ourselves about the brewing electoral integrity controversy, which has been floating around the Internet for some time. What Ms. Marcos and Pimentel were referring to had been alleged by former Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio. Garcia’s admission, in effect, confirmed Rio’s allegation that more than 20 million votes received from various vote-counting machines or VCMs in the 2022 polls had the same private IP address, 192.168.0.2. An IP address is a string of numbers assigned solely to each device so it can connect to the Internet. Significantly, the information about a single mysterious IP address used by VCM modems in 20,300 precincts in the (National Capital Region), and Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal provinces only came to light a year after the polls. The mystery IP address surfaced when Rio and his group of digital forensic experts cross-checked what seemed to be “raw files” — which a Comelec insider uploaded on the Comelec website — against the “reception logs” provided by the Comelec. Immediately after the 2022 polls, Rio strongly expressed alarm about the extraordinarily speedy transmission of electoral results and urged the Comelec to release the “reception logs.” With the discovery of a single IP address used to transmit an over 20-million vote count, Rio and his group became ever more alarmed about the electoral exercise’s integrity. Comelec, however, insisted no law mandates different IP addresses for transmission. Comelec also said all the modems were brand new, purchased after thousands of modems were found defective. The poll body said the primary telecommunications company involved in transmitting results recommended that modems be 4G-capable instead of the 3G used in previous elections. This, even if it meant using only one IP address. Bolstering the Comelec’s contention, two private electoral watchdogs said there was nothing illegal and surprising about the use of a single personal IP address since it was common practice. Rio and his group, however, remain undeterred in their allegation that there was a single “fabricated source” for the electoral results, and they were unconvinced by the watchdogs’ explanation. So, the debate on IP address 192.168.0.2 continues, particularly on the technical issue of a “man-in-the-middle” hack attack. Technically, “a man-in-the-middle attack is a security breach where a hacker inserts himself between two parties and potentially alters the communication between the two.” Still, wherever these highly technical debates lead to, Rio and the electoral watchdogs are sure of one thing — Comelec must do more. Rio and his group are challenging Comelec to resolve all remaining doubts about the election by disclosing the actual transmission logs from the VCMs. They rightly point out that transmission logs are not the same as “reception logs,” which the Comelec made public last March. Like Rio and his group, the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections said that what Comelec claimed to be “transmission logs” were actually “reception logs.” Resolving the ongoing controversy, therefore, will only happen when the Comelec comes clean with accurate transmission logs. The post Comelec must come clean appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI both a risk and opportunity for journalism: study
AI is both a threat and an opportunity for journalism, with more than half of those surveyed for a new report saying they had concerns about its ethical implications on their work. While 85 percent of respondents had experimented with generative AI such as ChatGPT or Google Bard for tasks including writing summaries and generating headlines, 60 percent said they also had reservations. The study, carried out by the London School of Economics' JournalismAI initiative, surveyed over 100 news organizations from 46 countries about their use of AI and associated technologies between April and July. "More than 60 per cent of respondents noted their concern about the ethical implications of AI on journalistic values including accuracy, fairness and transparency and other aspects of journalism," the researchers said in a statement. "Journalism around the world is going through another period of exciting and scary technological change," added report co-author and project director Charlie Beckett. He said the study showed that the new generative AI tools were both a "potential threat to the integrity of information and the news media" but also an "incredible opportunity to make journalism more efficient, effective and trustworthy". Journalists recognized the time-saving benefits of AI with tasks such as interview transcription. But they also noted the need for AI generated content to be checked by a human "to mitigate potential harms like bias and inaccuracy", the authors said. Challenges surrounding AI integration were "more pronounced for newsrooms in the global south" they added. "AI technologies developed have been predominantly available in English, but not in many Asian languages. We have to catch up doubly to create AI systems, and AI systems that work with our local languages," the report quoted one respondent in the Philippines as saying. Co-author Mira Yaseen said the economic and social benefits of AI were concentrated in the global north and its harms disproportionately were affecting the global south. She said this was "exacerbating global inequality", adding that a "power-conscious framing of global AI development and adoption was needed. The post AI both a risk and opportunity for journalism: study appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Setting the Bar high
The legal profession has always fascinated me. Studying the rudiments of law and how these affect people’s lives and liberty is not a walk in the park. It entails a lot of money, patience, risks, and sacrifices to complete a degree. Without the law, chaos will reign in society; there will be no peace and order day and night, no settlements of disputes, and accountability for criminals who will freely roam the streets with no law enforcement officers to stop them. Lawyers, like doctors, are arguably held in higher esteem and standards than other professions. They are feared for reasons only known to men. Their sartorial elegance and eloquence often hold us in shock and awe, delighting ordinary mortals. No wonder many children dream of becoming lawyers when they grow up, only to be checked by the realities of life. There is no gainsaying that attorneys, as court officers, are key players in the country’s growth; that is why every Bar examination is a significant occasion and a step forward in attaining a just and peaceful society. This year’s Bar examinations will be held on September 17, 20, and 24 in 14 local testing centers nationwide, covering six core subjects. The Supreme Court said there will be 10,816 examinees — 5,832 first-time Bar takers and 4,984 retakers. The Manila Police District is deploying around 500 security personnel to check the peace near the testing centers, with some announcing a suspension of classes and resorting to home study in anticipation of the heavy traffic. Corporations offer a much higher pay scale for lawyers. Win or lose, lawyers always get paid in court cases, as being one usually guarantees financial success unless one chooses to offer his expertise pro bono. Due to the high cost and stake of the law profession and maintaining the prestige and lifestyle that go with it, many people, except the moneyed ones, are “allergic” to lawyers because they charge exorbitant fees, and the fact that the wheels of justice in the Philippines grind exceedingly slow, the opposite of which is legal fees running faster than taxi meters. The legal profession is studded with both intellectuals and rotten eggs; sometimes, the good and the bad can be molded into one. Lawyers can uniquely present the truth in different sizes, forms, and shades. These lines in a movie aptly describe it: “Mayaman sila, kaya nilang kumuha ng mahusay na abogado. Kaya nilang baluktutin ang tuwid at ituwid ang baluktot (They are rich, they can afford a good lawyer. They can twist the truth and straighten the crooked).” Despite the high pay, respect, and other perks, the lawyers’ population has dwindled since the first Philippine Bar Examinations in 1901. The decline is alarming. Consider this: There are only 84,236 lawyers reflected in the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Roll of Attorneys as of 30 November 2022 — a minuscule number in the country’s estimated population of 117,337,368 at mid-year. And what’s the catch? The number of non-practicing lawyers exceeds that of active lawyers. Which brings us to this fundamental question: Why do we need lawyers? Let me dwell on the bright side. We need lawyers to check the imbalances and inequalities in life. We need lawyers to help fix things when these go rough, regardless of the cost. We need lawyers to give people experiencing poverty a fighting chance to preserve life, liberty, and property instead of simply walking to jail. As then-President Ramon Magsaysay said, “Those who have less in life should have more in law.” I have no quarrels with lawyers. In fact, I admire them, and I have some of them as friends. There were lawyers every step of the way during my stint in government — some of them good, some not really good. Considering the clout they wield, lawyers can be good influencers in modern-day society by helping illuminate a dark and dreary world. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I would still gamble on hiring a good lawyer to clear my path. As a parent, I wish all this year’s Bar examinees well. May the deserving, particularly the brave hearts, succeed. The post Setting the Bar high appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study
Artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT diagnosed patients rushed to emergency at least as well as doctors and in some cases outperformed them, Dutch researchers have found, saying AI could "revolutionize the medical field". But the report published Wednesday also stressed ER doctors needn't hang up their scrubs just yet, with the chatbot potentially able to speed up diagnosis but not replace human medical judgment and experience. Scientists examined 30 cases treated in emergency service in the Netherlands in 2022, feeding in anonymized patient history, lab tests, and the doctors' own observations to ChatGPT, asking it to provide five possible diagnoses. They then compared the chatbot's shortlist to the same five diagnoses suggested by ER doctors with access to the same information, and then cross-checked with the correct diagnosis in each case. Doctors had the correct diagnosis in the top five in 87 percent of cases, compared to 97 percent for ChatGPT version 3.5 and 87 percent for version 4.0. "Simply put, this indicates that ChatGPT was able to suggest medical diagnoses much like a human doctor would," said Hidde ten Berg, from the emergency medicine department at the Netherlands' Jeroen Bosch Hospital. Co-author Steef Kurstjens told AFP the survey did not indicate that computers could one day be running the ER, but that AI can play a vital role in assisting under-pressure medics. "The key point is that the chatbot doesn't replace the physician but it can help in providing a diagnosis and it can maybe come up with ideas the doctor hasn't thought of," Kurstjens told AFP. Large language models such as ChatGPT are not designed as medical devices, he stressed, and there would also be privacy concerns about feeding confidential and sensitive medical data into a chatbot. 'Bloopers' And as in other fields, ChatGPT showed some limitations. The chatbot's reasoning was "at times medically implausible or inconsistent, which can lead to misinformation or incorrect diagnosis, with significant implications," the report noted. The scientists also admitted some shortcomings with the research. The sample size was small, with 30 cases examined. In addition, only relatively simple cases were looked at, with patients presenting a single primary complaint. It was not clear how well the chatbot would fare with more complex cases. "The efficacy of ChatGPT in providing multiple distinct diagnoses for patients with complex or rare diseases remains unverified." Sometimes the chatbot did not provide the correct diagnosis in its top five possibilities, Kurstjens explained, notably in the case of an abdominal aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening complication where the aorta artery swells up. The only consolation for ChatGPT: in that case the doctor got it wrong too. The report sets out what it calls the medical "bloopers" the chatbot made, for example diagnosing anaemia (low haemoglobin levels in the blood) in a patient with a normal haemoglobin count. "It's vital to remember that ChatGPT is not a medical device and there are concerns over privacy when using ChatGPT with medical data," concluded ten Berg. "However, there is potential here for saving time and reducing waiting times in the emergency department. The benefit of using artificial intelligence could be in supporting doctors with less experience, or it could help in spotting rare diseases," he added. The findings -- published in the medical journal Annals of Emergency Medicine -- will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress (EUSEM) 2023 in Barcelona. The post ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP Hotline 911 nets suspected robber
Operatives of the Quezon City Police District, Novaliches Police Station PS 4 under P/Lt. Col. Jerry Castillo responded to a call from Hotline 911 early morning Monday, and arrested an unidentified man for robbery (akyat bahay), alarm and scandal, and direct assault of a police officer. It was reported that at 2:30 a.m. of 11 September, victim Felnarie Jolo, was sleeping inside their house at Block 2, Lot 16, Amethyst Street, Goodwill Homes, Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. Jolo was reportedly awakened by a loud noise from their galvanized roof. She checked and saw the suspect armed with bladed weapon. She approached the man but became unruly causing fear and disturbance in the area. At that instance, the PS 4 also received a telephone call from emergency hotline 911 regarding an akyat-bahay incident. PS 4 personnel immediately responded to verify the report and spotted the unruly suspect with the bladed weapon. As police officers approached and tried to pacify the suspect to surrender his bladed weapon, but he suddenly stabbed one of the police officers hitting his left hand. With this dangerous situation, the cop drew his service firearm, shot the suspect and arrested him. The wounded police officer was rushed to Novaliches District Hospital while the wounded suspect to Quezon City General Hospital for medical treatment. The post PNP Hotline 911 nets suspected robber appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cervical, breast cancer awareness stressed
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna called on all women residents of the city to be aware of the illnesses common to women as she pushed for the early detection of cervical and breast cancer. Lacuna aired the message as she was joined by Manila Health Department chief Dr. Arnold “Poks” Pangan, Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Department of Public Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire and Philippine Cancer Society Inc. program director Romeo Marcaida during the Intensified Cervical Cancer Screening for Manila City Hall employees held at the City Hall’s Freedom Triangle yesterday. In the said event, Lacuna described as “alarming” the fact that breast and cervical cancer are among the top killers in the country nowadays. She said that public hospitals have the capability to detect cancer at an early stage but lamentably, it is usually too late for many when the said illness is detected. As she also encouraged all female employees to have themselves tested, the mayor expressed concern over the increase in cases of cervical cancer, which is considered a “silent killer,” which manifests in its late stage already. The lady mayor urged all women in Manila to have themselves checked as she also called on parents to have their children aged nine to 14 vaccinated against human papillomavirus, the virus that causes most cervical cancers as well as some cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina and oropharynx or the back of throat including base of tongue and tonsils. She urged women aged 30 to 49 to have themselves screened for breast and cervical cancer where any abnormality may be detected at once. The post Cervical, breast cancer awareness stressed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Upping the ante
Beijing always ups the ante when it senses that its rival for the region’s security, the United States, is making its move to challenge its dominance in the region, which was probably how the 10-dash line came to be. With the release of the new map showing an expanded “historical” claim that included parts of India, China issued a strong criticism of the Americans with Senior Col. Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, saying the US should “stop meddling in the South China Sea issue, stop sowing discord and fanning the flames, and stop disrupting regional peace and stability.” The comment was in response to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III’s statement that “the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling is binding on all parties” and “the Mutual Defense Treaty extends to Philippine public vessels, aircraft and armed forces — to include those of its Coast Guard — in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea.” Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, backed the American position, saying the recent use of a water cannon by China’s Coast Guard against a Philippine vessel “must be challenged and checked.” He also “assured the Philippines of US backing.” Wu reiterated China’s position that the Philippines infringed on its sovereignty and violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to justify the China Coast Guard’s action. “We hope regional countries can stay vigilant, faithfully implement the DoC, and work with the Chinese side to maintain peace and stability in the region. The Chinese military will resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the spokesperson stressed. The increasing challenge from China should be matched by the US, according to geopolitical experts. A former Pentagon official, Michael Rubin, suggested the “reflagging” of islands in the disputed areas to send a clear message to China. Rubin recalled an incident in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan ordered the reflagging of nearly a dozen Kuwaiti tankers to stop Iran from attacking them to force the emirate to cease its trade with and loans to Iraq. “Reagan ignored criticism that reflagging the tankers could embroil the United States in war because he understood that at stake were not only Kuwait’s oil exports but also freedom of navigation and the rules-based order,” Rubin explained. He said that while skirmishes did occur, “once the ayatollahs understood Reagan stood firm, Iranian forces suspended their provocations.” Rubin believes that since China challenges the freedom of navigation and the broader liberal order, “perhaps the US could take a page from Reagan’s playbook and reflag not ships but rather some of the rocks, reefs, and atolls over which China now erroneously claims sovereignty.” The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated in 2016 the historical claim of China through its nine-dash line as being without basis. The root of the claim was a 1947 map the authenticity of which historians dismissed. “That Beijing bases its claim on supposed historic Chinese fishing activity further displays the emptiness of the Chinese Communist Party’s logic. After all, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Malay, Filipino and Indonesian fishermen also plied the same waters and perhaps even some closer to China,” Rubin noted. “Regardless, using the fictional map, China, in one fell swoop, claimed the bulk of the South China Sea and its considerable fishing and oil reserves,” he said. His proposal would be based on “leases drawn between the US government and its regional partners.” The leases would be backed by the arbitral award. “While the current US legal position supports the 2016 Hague tribunal judgment that finds no power can legally exercise sovereignty over disputed territories, the White House might reconsider this (stance),” Rubin added. But Rubin admitted that a greater problem might be the unwillingness of the regional states to offer leases. The proposal breaks with the usual conventions in the settling of disputes. Americans have a term for that, however: “It’s so crazy, it just might work.” The post Upping the ante appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Sacrifice,’ traders urged over rice cap
Consumers reeling from skyrocketing rice prices felt relieved after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. imposed a cap on prices, but traders said the EO would have a painful effect on them. The Department of Trade and Industry, or DTI, thus asked retailers to sacrifice a little and prioritize the welfare of most Filipinos. Executive Order 39 placed a cap on the price of regular milled rice at P41 per kilo and for well-milled rice at P45 per kilo. “The government is asking retailers to help uplift the welfare of the majority of Filipinos. Based on the DTI’s computation, they can sell within the cap at which they are not expected to lose but profits will not be big,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday. The price cap is a temporary solution to the ballooning rice prices which, he said, was caused by hoarders. “The price is excessive and extraordinary. There is apparent hoarding, profiteering, and price manipulation happening right now. This should be investigated, and warehouses should be checked,” he added. Local farmers to get hit Meanwhile, Raul Montemayor, president of the Federation of Free Farmers, aired concerns that Marcos’s EO would cause palay prices to go down. He said farmers from Pampanga and Sultan Kudarat had already reported a P3 per kilo decrease in palay prices. “Prices of palay will fall. So, when we need farmers to increase their output, the EO will be sending them a message to the contrary,” he said, adding that the reduction could be as high as 20 percent in one day. “The government should contemplate the effects of the EO on farmers,” he said. On the other hand, the traders group Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement, or PRISM, has expressed its readiness to continue working with the government to provide consumers with affordable and quality rice after the issuance of the EO. While some industry stakeholders were not receptive to the EO, PRISM lead convenor Rowena Sadicon said her group knows that it is the President’s prerogative to issue such a directive, as she expressed hope PRISM members would understand the position of the Chief Executive. She expressed hope for normalcy in the coming days, particularly with the start of the palay harvest season, which should stabilize rice prices in the country. Price monitors fan out The DTI said it would mobilize its price monitors and work closely with the Department of Agriculture, other national agencies, and the local chief executives. Local Price Coordinating Councils will be activated to effectively implement the mandated price caps. “We recognize the urgency of addressing the escalating rice prices in the market. In parallel, it is imperative to maintain stringent oversight over rice pricing and supply to preclude any potential hoarding and price manipulation by traders and retailers,” Trade Secretary Fred Pascual said. “To fortify our monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, the DTI will mobilize its price monitors and engage with local government units to activate their Local Price Coordinating Councils,” he said, even as he emphasized that the price caps will not apply to special and premium rice. The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura or Sinag lauded the government’s move. “There is no reason for any price increase these past weeks as there is no rice shortage in the country,” Sinag executive director Jayson Cainglet said. Cainglet said traders capitalized on the initial public panic after the National Food Authority on 31 July, disclosed that its buffer stock was only good until the first quarter of 2024. “And we have yet to include the expected 7 million metric tons of rice this harvest season,” he said. “At any given time, our buffer stock is good for 50-60 days, prior to the onset of the harvest season later this month.” No to ‘mislabeling’ Pascual on Friday said government inspectors will make the rounds to guard against the mislabeling of rice varieties in local markets. Penalties await merchants who will try to circumvent the price ceiling using this scheme, he said. Pascual explained that only regular and well-milled rice are covered by the price ceiling, and premium rice is not. “We will make sure that the rice varieties subject to the price ceiling, regular and well-milled rice, are not mislabeled as premium rice,” the trade chief said. “We have monitoring teams who will go around.” “Also, the Department of Agriculture will issue guidelines so that we can distinguish premium varieties from the varieties covered in the price act,” Pascual said. Retailers found violating the price ceiling face imprisonment from under a year to 10 years, or fines ranging from P5,000 to P1 million, or both. As of Friday, locally produced regular milled rice in Metro Manila retailed at from P42 to P55 per kilo, up from P38 last year, according to the DA price monitor. Local well-milled rice was being sold from P47 to P57 per kilo, compared to P40 last year. The post ‘Sacrifice,’ traders urged over rice cap appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Meralco assures readiness to respond to impact of Southwest monsoon
The Manila Electric Company has assured its customers that its personnel are ready to immediately respond to power outages that may result from the southwest monsoon currently being experienced in parts of its franchise area. This comes as the state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the southwest monsoon was enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm Hanna (international name: Haikui) which is currently inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as well as Super Typhoon Saola and Tropical Storm Kirogi. The southwest monsoon is expected to bring gusty conditions over Bulacan, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas until 1 September. “As a 24–hour service company, we are ready to respond to these types of emergency. Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that might be affected by the inclement weather,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said. Zaldarriaga added that Meralco has put in place necessary measures to mitigate the possible impact of monsoon rains, including the issuance of advisories on appropriate precautionary measures. The company has consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll their billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds. Meralco also advised its customers to continue practicing electrical safety measures which are very important especially when there is flooding. • Ensure that the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off. Be sure to be dry when being in contact with any electrical facility. • Unplug appliances from wall sockets. Turn off permanently connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible. • Remove mud and dirt from service equipment or main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes. • Make sure that all electrical wires, connectors, and other wiring devices are completely dry. • When all electrical wires and accessories have dried and are clean, the wiring system of all appliances must be checked by a licensed electrician. Do not turn on flood-damaged electrical appliances. Zaldarriaga also urged the public to keep all channels of communication open and ready and charge mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication gadgets. Customers may tune in to the different public service radio stations should power interruptions occur. To report power outages and other concerns, customers may reach Meralco through its official social media pages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter (@meralco). They may also text their concerns to 0920-9716211 and 0917-5516211 or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111. The post Meralco assures readiness to respond to impact of Southwest monsoon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP chief: Phl to maintain ‘maximum tolerance’ amid China aggression in WPS
The Philippines will continue exerting “maximum tolerance” should China again showcase aggression in the future rotation and resupply mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard to Ayungin Shoal, military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Monday. In a phone interview, Brawner said the AFP and PCG will try to prevent a repeat of the water cannon incident last 5 August and will avoid China’s blocking attempts against the RoRe mission by the Philippine vessels en route to BRP Sierra Madre. “We will still practice maximum tolerance, we will try to avoid but we will go on with our mission. For example, we will have another resupply mission, and we will still continue to avoid them. We will not respond also with water cannoning,” the AFP chief stressed. Brawner noted that Philippine ships also have water cannon systems but they will be utilized according to their legal purpose. “Our vessels also have water cannons, but we will not do that… We will not also do the same coercive and dangerous tactics as that of China,” he lamented. In an interview on Sunday, U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, said China’s “aggressive behavior” in the South China Sea to be “challenged and checked.” Thomas made this call after China’s coast guard used a water cannon against a Philippine vessel in the region. Asked what his reaction on Thomas’ suggestion, Brawner said: “Correct. We agree, but the question is, how will we do it? So what we are doing is that, we are leveraging our alliances and our partnerships with like-minded countries.” Brawner maintained the Philippines will continue to follow and adhere to the rules-based international order. “In other words, we will follow the international laws, hindi tayo makikipaggyera sa kanila (we will not enter a war with them), instead we will practice maximum tolerance,” he said. Following China’s recent aggressions in the Ayungin Shoal, Brawner said the military has already strengthened its presence in the West Philippine Sea “because it is part of the country’s exclusive economic zone.” “We have increased the frequency of maritime patrols and the number of platforms doing these,” he added. The post AFP chief: Phl to maintain ‘maximum tolerance’ amid China aggression in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Crowd darling Austin Reaves basks in attention after USA win over New Zealand
The inevitable cheers came and reverberated throughout the Mall of Asia Arena Saturday night as soon as Austin Reaves checked in for Team USA in their FIBA World Cup opener against New Zealand......»»
Clip OWWA’s wings
As the pandemic is over, the Commission on Audit should go into a more detailed scrutiny of the huge amount that the government allotted to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration totaling P17.36 billion in the Emergency Repatriation Fund or ERF. State auditors did not question the use of the ERF and even commended OWWA for the use of the fund in response to the coronavirus plague. As a result of the urgency of the situation and the provisions of the Bayanihan laws exempting purchases from the Government Procurement Reform Act, the CoA did not have the full accounting arsenal to look into the purchases. The huge amount involved and the previous experiences with the OWWA should require a double-check. According to the CoA 2022 report, of the P17,367,559,655.88 OWWA received for the ERF, P17,367,559,406.09 or 99.9999986 percent was utilized for accommodations, transportation, financial assistance, and other Covid-19 incidental expenses of repatriated overseas Filipino workers or OFWs. In several instances, OWWA even exceeded its budgeted ERF and had to draw from the succeeding year’s budget. CoA indicated that P2.3 billion was used to pay for expenses incurred in 2020 that were not covered by that year’s budget. The overshoot increased to P5.035 billion for 2021 since CoA said the expenses were not obligated and were paid through the 2022 budget. CoA, initially in the 2020 report that looked into 2019 transactions not covered by the Bayanihan law’s procurement law exemptions, questioned the purchase of hygiene kits and sanitary napkins totaling P822,420 from a construction store in Pasay City “which cannot be found in the address stated.” Upon further probe by the CoA, it was found that the supposed hardware store was fictitious and the address was that of a private residence. Then OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac had a hard time explaining the purchase of the feminine kits from a hardware store, more so that it couldn’t be found at the address. CoA also found that the procured hygiene kits, which were not itemized, were outrageously priced at P160 each, while the sanitary napkins were priced at up to P35 per pad. Cacdac promised an internal investigation which was something that was lost in the swirl of the global emergency that erupted in early 2020. That was when the ERF was bolstered with allocations from the national budget and Bayanihan laws 1 and 2. The ERF was extensively used previously to repatriate OFWs from war zones. According to the CoA 2022 report, of the P17.37 billion ERF, P13.3 billion was used for hotel accommodations, P449 million for food, P3.6 billion for travel expenses, P9.7 million for subsidies, P5.5 million for supplies, P2.4 million for hospitalization, drugs and medicine, P15.1 million for cremation services, and P90,200 for other expenses. OWWA, in a long-winded acknowledgment of the initial CoA clearance of the use of the funds, was quick to give credit to its suppliers who, it said, “were a huge help to us in the government in extending help to all Filipinos.” It then concluded, without CoA’s express acknowledgment, that the ”payables in 2020 are legal.” Several of the items in the ERF, however, would have to be checked as returning workers during the pandemic did not benefit from the program as they had to pay through their noses the hotel bills and other myriad health processes during the quarantine period as the pandemic raged. No one could recall travel expenses being paid for by OWWA to bring those in distress home. Even the pernicious nasal tests had to come out of the pockets of the migrant workers, at an overprice, as some had to shell out P10,000 for a single test. Also, overspending the ERF budget for a year should be checked since OWWA collects billions of pesos yearly with its membership fee of $25 paid every two years by each OFW. The catch in the OWWA collections is that you’ll never know the privileges and benefits due a member unless you spend time researching it which the busy migrant workers don’t have. OWWA membership is mandatory as the fee is a required item on the departure slip of an OFW. Most overseas workers will attest that they never interacted with CoA unless it involved the payment of fees and, of course, making them go through the expensive quarantine process during the health emergency. There was a plan to abolish the OWWA since its functions overlap with agencies such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency and the Department of Labor and Employment. It is time to hold an earnest review of the abolition proposal. The post Clip OWWA’s wings appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BI to check work visas of Chinese reclamation crews
Chinese nationals working on Manila Bay reclamation projects recently suspended by the government will be checked for work visas or permits, the Bureau of Immigration declared......»»
DHSUD hits ground running on Pasig River rehab
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has hit the ground running after being tapped as head of the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development by virtue of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order 35. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, along with key DHSUD officials, has started inspecting key areas along the Pasig River and laid out plans on how to implement the President’s order. Initially, Acuzar checked on the portions of the historical river in Manila, particularly at the back of the Central Post Office, which is being eyed as pilot area for mixed-use development and tourism spot, and Parola Compound for the affected informal settler families. “We already have plans, and we will soon present it to the Office of the President and before the council for approval,” Acuzar said. The DHSUD chief has already met with MMDA Chairman Romando Artes, vice chair of the IAC-PRUD, to discuss the council’s initial steps to put the order’s provisions into actionable strategies for the member-agencies. Under EO35, the secretaries of DPWH, DENR, DILG, DOT, DoTr, DOF, DBM; the chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority, commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, the general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority and the chief executive officer of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority were named as council members. The National Housing Authority will serve as the secretariat. The IAC-PRUD was tasked primarily to “facilitate and ensure the full rehabilitation of the banks along the Pasig River water system and nearby water systems in order to provide alternative transportation, propel economic opportunities, and boost tourism activities.” The council was directed to formulate a Pasig River Urban Development Plan which shall serve as the blueprint for the full rehabilitation of the river to realize its full potential for mixed-use development, transportation, recreation, tourism and sustainable human settlement, taking into consideration its historic and cultural value. It was also ordered to “study, prepare and implement a comprehensive shelter plan for massive relocation of informal settler families and other unauthorized or unlawful occupants along the Pasig River banks, including identification of suitable relocation sites; strategies for economic and social integration for ISFs, and long-term solutions to address ongoing migration into the Pasig River banks." The EO also authorizes the IAC-PRUD to “accept grants, contributions, donations, endowments, bequests or gifts in cash or in kind from local and foreign sources in support of the formulation and implementation of the Pasig River Urban Development Plan, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. To monitor the progress of the rehabilitation, EO35 tasked the IAC-PRUD to submit to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a quarterly status report. The post DHSUD hits ground running on Pasig River rehab appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
13th month pay
Dear Atty. Kathy, I checked the compensation and benefits policy of our new company, X, and I noticed that X does not have any provision for 13th Month Pay for its rank-and-file employees. X only has a provision for a Christmas Bonus equivalent to one and a half (1.5) months basic salary for all employees, not just rank-and-file employees, which is scheduled to be released on the last working day of November every year. When I clarified with HR, I was told that the Christmas Bonus is already the 13th Month Pay. However, shouldn’t X be required to pay the 13th Month Pay, which is a mandatory benefit? Jesse **** Dear Jesse, Presidential Decree No. 851 — REQUIRING ALL EMPLOYERS TO PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES A 13TH-MONTH PAY, provides that employers already paying their employees a 13th-month pay or its equivalent are not covered by the Decree (Section 2). Further, the Rules and Regulations Implementing PD No. 851 provides that the Decree shall apply to all employers except to employers already paying their employees 13-month pay or more in a calendar year or its equivalent at the time of said issuance (where the term “its equivalent” shall include Christmas bonus, mid-year bonus, profit-sharing payments and other cash bonuses amounting to not less than 1/12th of the basic salary) (Section 3). In accordance with the above provisions, and based solely on your narration, your Company does not have to pay employees any additional 13th Month Pay, since your Company has already complied with the required 13th Month Pay, by way of the Christmas Bonus, which is even more than the required amount of the 13th Month Pay, and is given well in advance of the last day of payment of the 13th Month Pay on December 24, which is more favorable to the employee. However, while no longer required under the circumstances, X still has an option to provide employees the 13th Month Pay, in addition to the Christmas Bonus being given. Atty. Kathy Larios The post 13th month pay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BoC seizes 21,000 liters of smuggled diesel
The Bureau of Customs on Wednesday formally seized a tanker and its load of 21,000 liters of smuggled diesel fuel that its agents found in Tondo, Manila last month. BoC Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy said complaints are also being prepared against V-Fuel Gasoline Station, owner of the fuel. The tanker was caught and impounded during a BoC anti-smuggling operation in Manila, Navotas and Malabon after its load failed the fuel marking field and confirmatory tests. “It came to our attention that a lorry truck was in Vitas, Tondo, Manila, so we had it checked. Our agents inspected it and found the unmarked fuel. They brought it to the Port of Manila for safekeeping,” Uy said. Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port Director Alvin Enciso said unmarked means the owner of the fuel found in the tanker did not pay taxes and duties, which is in violation of Republic Act 10963 and Customs Memorandum Order 43-2019 or the “Implementing the Fuel Marking Program.” The agency released a Warrant of Seizure and Detention for the smuggled diesel last 4 August. “Our economy the global economy, in fact depends on the proper regulation of fuel. Smuggling of unmarked fuel into the country jeopardizes the health of the economy,” Uy said. “Substandard fuel maximizes the profits only of those who sell it. Consumers are forced to carry the risks unwillingly and without them knowing. We are working double time to stop these activities and ensure our people are protected from those who make a mockery of our laws,” Enciso added. The BoC reported P30.86 billion worth of seized smuggled goods from January to August this year, surpassing the value of goods confiscated in 2022 by P6 billion. The post BoC seizes 21,000 liters of smuggled diesel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»