EDITORIAL - Again, cleaning up the BIR
Through several administrations, the same agencies keep cropping up when corruption is discussed......»»
EDITORIAL — An endangered lake
In January this year, President Marcos directed the Department of Agriculture to increase fish production to meet the national demand......»»
EDITORIAL — The cost of negligence
As of early evening yesterday, the death toll from a vehicular collision in Cotabato stood at 17, with four others needing hospitalization for injuries and severe burns......»»
EDITORIAL — Irresponsible driving
As travel increases this Holy Week, motorists are expressing concern about a road accident this month that penalized an innocent driver. Video footage showed a Toyota Innova traversing the northbound lane of the Skyway Stage 3 on March 10 when a motorcycle moving beyond the speed limit counter-flowed, colliding head-on with the Innova......»»
EDITORIAL — Next, speedy justice
After a year of being on the run, Arnolfo Teves Jr. is finally being brought back to the country to face multiple indictments for serious offenses. Teves was arrested Thursday in East Timor’s capital Dili by local police. He had been hiding in plain sight in Timor-Leste, occasionally posting videos taunting Philippine authorities who wanted him for multiple murder cases......»»
EDITORIAL — Lights off for one shared home
Since the first Earth Hour was staged in 2007, participation in the event has grown exponentially......»»
EDITORIAL - Under lock and key
The Civil Service Commission has reminded all government officials and employees of the April 30 deadline to submit their sworn Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2023......»»
Great Deals This Weekend: Get Galaxy Tab A9 Plus, Eufy L60, Amazon Fire TV Omni and More
Introducing the Eufy L60: A Convenient Home Cleaning Solution Tired of spending hours cleaning your floors? The Eufy L60 can do it for you. This.....»»
EDITORIAL - Cleaning up
Across the country, clean-up drives are conducted by different national and local government agencies, often during special days related to the environment, or after a powerful typhoon sends ashore tons of garbage......»»
Septic canal where 2-year-old boy drowned, drained
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Officials of Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City have started cleaning the open septic canal in Sitio 3-H where a child drowned recently. In a post, Basak Barangay Captain Jasmine “Daday” Chan said that they already drained the water in the septiccanal, with the help of the Clean and Green personnel of the.....»»
Carpe diem, seizing joy amidst adversity: A diplomat’s reflection on small pleasures
Christmas is again around the corner. However, this might sound like the tired opening of a jaded columnist huffing and sighing like a teenager tasked with cleaning his room by his mom......»»
EDITORIAL - Cleaning up creeks
In the latest effort to clean up waterways in the National Capital Region, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources launched yesterday a search for the most improved estero in the NCR. Pollution in these creeks and other small waterways are among the top causes of serious flooding in Metro Manila and neighboring areas......»»
Siarganons urged to adopt eco-friendly practices to preserve island
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the people in Siargao to adopt eco-friendly practices to protect and conserve the environment as he expressed his commitment to fortify the island's position as a prime global surfing destination. In a speech delivered by the President's son, William Vincent Marcos, the Chief Executive underscored the significance of this annual event as a catalyst for economic recovery and sustainable development in the region. "Apart from showcasing the exceptional talents and skills of surfers, this Cup aims to fortify the position of Siargao Island as a prime surfing destination on the global map," said Marcos Jr. The International Surfing Cup, a prominent event on the island's calendar, not only celebrates the sport of surfing but also serves as a platform for fostering cultural exchanges and nurturing respect and solidarity amidst differences. It is an opportunity for locals and tourists to come together and experience the rich culture and values of surfing. "This competition reinforces the indomitable spirit of the people of Siargao," the President noted, acknowledging the resilience of the island's residents in the face of challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and Super Typhoon Odette, which caused significant damage to the island. He stressed the importance of supporting responsible fishing practices, buying sustainable seafood, and choosing eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products. The President also called on tourists and locals alike to support government initiatives aimed at the development of Siargao. He highlighted programs such as the Training on Homestay Pilipinas, which educates residential owners about accommodating tourists systematically and responsibly. In addition to these efforts, the government is actively pursuing projects to enhance tourism and trade on the island, including the New Siargao Airport Development Project. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is also working on programs to strengthen Odette-hit towns' adaptive capacities and resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. President Marcos Jr. concluded his speech by expressing his optimism for the continued growth and prosperity of the International Surfing Cup and Siargao's legacy in the global surfing community. He reiterated the government's staunch commitment to supporting the island's efforts for economic recovery and sustainable development. "Let us, therefore, unite as one to bring forth a greener, more secure, and more progressive Philippines for all," the President declared, inspiring hope and unity among the people of Siargao. The post Siarganons urged to adopt eco-friendly practices to preserve island appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Observe Undas guidelines, Munti residents urged
Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon strongly urged residents of the city to observe “Undas 2023” safely and appropriately. This as the city government yesterday disclosed the schedule of activities as well as guidelines for the All Saints’ and All Souls’ holiday, including hotline numbers for emergencies during the season. “Let us all take this season to celebrate the legacy of our departed loved ones in a safe and meaningful manner. Gunitain po natin ang Undas nang maayos at ligtas,” he said. The cleaning and restoration of gravestones and tombs will be allowed only until Saturday, 28 October 2023. All city cemeteries and memorial parks will then be open from 31 October to 1 November between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. No burials or cremations will be allowed in the period between 31 October to 2 November except for special cases. Gambling and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, along with firearms, sharp objects such as knives or box cutters, and flammable materials are strictly prohibited in all cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaria in the city. Selling of merchandise, the use of videoke or sound system for entertainment, and overnight stay at the cemetery or memorial park are likewise banned. Parking will not be allowed near the premises of the city’s public cemetery. Biazon also encouraged Muntinlupeños to save the city’s emergency hotline numbers: 1) 137-175; 2) 8373-51-65; 3) 0921-542-7123; and 4) 0927-257-9322. “We remind everyone to use these emergency numbers responsibly. Do not prank call these numbers as it can literally spell life or death for you or your loved ones,” he added. The post Observe Undas guidelines, Munti residents urged appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FPIP delivers Batangas school sanitation stations
Lopez-led economic zone operator First Philippine Industrial Park Inc., or FPIP, has donated hand-washing stations to 15 additional public schools in two cities that host its facilities in Batangas. The project is in support of efforts to help control the spread of infectious diseases and promote proper hygiene among school children. FPIP formally turned over the facilities during simple ceremonies held recently in the cities of Santo Tomas and Tanauan in Batangas. The facilities also received support from the Batangas chapter of the Philippine Red Cross, which donated 30 soap dispensers and 15 cleaning sets, on top of hand soaps. The turnover brought to 30 the number of public schools that received hand-washing stations from FPIP in the past year. In October 2022, FPIP also turned over hand-washing facilities to 15 other public schools in the cities of Santo Tomas and Tanauan. All the sanitation stations were designed, constructed and installed in complete sets by FPIP. The post FPIP delivers Batangas school sanitation stations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Madocs’ halal kitchen
Manila Doctors Hospital is the first hospital in the Philippines to receive a halal-kitchen certification from the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, a recognized halal-accreditation and -certifying body. MDH has established a dedicated Halal Dietary Services complete with a separate halal kitchen, which produces and serves quality, safe, and nutritious halal meals to Muslim patients, doctors and employees. Every aspect of food preparation from the procurement of halal-certified ingredients to food production, meal service, cleaning, and sanitation have been and will always be carefully looked at to ensure that it is strictly segregated from the regular kitchen of the hospital. MDH president Arlene P. Ledesma: “Our Muslim patients, doctors, nurses, technicians, and other employees stand to benefit from knowing that they can be served authentic halal food. It is a small step toward becoming a more inclusive workplace that celebrates and honors their religion and heritage.” Ledesma also reiterated the hospital’s full commitment in catering the different needs and food preferences of its diverse patient population, having been serving both local and international patients. MDH is also a DoH-accredited hospital for medical tourism. IDCP is a registered federation of 98 Muslim organizations throughout the country. The post Madocs’ halal kitchen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
IDCP grants Manila Doctors Hospital certification for new halal kitchen facility
Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) made history by becoming the first hospital in the Philippines to receive the first halal kitchen certification from the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines (IDCP), a recognized halal accreditation and certifying body. An official contract signing held on 4 October solidified the hospital’s commitment to follow the standards and requirements set by the World Halal Council (WHC). MDH has established a dedicated Halal Dietary Services complete with a separate halal kitchen that produces and serves quality, safe, and nutritious halal meals to Muslim patients, doctors, and employees. As the first hospital to have a Halal-certified kitchen in the Philippines, every aspect of food preparation from the procurement of Halal-certified ingredients to food production, meal service, cleaning, and sanitation has been and will always be carefully looked at to ensure that it is strictly segregated from the regular kitchen of the hospital. MDH President Arlene P. Ledesma recognizes this pioneering certification as a milestone that marks a new chapter for the hospital. “Our Muslim patients, doctors, nurses, technicians, and other employees stand to benefit from knowing that they can be served authentic halal food. It is a small step towards becoming a more inclusive workplace that celebrates and honors their religion and heritage”, she said. The post IDCP grants Manila Doctors Hospital certification for new halal kitchen facility appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SM Foundation innovates to spread environmental good
[caption id="attachment_193417" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Health workers in San Fernando, Cebu Primary Healthcare Facility water the locally sourced plants using the water from the rainwater harvesting system.[/caption] Rainwater harvesting is a way of collecting and storing rainwater for later use. It is an effective and adaptable way to conserve water and reduce reliance on main water supplies. Due to its efficacy, it has been applied by many civilizations in history and is being utilized today by forward-thinking institutions as a sustainable water management strategy. SM Foundation, Inc., for one, has embraced this by installing rainwater harvesting systems in two of the local health centers it recently refurbished–Brgy. Irawan Birthing Facility in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and San Fernando, Cebu Primary Health Care Facility. SMFI’s Health and Medical Programs proactively implemented this innovation to help sustain the health of the local community while preserving the environment. Ready in times of emergency Dr. Alfredo P. Manugas VI, Municipal Health Officer and Health Department Head of San Fernando, Cebu Primary Health Care Facility, said that while water is crucial to their operations, water supply is not always available in their municipality, even their center. “The rainwater harvesting system is essential in our health facility because the water supply in our municipality is not available 24/7,” he said. “We are now provided a source of water in times of emergency or any interruption of water supply. Our staff and visitors can use rainwater for cleaning, flushing the toilet bowls, and watering the plants.” [caption id="attachment_193418" align="aligncenter" width="525"] SMFI Health and Medical Programs senior project manager Albert Uy runs through how the system functions.[/caption] SMFI ensures that the facility is convenient and manageable to maximize its purpose. It operates without electricity, increasing its sustainability. To harvest water for non-potable use, it collects rainwater from the roof and gutter. The water is filtered through vinyl-coated mesh filters to ensure its quality before being stored in the 800-liter storage tank. To guide users for safe recycled water use, all faucets connected to the facility have visible labels. Alongside this innovation, SMFI also used air-cleaning paints, LED lighting fixtures and appliances, and locally sourced plants to create a clean and comfortable environment for patients and health workers. These green innovations exemplify SMFI's commitment to the environment and community health within the broader context of the SM Green Movement. With the social impact of the two rainwater harvesting systems, SMFI targets to replicate this initiative in other health centers in its pipeline, further improving water security in the face of challenges. [caption id="attachment_193422" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Health worker use the rainwater harvesting system for their outdoor cleaning needs.[/caption] The post SM Foundation innovates to spread environmental good appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hybrid rice milestones wow AsPac producers
A field study tour organized by the over 50 member-country Asia Pacific Seeds Association, or APSA, had the latter “very impressed with the milestones achieved by the country in hybrid rice seeds production” as well as the close collaboration among stakeholders in the hybrid rice sector, the Department of Agriculture’s Rice Industry Development reported Thursday. DA-RID Undersecretary Leo Sebastian said this is the first field study tour in the Philippines which stemmed from an invitation by Dr. Frisco Malabanan, who is the current executive committee member from the Philippines who is now with the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program. Sebastian, who was former chairman of the Special Interest Group on Field Crops, was replaced by the Malaysian delegate starting this year. APSA is the largest regional seed association in the world with more than 600 members, according to its website. Headquartered in Bangkok, APSA promotes sustainable agriculture through the development, production and trade of quality seeds within, to and from the Asia-Pacific region, and continues to maintain strong links with a number of key international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Trade Organization. Heidi Gallant, executive director of APSA, provides more insights into what the association means to its members. Entire spectrum of the seed industry Its members represent the entire spectrum of the seed industry — both public and private sectors — including national seed associations, government agencies, public and private seed companies, and associate members, which represent organizations outside the Asia region. Majority of the members are seed enterprises, including breeders, producers, distributors, retailers, exporters and importers. Countries with the highest number of members are China with 20 percent; India with 19 percent, Pakistan, seven percent; Bangladesh, seven percent; Japan, seven percent; Thailand, four percent; South Korea, four percent; and Taipei, four percent. Sebastian said of the 15 companies that joined the just-concluded field study tour, three were from China and others from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. The APSA study tour was timed with the holding of the 16th National Rice Technology Forum of the private sector group, Rice Board, in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur — which showcased clustered demo farms of hybrid rice companies, soil nutrition companies and digital companies involved in the rice sector, Malabanan said. Delegates impressed The delegates, according to Sebastian, were impressed with how the Philippines could pool all seed production companies in one site, as seen during the NRTF tour in Davao Sur. Malabanan said this was a result of close collaboration between the government and private companies. They site-visited seed facilities (from drying, cleaning and sacking of seeds) in SL Agritech in Lupon Davao Oriental and had a whole day of farm visits to SL Agritech, Tao Seeds, Longping and BioSeeds farms where they saw actual parental lines (male and female) of the seed companies in their flowering stages. The post Hybrid rice milestones wow AsPac producers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Asia Pacific seed producers impressed with Phl hybrid rice achievement
A field study tour organized by over 50 member countries of the Asia Pacific Seeds Association (APSA) was very "impressed with the milestones achieved by the country in hybrid rice seeds production" as well as the close collaboration among the stakeholders in the hybrid rice sector, the Department of Agriculture's Rice Industry Development reported Thursday. DA-RID Undersecretary Leo Sebastian said this is the first field study tour in the Philippines, which stemmed from the invitation by Dr. Frisco Malabanan, who is the current executive committee member from the Philippines and is now with the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program. He was a former chairman of the Special Interest Group on Field Crops (SIG-FC). APSA is the largest regional seed association in the world with more than 600 members, according to its website. Headquartered in Bangkok, APSA promotes sustainable agriculture through the development, production, and trade of quality seeds within, to, and from the Asia-Pacific region, and continues to maintain strong links with a number of key international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the World Trade Organization. Heidi Gallant, executive director of APSA, provides more insights into what the association means to its members. Its members represent the entire spectrum of the seed industry—both the public and private sectors—including national seed associations, government agencies, public and private seed companies, and associate members, which represent organizations outside of the Asia region. The majority of its members are seed enterprises, including breeders, producers, distributors, retailers, exporters, and importers. Countries with the highest number of members are China, 20 percent; India, 19 percent; Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan with 7 percent each; and Thailand, South Korea, and Chinese-Taipei with 4 percent each. Sebastian said, that of the 15 delegates that joined the just-concluded field study tour, three companies were from China and others were from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The APSA study tour was timed with the holding of the 16th National Rice Technology Forum of the private sector group, Rice Board, in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur — which showcased clustered demo farms of hybrid rice companies, soil nutrition companies, and digital companies involved in the rice sector, Malabanan said. The delegates, according to Sebastian, were impressed how the Philippines could pool all seed production companies in one site (during the NRTF tour in Davao Sur), which Malabanan said was a result of the close collaboration between government and private companies. They went to the seed facilities (from drying, cleaning, and sacking of seeds) at the site of SL Agritech in Lupon Davao Oriental. They had a whole day of farm visits to the farms of SL Agritech, Tao Seeds, Longping, and BioSeeds where they saw the actual parental lines (male and female) of the seed companies in their flowering stages. Last Thursday, they participated in the 16th NRTF forum in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur where they witnessed 18 companies (each with more than a hectare) of currently standing palay crops (both hybrid and inbred) as well as soil enrichment producers and a company that promotes drones for direct seeding of palay seeds, fertilizers and pesticide application. There, Sebastian added, the delegates were awed by the contiguous areas of planted farms by competing companies, which is rather inconceivable in other countries. That same day, they visited the farms of commercial seed companies, Bayer Crop Science and SL Agritech in Barangay Ruparan, Digos City, and in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur. From here they visited the hybrid corn farms in Kapaling, Davao del Norte, and Tagum of Bayer Science and Syngenta Phils. At the Bayer field visit, a 50-hectare integrated farm of a farmer that used to be planted with bananas before the pandemic had been converted into hybrid rice, corn, and high-value crops. The participants who left the Philippines last Saturday, also visited a learning site by DA Agriculture Training Institution showcasing an integrated farming system — high-value crops, poultry, and dairy farm — as part of the farm diversification to further increase farmers’ incomes. The post Asia Pacific seed producers impressed with Phl hybrid rice achievement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Garbage caused Saturday floods, says MMDA
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Sunday reported that a significant amount of improperly disposed garbage caused flooding in several areas in the National Capital Region amid the heavy rains on Saturday. MMDA general manager Procopio Lipana disclosed that MMDA personnel recovered garbage — such as plastics and even a plywood plank — that blocked a drain near EDSA-Camp Aguinaldo. “We obtained a huge amount of garbage despite the continuous cleaning of storm gutters,” said Lipana in a radio interview. “Aside from the large amount of garbage blocking the drainage, the heavy rain came down suddenly, and our drainage system has become inadequate,” he added. The MMDA chief reiterated that the agency planned to create a 50-year drainage master plan for Metro Manila to address perennial flooding during the rainy season, adding that drainage systems in the region’s cities need to be aligned and enlarged to accommodate the larger volume of water. Pending this master plan, the MMDA appealed to the public to properly dispose of their garbage to mitigate the flooding in Metro Manila. The post Garbage caused Saturday floods, says MMDA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»