Duterte orders GCQ in MM, 9 other areas beginning March 1
President Rodrigo Duterte approved to maintain the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila and nine other areas effective 1 to 31 March, amid the continued threat of coronavirus diseases in the country. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that aside from the National Capital Region (NCR), also covered by the GCQ classification are Apayao, Baguio […] The post Duterte orders GCQ in MM, 9 other areas beginning March 1 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Police beef up security in Davao region for Holy Week
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) – Around 3,000 police personnel have been deployed to secure various areas in the Davao region for the Holy Week observance, an official of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao said on Monday. Police Major Catherine Dela Rey, PRO-Davao spokesperson, said the deployment of more security personnel was intended to ensure that […].....»»
7 dead after Davao City Mayor Duterte declares war vs. drugs
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 March) – Two more drug suspects died in separate buy-bust operations in Toril District here before dawn Tuesday, after they allegedly resisted arrest, a police official said. This brought the number of fatalities to seven since Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte declared a “war” on illegal drugs last March […].....»»
From the Newsrooms: March 10 to 16, 2024
THE STATE of the ruling alliance has taken back the news spotlight as the President and his predecessor engaged in yet another sharp exchange, suggesting that all is not well in Team Unity. The depth of hostility between the two remains the subject of public speculation.The media this week reported yet another back-and-forth between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the former president, Rodrigo Duterte. The ex.....»»
Rappler exposes Duterte family s stash of guns
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 21, 2024, 5:05 pm CHEERS TO Rappler for its investigative report that revealed the formidable arsenal of guns held by former President Rodrigo Duterte together with at least four members of his family, counting a total of 654 guns. The pie.....»»
Maynilad sets water interruption in Parañaque, Las Piñas
Some areas in Parañaque and Las Piñas will be experiencing water service interruption beginning 8 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow, according to Maynilad Water Services Inc......»»
LTO expands impound areas for colorum PUJs
The Land Transportation Office is expanding impounding areas in preparation for the crackdown on unconsolidated public utility jeepneys beginning Feb. 1......»»
Neda, Jica ink pact for Metro Davao s dev’t master plan
The National Economic Development Authority (Neda) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) have signed an agreement to develop a master plan for the development of Metropolitan Davao. The signing ceremony, attended by Neda Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Jica Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema, marks the beginning of the Comprehensive and Sustainable Urban Development Master Plan for Metropolitan Davao. Vice President Sara Duterte expressed her gratitude to the government of Japan and Jica for their assistance in the development projects for Metropolitan Davao. The master plan aims to achieve sustainable and balanced urban planning and development in the region, covering various aspects such as agriculture, commerce, climate resilience, technology, education, transportation, and healthcare. The plan will be formulated by the TCP with the assistance of urban development experts from Japan. The master plan will serve as a roadmap for long-term work and will support the mobilization of resources and the delivery of key services in the region. The plan will ensure sustainable urban development in areas such as land use planning, agri-ecotourism, coastal resource management, and joint service delivery. Jica has been a partner in the development and peace process in Mindanao and will expand its cooperation with the new master plan project for Metropolitan.....»»
PAGASA: Expect cooler months ahead as Amihan season begins
The start of the ‘Amihan’ season on Friday marks the beginning of the country’s cooler weather in the coming months. In an advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said it has observed the beginning of northeast monsoon season, commonly known as ‘Amihan’—based on the of strong to gale-force northeasterly winds prevailing over Northern Luzon and increasing mean sea level pressure in recent days. “These meteorological conditions indicate the onset of Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) season in the country,” it stated. PAGASA said a gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over the northeastern part of Luzon was also observed. It added that the northeast wind flow is expected to gradually become more dominant over Northern Luzon, bringing cold and dry air. “Surges of cold temperatures may also be expected in the coming month,” it further stated. The weather bureau said Amihan may be enhanced by ongoing La Niña which may trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides over susceptible areas. While dry spells may still be experienced in areas where there is an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall or drier-than-usual conditions due to El Niño. PAGASA noted that this may adversely affect the different climate-sensitive sectors such as water resources, agriculture, energy, health, public safety, and other key sectors in the country. The post PAGASA: Expect cooler months ahead as Amihan season begins appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Only 5 unaccounted Filipinos in ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Department of Migrant Workers reported that the number of unaccounted Filipinos in the ongoing Insraeli-Palestinian went from 10 to five. DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said in an interview that the effort of the agency continues to ensure the welfare of the Filipino community in Israel. “The search continues— day to day— since Saturday. We count down those numbers. It used to be around 15 or 16 in the beginning (unaccounted Filipinos), and now it’s down to five. The effort continues, and it’s possible that they are in safe rooms or in houses where possibly they have transferred or decided to move to places where their fellow Filipinos might be or where they feel they would be safer,” speculated Cacdac. Cacdac stated that around 281 Filipinos are safe, while four have sought assistance. “We put up a Google survey, [for] those in the affected areas most especially, and 281 have said that they are safe. When I say 'affected' area, I mean to say the southern part that is near the Gaza strip border. Four have sought for assistance from the survey respondents...so we are currently assisting them on the ground as we speak,” he said. He added that communication is one of the challenges facing the Filipino community in Israel. “Of course, communication poses a challenge," Cacdac said. "Many have either shut down their cellphones or find it difficult to contact their family back home so we're hoping that we’ll eventually locate them.” Despite the challenge, the DMW is in coordination with the Filipino community leaders to ensure the safety of the Filipinos. “We have a network with Filipino community leaders who are known to most Filipino Community members, and we are confident that they can be found whether they are documented or undocumented. Safer ground essentially means finding the right Filipino homes and communities, and indeed when we find some of those who were unaccounted for last Saturday, we find out how they are because they send pictures— group pictures of Filipinos with whom they are associated, or stayed with. So, we are, of course, glad to see that the Filipino community also helps those who are unaccounted for, so we eventually locate them.” The post Only 5 unaccounted Filipinos in ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MSMEs’ digital shift needs collaboration
The global Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the micro, small and medium enterprises, or MSMEs, with the economic shocks reverberating worldwide. However, the pandemic also saw an unprecedented focus on the struggling sector. Despite being diminutive in size, MSMEs make up for the shortcoming with their sheer volume, making them a source of significant contributions to the local economy. The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed MSMEs comprised 99.52 percent of total businesses in the country, or over 998,342 Filipino enterprises delivering goods and services daily. “In the fast-paced business landscape, MSMEs are facing increased pressure to apply digital technology on their operations to remain competitive and even upscale,” Dino Velasco, the senior vice president and institutional segment marketing head at Union Bank of the Philippines, said in an interview with the Daily Tribune’s digital show Business Sense. “The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, with businesses across the globe, regardless of size, rapidly adopting digitalization to survive and thrive in the so-called new normal,” he added. UnionBank ceded it could not take the whole task by itself. It needed to partner with stakeholders to address the enormity of the challenge. Foremost in the task is the geography of the Philippines with 7,641 islands which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south. Some of these islands are off-grid, which requires powering up first before they can be connected digitally and served by traditional financing facilities, like UnionBank. “We also do understand and accept the fact that we cannot do it alone. For us at UnionBank, it’s very important to work with partners and we do have partners both in the technology space and in the brick-and-mortar space that allow us to expand or reach even further. Going beyond the 80 percent of the population that are connected and reach the other 20 percent off-grid,” Velasco added. Looking at the Philippine financial landscape, the fintech space has evolved, with telcos, power providers and distributors, money business services, logistics, and others, who are present in off-grid communities as part of the whole-of-nation approach to achieving financial inclusion. Velasco went on, “We continue to partner with these vital stakeholders so that we can provide and extend our financial services to the markets in those areas.” GlobalLinker The greatest hurdles to the successful adoption of digital technology among MSME is overcoming the lack of expertise and good practices, and the associated costs. For a broader uptake of digital tools for these sectors, there needs to be more widely available standardized and even ready templates that the MSMEs can use like a plug-and-play setup. These ready templates would help avoid the appearance of costly and complicated tools and potentially enhance the opportunities for MSMEs to achieve sustainability. “That has always been the challenge for technology, not just for banking, but a lot of industries. How do we educate the more senior segment of the population,” Velasco replied when queried on how to educate MSMEs to embrace digital tools to advance sustainability. Velasco added: “What works is to educate the influencers for that more senior population of the segment. A lot of the small businesses today have in the past, involved other members of the family in running their businesses and they become part of educating those who are trying to use technology for the first time. We noticed that we can adapt that strategy by involving these family members who influence the other members, especially those who are already digitally savvy.” In addition, UnionBank has launched the Global Linker, an online platform designed for e-Commerce that allows users or MSMEs to create their website, while also offering them the opportunity to manage their inventories and link up with other merchants, suppliers, and even resellers. The UnionBank GlobalLinker is a digital SME online platform that aims to digitize SMEs in the country. To create trade fairs and online marketplaces for Filipinos all over the country, we are dedicated to the digital education of all Filipino SMEs. Velasco explained that after creating their website through GlobalLinker, the merchants are now accessible to potential clients “wherever there may be, here or outside the Philippines.” “Imagine if you are an exporter from the Philippines and you have a potential client from India. Because of GlobalLinker, you can communicate with each other and ensure that the goods and services can be ordered and delivered to your client overseas. More importantly, this e-Commerce site is equipped with the necessary tools in ways by which customers can settle or pay digitally,” he said. Velasco continued, “And if you are using our MSME Business Banking app, you can transact overseas and pay someone using Swift (code). Basically, the GlobalLinker is business networking for MSMEs and startups.” Mobile app introduced In the age of a growing demand for digital presence, Velasco said it goes unsaid that UnionBank sees the need for digital technology as a critical tool for MSMEs that want to grow or expand. “What we’re focusing on is to feature our MSME Mobile Business Banking App that we developed to answer the needs of our customers from beginning to end,” Velasco said. “Meaning end-to-end from the time a small business owner needs to apply for an account to the time when they need to manage their businesses. Using the app right solely instead of going to other channels where they need to get out of their offices and go to the branch.” The UnionBank mobile app aims to educate its users to allow the app to let “everything happen while they’re using the app or the platform.” The app also aims to create solutions for the users, like the QR code feature to allow merchants to accept payments from their customers. “It is really an end-to-end feature from account opening to transferring funds, to paying suppliers to accept payments from their customers and up to even applying for a loan facility,” Velasco added. The mobile app is something UnionBank wants to make available in the hands of its customers by simply accessing the mobile banking app for MSMEs. Necessary journey It is no longer a choice for MSMEs. Digitalization is now a necessary journey that all MSMEs must embrace to survive and succeed. Using digital technology may save significant costs for the MSMEs, while at the same time enhancing their operations, sales, marketing, and presence. A digitized MSME may also see increased productivity and efficiency, and improved customer service. But digitalization also comes with several challenges, including technological know-how, funding, and even data security. UnionBank of the Philippines is offering several platforms to solve these challenges. All you have to do is click and download their digital platform offerings. UnionBank is committed to helping MSMEs achieve their digital transformation goals, with their expertise and cost-effective solutions. The post MSMEs’ digital shift needs collaboration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NFA buys farmers’ harvests at higher prices
Farmers from different regions are enjoying better profits for their yields this harvest season. It is because the National Food Authority is now buying their rice harvest at much better and higher prices. Buying at farm gate prices of P16 to P19 per kilogram for fresh palay and P19 to P23 for dry palay, the Department of Agriculture's Rice Industry Development on Sunday said that farmers around the country are happy with the increase in the buying price of NFA which was ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos, concurrent Agriculture Secretary, on Monday last week, to ensure that farmers, who are currently harvesting their wet season crop, would not suffer from abruptly declining prices for their fresh harvest beginning this month. The DA-RID head, Undersecretary Leo Sebastian, said the new higher prices of NFA are the traders' benchmark in setting their buying prices from farmers for the fresh palay. With the mandated price hike for NFA such drastic price declines would not materialize. Sebastian said most areas of Central Luzon and portions of Mindanao and the Visayas are now harvesting their palay, although many farms have suffered significant losses from the continuous downpour and torrential winds of July and August. For those who have harvested early, they were able to sell their fresh palay for as high as P24 per kilo. One such farmer is Feliciano Jaojao of Punta, Dipolog City, an officer of the Dipolog Polanco Irrigators Association, who planted early and sold his fresh palay harvest to IA in early September for P24/kg. He said only 25 percent of their irrigation association members, who till over 1,000 hectares of irrigated areas and 1,000 hectares of rainfed areas, have harvested their palay with the peak expected by the end of September. In his three-hectare farm, he was able to reap 200 bags (of 60 kilos) per hectare from hybrid or about 12 tons while his inbred farm produced 70 to 100 bags per hectare. Another farmer, Gabriel Cale of Surigao Sur, 64, also harvested early and sold his fresh palay at P23 per kg farmgate. “Wala pang price cap sa bigas noon,” he stressed. “Now the price of 160 (brand of palay seed) is selling for P20 a kilo and this premium rice is being sold in the market for P50 per kilo. The current farmgate price is P18 to P19 for inbred and P18/kg for hybrid,” he reported. Both farmers, however, appealed to the NFA to reduce its required moisture content for selling dry palay to it and to buy more aggressively fresh palay to ensure that farmers would enjoy fair prices for their produce. They also suggested that NFA simplify the processing of payments and to pay in cash (not checks) so that they would not keep going back and forth to the NFA warehouses. NFA Acting Assistant Region 11 Manager Floreena Lorainaon the other hand told the farmers attending the 16th National Rice Technology Forum in Digos, Davao del Sur, that the guidelines to implement the new NFA buying prices would be issued next week. She explained that with the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA is only allowed to buy palay and rice to build the country's buffer stocks for up to 15 days only for emergency purposes like relief for calamity victims. “We also have only three trucks so we can’t service all the farmers. We already pay in cash for up to 200 bags of 50 kilograms,” she said. They agreed that the imposition last September 5 of the price cap for regular milled rice at P41 per kg for regular milled and P45 for well-milled coincidentally led to less imported rice being sold in their markets, which is good for local farmers. Along with thousands of farmers all over the country, they participated in the National Rice Technology Forum held in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, which showcased different hybrid and inbred rice technologies along with various soil nutrients, including biofertilizers and organic fertilizers. They visited 18 different demo farms of at least one hectare which showcased the different yield potentials and other benefits of such technologies. The post NFA buys farmers’ harvests at higher prices appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PEZA secures P10.8B investments from Japan, signs MOU for automation of ICT systems
In conjunction with the visit of the members of the President’s Cabinet to improve economic ties with Japan, PEZA pursued a five-day outbound mission to Tokyo resulting in P10.8 billion in solid investment expansion commitments from PEZA-registered Japanese enterprises. Held from 28 August to 2 September 2023, PEZA participated in an investment forum organized by junca Global Holdings and a series of business-to-business meetings that capitalized on investment leads sought by PEZA, and those from Sumitomo Corporation and the First Philippines Industrial Park, Inc., one of PEZA’s leading developer-operators. PEZA also explored new strategic areas of collaboration with Kiraboshi Bank, one of the leading regional banks in Tokyo, and with the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation JAPAN, a government agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in charge of supporting the needs of Japanese SMEs. Further, PEZA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NEOJAPAN that will allow PEZA to use NEOJAPAN’s desknet’s NEO and Appsuite, free of charge to PEZA until the end of 2023. In an investment promotion forum organized by junca Global Holdings on 29 August, Director General Tereso O. Panga highlighted Japan’s contribution to the Philippine economy, stating “Our top country investor, Japan, has a total of P766.550 billion investments from 1995 to June 2023 making up for the 27.37 percent of PEZA’s overall investments by country. This investment comes from 877 Japanese locators with 339,751 direct employments as of May 2023 and exports of $ 6.370 billion from January to May this year.” The said forum was attended by representatives from various industries, specifically from renewable energy/alternative fuel to water recycling, real estate, financial services, food processing, cosmetics manufacturing and distribution including research and development on sprayed stem cell therapy, and human resource training and management. Panga also reported that “2023 is proving to mark the significant rise of the semiconductor industry with several industry leaders proceeding with their expansion plans to address the projected demand in their products due to the rise of the electronic vehicle industry and steady technological advancements in the downsizing of gadgets and their parts.” “PEZA will make sure that the country will be poised to receive these investments as we have a small window to get the manufacturing of new high-tech products into the Philippines given the competitiveness of the industry,” he added. The mission allowed PEZA to secure P10.8 billion in investment commitments from Japanese companies, namely the Terumo Corporation (P1 billion), Taiyo Yuden (P1.6 billion), TDK Corporation (P7.2 billion) and Almex Technologies (P1 billion). Panga’s statement is further solidified by the P111.207 billion in investments already approved by the PEZA Board for the first nine months of 2023, and expansion announcements by some of PEZA’s biggest locators such as Knowles (Philippines) Electronics Corporation, Terumo, Wipro Philippines, Inc., and Isla Import Terminals, Inc. According to Panga, “Taiyo Yuden CO., LTD. has an investment plan to operate their business in Taiyo Yuden (Philippines), Inc. We are proud to have locators such as Taiyo Yuden grow inside PEZA’s ecosystem since 1989. The ongoing investment plan covers the calendar year 2023-2024, with the total investment amounting to P1.6 billion. This signifies a continued era of trust and confidence in the country’s investment facilitation climate.” The Metal Power Inductor is Taiyo Yuden’s newly patented product with cutting-edge technology. The Philippine facility is the first manufacturing site aside from the facilities in Japan. The new product is the world’s first multilayer-type metal power inductor with the latest multilayer technology and its unique metal material characteristics. On the other hand, the TDK Corporation, an electronics manufacturing company that uses leading magnetic technology will have its first expansion from 2023 to 2026 while its second expansion will begin in 2024. TDK’s new product is a bio-magnetic sensor for monitoring heartbeats. Promising investment leads are also in the pipeline such as the partnership with Kiraboshi Bank, LTD., As one of the largest regional banks in Tokyo, Japan, Kiraboshi Bank caters to a large network of enterprise clients including PEZA registration-eligible business enterprises. Meanwhile, talks with the SME Support JAPAN led to the possible inclusion of the Philippines in the conduct of CEO Business Meetings that will allow direct linkage between Japanese SMEs and PEZA RBEs. PEZA also considers the partnership as a promising prospect since the Philippines is in a position to address the human resource needs of Japanese SMEs that are looking to expand operations. According to SME Support Senior Director General Soma Hirohisa they are “looking forward to the possible partnership with PEZA to produce more success stories for Japanese SMEs, similar to those who setup manufacturing facility in the ecozones to export these products to Japan and other global markets.” On the other hand, Kaneko Cord Co., LTD. is a company engaged in various industries such as the production of electrical wires, cables, and the manufacture of medical tubes and caviar productions is interested in transferring its Japan-based operations to the Philippines. Kaneko representatives later lauded the productive meeting with PEZA, stating that the meeting “surely expedited the beginning of [their] business in the Philippines.” Meltec Corporation also have plans to expand their operations in the Philippines due to the country’s strategic location to its clients and the presence Filipinos workers with high-quality skills and positive attitude. On 1 September 2023, PEZA entered into an MOU with NEOJAPAN that will allow PEZA to use NEOJAPAN’s desknet’s NEO and Appsuite, free of charge to PEZA for a limited period. The use of these groupware solutions will allow PEZA to digitize, automate, and centralize most of its internal documents and processes under a secure IT environment. With this partnership, PEZA will be taking the lead in government administration, being one of the first Philippine government agencies to use the product as a standard operating office system. In Japan, desknet’s NEO is used by 40 percent of all Japanese LGUs, ministries such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, universities such as The University of Tokyo, and large enterprises such as Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Mizuho, Pilot and Fujifilm. Represented by Panga and Corporate Center Senior Director Tsuneko Aoki, PEZA and NEOJAPAN inked the engagement geared toward exploring areas of collaboration and cooperation in developing, improving and automating the administrative processes of PEZA through the adoption of appropriate ICT systems. In Japan, desknet’s NEO is used by 40 percent of all Japanese LGUs, ministries such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, universities such as The University of Tokyo, and large enterprises such as Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Mizuho, Pilot and Fujifilm. The MOU is also in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and Confidentiality of Information. This is part of PEZA’s initiatives towards contributing to the goal of the Department of Trade and Industry of promoting digital transformation in the Philippines that is science, technology, and innovation-driven. The post PEZA secures P10.8B investments from Japan, signs MOU for automation of ICT systems appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
150 dead as ‘catastrophic’ storm floods hit east Libya
At least 150 people were killed when freak floods hit eastern Libya, officials said Monday, after storm "Daniel" swept the Mediterranean, its torrential rains earlier lashing Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. Images filmed by residents of the Libyan disaster area showed massive mudslides, collapsed buildings and entire neighborhoods submerged under muddy water. "At least 150 people were killed as a result of flooding and torrential rains left by storm Daniel in Derna, Jabal al-Akhdar region and the suburbs of Al-Marj," said Mohamed Massoud, a spokesman for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya. "This is besides the massive material damage that struck public and private properties," he told AFP. Hundreds of residents were still believed to be trapped in difficult-to-reach areas as rescuers, backed by the army, were trying to come to their aid. East Libyan authorities had "lost contact with nine soldiers during rescue operations", Massoud said. He said the prime minister of the east-based government, Oussama Hamad, and the head of a rescue committee as well as other ministers had travelled to Derna to evaluate the extent of the damage. Hamad's government -- which in war-battered Libya rivals an UN-brokered, internationally recognized transitional administration in Tripoli -- on Monday declared Derna a "disaster area". Libya's western government under Abdelhamid Dbeibah, during an extraordinary ministerial meeting broadcast live on television, announced three days of national mourning and emphasized "the unity of all Libyans" in the face of the disaster. The National Petroleum Company, whose main oilfields and terminals are in eastern Libya, declared "a state of maximum alert" and suspended flights between production sites where activity was drastically reduced. Experts have described storm Daniel -- which killed at least 27 people when it struck parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria in recent days -- as "extreme in terms of the amount of water falling in a space of 24 hours". 'Severe weather' A Derna city council official described the situation in the city as "catastrophic" and in need of "national and international intervention", speaking to the local TV channel Libya al-Ahrar. He reported the collapse of four main bridges and two buildings in Derna, a city of 100,000 people that lies in a river wadi 900 kilometers (560 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. The storm struck eastern Libya on Sunday afternoon, hitting especially the coastal town of Jabal al-Akhdar but also Benghazi, where a curfew was declared and schools closed for several days. The United Nations mission in Libya on Monday said on X, formerly Twitter, that it was "closely following the emergency caused by severe weather conditions in the eastern region of the country". It expressed its condolences over the deaths and said it was "ready to support efforts by local authorities and municipalities to respond to this emergency and provide urgent humanitarian assistance". Libya, sitting on Africa's largest known oil reserves, was plunged into chaos following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed former dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Two rival governments based in the west and east have been vying for power, with deadly conflict occasionally erupting. The French ambassador to Libya, Mostafa Mihraje, also offered his condolences and expressed his "solidarity with the Libyan people in this ordeal", also in a message on X. In neighboring Egypt, authorities called for caution on the northern coast which borders eastern Libya, and announced they were beginning preparations to minimize the impact of Storm Daniel. The weather forecast predicted more heavy rain in coming days there. As the world warms, the atmosphere contains more water vapor which increases the risk of heavy precipitation in some parts of the world. Combined with other factors such as urbanization and land-use planning, these more intense rainfall events contribute to flooding. The post 150 dead as ‘catastrophic’ storm floods hit east Libya appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Farmers ask for subsidies as farm gate prices decline due to storms, wet season
Palay farmgate prices continue to decline and are expected to drop even more when harvest peaks in late September and October. This was the assessment made by the Department of Agriculture's Rice Industry Development that saw palay farm gate prices from a high of P22 to P25 a kilo in June and July, the onset of harvest in Nueva Ecija in early September, and continue to drop at P17 and P18 a kilo last week. DA-RID said a field survey done by the National Rice Program in several towns of Nueva Ecija this week showed palay farm gate prices continue to drop, which farmers said might drop to as low as P16 or P15 when harvest for the wet season crops begins to peak by mid- September. Farmers are also appealing to the President to intervene, so that they would get better rates for their produce and not be at the mercy of prices to be dictated by the traders, agents and millers. It added that farmers lamented that their production had been substantially decimated by the recent prolonged downpour caused by the typhoon and habagat, resulting in many of their standing crops bending to the soil, making them irrecoverable. "But for some who harvested earlier, they were able to benefit from the high prices from their palay and did not suffer losses, unlike the majority who would be harvesting in the coming weeks," the NRP reported. An inspection done by the DA-NRP also showed that heavily affected by the prolonged downpour from habagat and typhoons, were the farms of Licab, Quezon, Zaragoza and other areas. The field survey revealed that most of the Nueva Ecija farmers interviewed said they were saddened by the abrupt decline in palay farmgate prices from about P22 to P24 in late August to just P16 to P17 a kilo now, they said. Aside from the rains, another factor that led to the sudden decline in palay prices was the imposition of price cap on 5 September. “We’re afraid that traders, millers, and other merchants would buy our harvest at a uniform lower price,” they said. Many farms in Nueva Ecija are beginning to harvest their wet season crop, which is expected to peak by mid-September until late October. The National Food Authority does not buy fresh palay, but only those with a moisture content of 14.1 to 30 percent, clean and dry, which costs P19 per kilo. During the field interview, the farmers, a seed grower and members of a farm coop in Aliaga, Quezon and Licab, all in Nueva Ecija, also suggested that if rice vendors of Metro Manila are to be given subsidy for what they claim as “losses” for selling stocks they bought at high prices, but they must sell at P41 for regular milled and P45 for well milled, then they too should be given subsidies for the losses they have suffered from the reduced price ceilings of rice which caused palay prices to slides down. They also appealed to the President to order NFA to buy fresh (wet) palay at the farmgate level, which traders have been leaving them with no choice but to sell wet palay at a loss. With the recent prolonged rains from habagat, farmer Servillano Yabut, also director of the Farmer Business Service Cooperative of Aliaga said he expects to harvest only 60 to 70 percent of their planted palay with an average yield of 130 cavans per hectare and rice recovery of only 65 cavans. Five years ago, Marcelo Tudayan of Aliaga sold his palay at the farm gate price for as high as P22.50 but now he said he would be lucky to sell at P17 a kilo. He explained that back then, the cost of inputs was low which enabled them to still earn, but now that the cost of all inputs—principally fertilizers—has soared, he does not expect to earn any. The cost of petrochemical fertilizers soared with the global price hikes for oil as a result of the 2-year old war in Ukraine and the worldwide disruptions in the supply chain because of the pandemic. During the dry season crop of 2023, the top five production areas of Nueva Ecija: Guimba with 124,943.56 metric tons; San Antonio with 112, 126.97 mt; Munoz with 85,947.21 mt; Talavera with 72,681.60 and Gapan with 67,265.69 mt. But in terms of yield per hectare during the dry season crop, the top five LGUs were: Munoz with 9.5 mt; San Antonio, 9.2 mt; Sto. Domingo, 8.89 mt; Jaen, 8.55 mt and Sta. Rosa, 8.44 mt. These LGUs have yet to start the wet season harvest by mid-September to October, but a few harvests have already been made at Aliaga and parts of Quezon and Licab. The Masagana Rice Industry Development Program aims to raise farmers' income through better-yielding seed varieties (both inbred and hybrid) and increase their savings from production costs through a cocktail of fertilizers (organic, biofertilizer, and chemical nutrients) and linking them with potential buyers and credit facilities. The post Farmers ask for subsidies as farm gate prices decline due to storms, wet season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Immigration eyes shift to E-gates
The Bureau of Immigration is now planning to replace half of its manual counters with Electronic gates to increase the efficiency of its airport operations. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco announced this Monday (4 September) after requesting an increase in the BI’s budget. According to the BI, it follows a 45-second immigration processing time for travelers, adopted from the Guidelines on Advance Passenger Information published jointly by the International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization. While the 45-second standard is meant for check-in counters to allow for manual keying of passenger data, BI has committed to and placed an obligation on itself to process passengers within that time frame. Tansingco said that the BI’s IT programs are lined up to further reduce the processing time without compromising national security. He added that the procurement of E-gates has been included in the BI’s approved information systems strategic plan for 2024–2026. The E-gates, which are identical to those used in advanced countries, can reduce processing time to as little as 8 seconds per passenger. When compounded, this would greatly speed up the traveler’s processing time. The BI chief claimed that currently, the Bureau only has 21 E-gates, which are distributed throughout the arrival areas of all major international airports in the country, with the majority of them placed at the NAIA. The Bureau is preparing to purchase E-gates beginning in 2024, and by 2026, it expects to have a total of 43 E-gates established across the country. The agency estimates that this project will cost 1.9 billion, which is required to keep up with equivalents elsewhere. “E-gates are now the standard in most countries,” Tansingco said. “We want things to be faster and more efficient to better improve the experience of our travelers,” he added. Meanwhile, Tansingco said that their operations are prepared for the expected influx of passengers during the Christmas season. He added that the “Ber” months are here again, and because of this, they expect a higher volume of arriving and departing passengers. Tansingco also shared that apart from deploying hundreds of immigration officers, with the latest batch of graduates numbering 108, the BI has in place the Rapid Response Procedure, executed in all international ports of entry and exit during peak hours or critical periods, to address the sudden influx of travelers by augmenting the number of officers assigned at a specific terminal through the mobilization of other IOs assigned at other offices. Mobile counters have also been deployed to process passengers despite the limited immigration space in our airports as compared to the allocated immigration space in other countries. The BI also announced that within the year, it intends to open green lanes at the departure area, which will cater to airline crew, frequent travelers, and OFWs. The post Immigration eyes shift to E-gates appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PSA launches 2022 Census on Agriculture and Fisheries
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) launched the 2022 Census on Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) in provinces and barangays on Monday, 4 September. Target respondents for the 2022 CAF are operators of crops, livestock, poultry, insects/worm culturing, aquaculture, and/or fishing activity from 1 January to 31 December 2022, while at the barangay level will be the barangay chairpersons or any incumbent barangay official. Data collected from the census, which will run until 25 October this year, will serve as relevant bases for public leaders to create policies, plans, and programs to enhance the Philippines’ socio-economic status. The 2022 CAF will also provide an inventory of agricultural and fishery resources, basic information on crops and livestock, statistics on land distribution and operations, benchmarks for measuring progress, data for local area planning, a sampling frame for surveys, information for monitoring progress toward Sustainable Development Goals, and data needed by the United Nations Organizations for international comparability and observing the global food situation. “This milestone event signified the beginning of a comprehensive household and barangay data collection process. It underscores the PSA’s commitment to empowering our agricultural and fisheries sectors with accurate information, actionable insights, and a collective vision for the future,” said PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa during the 2022 CAF press conference. The provinces of Pangasinan, Bukidnon, and Iloilo will have full coverage under the 2022 CAF due to the areas’ production volume and value in the country’s agriculture industry. Meanwhile, PSA enumerators will also make their rounds in cities, where urban farms and community gardens flourish. In line with the government agency’s bid for efficiency and accuracy, the PSA partnered with actress Bea Alonzo, who is also the proprietor of Beati Firma in Iba, Zambales, to encourage the farmers and fisherfolks to participate in the census. “We want to achieve ‘yung mileage, information, education campaign dito sa ating census. As you know, when we go to each of the houses during census time, not all respondents are so welcoming. With Bea here, she will help us,” PSA Deputy National Statistician Minerva Eloisa Esquivias said. “Alam ko po mga challenges ng farming: Masamang panahon, bagyo po talaga, minsan bigla na lang may babagsak na mga puno, minsan po mataas ang presyo ng binhi. So, ’yun po ang challenges sa pagiging farmer,” Alonzo said. Other modern steps that the PSA took to ensure the success of the 2022 CAF is equipping its enumerators with tablets to expedite the data collection and compiling process. It’ll also be the first time the government agency will use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms developed by the Department of Science and Technology’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) to detect, map, and estimate the area for selected crops and aquafarms. Throughout the data collection period, the PSA also advises respondents to be vigilant in recognizing their legitimate numerators before giving out any relevant information about themselves, their families, and their properties. The PSA aims to release data gathered from 2022 CAF in the first quarter of 2024. The 2022 CAF is the seventh in PSA’s decennial agricultural and fisheries census series and is conducted every 10 years. The post PSA launches 2022 Census on Agriculture and Fisheries appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BI to replace 50% of manual counters with E-gates
The Bureau of Immigration is now planning to replace half of its manual counters with electronic gates to increase the efficiency of its airport operations. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco made this announcement on Monday, 4 September, after requesting an increase in the BI’s budget. According to the BI, it follows a 45-second immigration processing time for travelers, adopted from the Guidelines on Advance Passenger Information published jointly by the International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization. While the 45-second standard is meant for check-in counters to allow for manual keying of passenger data, BI has committed to and placed an obligation on itself to process passengers within that time frame. Tansingco said that the BI’s IT programs are lined up to further reduce the processing time without compromising national security. He added that the procurement of e-gates has been included in the BI’s approved information systems strategic plan for 2024–2026. The E-gates, which are identical to those used in advanced countries, can reduce processing time to as little as 8 seconds per passenger. When compounded, this would greatly speed up the traveler's processing time. The BI chief claimed that currently, the Bureau only has 21 e-gates, which are distributed throughout the arrival areas of all major international airports in the country, with the majority of them placed at the NAIA. The Bureau is preparing to purchase E-gates beginning in 2024, and by 2026, it expects to have a total of 43 E-gates established across the country. The agency estimates that this project will cost 1.9 billion, which is required to keep up with equivalents elsewhere. "E-gates are now the standard in most countries," said Tansingco. "We want things to be faster and more efficient to better improve the experience of our travelers," he added. Meanwhile, Tansingco said that their operations are prepared for the expected influx of passengers during the Christmas season. He added that the "ber" months are here again, and because of this, they expect a higher volume of arriving and departing passengers. Apart from deploying hundreds of immigration officers, with the latest batch of graduates numbering 108, the BI has in place the Rapid Response Procedure, executed in all international ports of entry and exit during peak hours or critical periods, to address the sudden influx of travelers by augmenting the number of officers assigned at a specific terminal through the mobilization of other IOs assigned at other offices. Mobile counters have also been deployed to process passengers despite the limited immigration space in our airports as compared to the allocated immigration space in other countries. The BI intends to open green lanes at the departure area, which will cater to airline crew, frequent travelers, and OFWs before the year is over. The post BI to replace 50% of manual counters with E-gates appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Typhoon ‘Haikui’ makes landfall in Taiwan
Typhoon "Haikui" made landfall in eastern Taiwan Sunday, unleashing torrential downpours, whipping up winds, and plunging thousands of households into darkness as the first major storm to hit the island directly in four years. Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas, hundreds of flights canceled, and businesses closed in preparation for the storm. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said in a news conference the typhoon was "at our doorstep" and by 3:40 p.m. (0740 GMT) confirmed to AFP it had made landfall in coastal Taitung, a mountainous county in lesser-populated eastern Taiwan. Residents hunkered down indoors in the dark, staying away from windows as strong gusts of wind sent fallen trees and dislodged water tanks flying in the air, according to an AFP reporter. "I think this time it is serious," said retired mechanic Chang Jhi-ming, 58, in Taitung. "This is just beginning, the wind is just coming in and you can see trees toppling already." The typhoon has gathered speed since yesterday, and at 7:15 p.m. was carrying sustained winds of about 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour. "Rain and wind will be most intense and its impact will be most obvious during this period" after landfall, said a spokesperson with the weather bureau, adding that the typhoon will move into the Taiwan Strait by Monday evening. Across the island, more than 21,000 households lost power and, while most saw it restored by mid-afternoon, about 9,000 were still without electricity when Haikui hit -- including in Taitung. Authorities have reported two minor injuries in Hualien County, a mountainous region where a warning for flash floods was issued after a fallen tree hit a car. Hualien and Taitung counties were also under a torrential rainfall advisory, due to remain in place until at least Monday afternoon. The last major storm to hit Taiwan was Typhoon Bailu in 2019, which killed one person. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Haikui would be the first in four years to cross the Central Mountain Range running north to south of the island -- a path that could lead to landslides in surrounding counties. "I remind the people to make preparations for the typhoon and watch out for your safety, avoid going out or any dangerous activities," Tsai said. 'Big winds' The streets in Hualien were deserted Sunday, battered by unrelenting rain, while a fishing harbor in northeastern coastal Yilan county saw towering waves slam against the shore. In Yilan, some residents braved the downpour to shop at a nighttime market that had remained open despite the authorities' warnings. In Taitung, ripped-up trees already littered the streets before Haikui landed, street signs swayed under the strong winds and a restaurant owner tied down his signpost advertising seafood. "I almost forgot what it's like to be in a typhoon. What big winds!" restaurant owner Huang Jun-tong said, adding that when he woke up he immediately went to his shop to make sure everything was protected. "Yesterday, it was so calm that we did not feel like a typhoon was coming. Today, we feel it," he told AFP. The military had mobilized soldiers and equipment, such as amphibious vehicles and inflatable rubber boats, around the parts of Taiwan where Haikui was expected to have the heaviest impact. But it is expected to be less severe than Saola, which bypassed Taiwan but triggered the highest threat level in nearby Hong Kong and southern China before it weakened into a tropical storm by Saturday. The post Typhoon ‘Haikui’ makes landfall in Taiwan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia sanctions 11 industrial firms over Jakarta pollution spikes
Indonesia has sanctioned 11 industrial firms for failing to meet operational standards as the government moves to deal with major pollution spikes in the capital Jakarta, the environment minister said Monday. Air pollution levels in the megalopolis of about 30 million people have risen to some of the highest in the world in recent months, topping global rankings multiple times since the beginning of August, according to Swiss air monitor IQAir. The government had blamed weather patterns and vehicle emissions for the spike but some ministers have recently acknowledged coal-fired power plants and factories around the capital were also partly responsible. "We have imposed administrative sanctions on 11 entities," Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar told a news conference, without identifying the firms. "This means that based on inspections, we have identified areas where they don't meet the standards, and they are required to rectify these issues." She said the sanctioned firms were coal stockpiling, smelting, paper and charcoal companies. The administrative sanctions were not outlined. The action came on the same day that President Joko Widodo inaugurated Jakarta's first elevated light railway line, which he said would alleviate chronic traffic and help reduce pollution. The Light Rail Transit will link central Jakarta to surrounding satellite cities such as Bekasi. Widodo said in a cabinet meeting last week that the long dry season, vehicle emissions and industrial activities were all factors in the pollution spike. In another move to improve the city's air quality, the Jakarta administration has ordered half its civil servants to work from home in a two-month trial that started last week. Jakarta officials have stressed that no public services would be affected by the trial, emphasizing that only non-essential government workers can work from home. The post Indonesia sanctions 11 industrial firms over Jakarta pollution spikes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»