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Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro
Davao City’s confidential expenses that ballooned to P2.697 billion during Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as mayor should be probed by the Commission on Audit, a lawmaker said Monday. The call for investigation was prompted by the 2022 report of the CoA, which found that Davao City spent P2.697 billion on confidential expenses between 2016 to 2022, or an average of PP385.3 million per year over the preceding six years. Duterte served as the Davao City mayor from 2016 to 2022 before she assumed the VP post in July of last year. Based on CoA findings, Davao City incurred P144 million of confidential expenses in 2016, which was more than doubled to P293 million in 2017 and further climbed to P420 million in 2018. The city’s confidential fund expenses further grew to P460 million in 2019 and were maintained consistently for the subsequent years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. In an interview on Monday, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, who sought the CoA probe, stressed that the P2.697 billion totality of confidential expenses of Davao City in the previous six years “could have been utilized more effectively to benefit the education sector, specifically by providing much-needed support to teachers.” “We were shocked also [by] the report of the CoA. With this controversy of confidential funds, we are thinking of asking the CoA to investigate,” she said. “The CoA should file an audit observation memo and then ask them to explain maybe the misuse of funds and then file necessary legal action.” She added, “Imagine more than a million a day spent for the confidential funds in a city. I just wonder how it was spent and where it was spent. So, we want the CoA to review if the city government of Davao City led by Vice President Sara Duterte by then really followed the guidelines or the joint circular 2015-01.” The said joint circular outlined by CoA with the Departments of Budget and Management, National Defense, and of the Interior and Local Government, and Governance Commission for GOCCs, contains guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds that are in the General Appropriations Act. Daily Tribune has been asking for Duterte’s comment, but she remained mum on the issue. While Castro admitted that the local government units are entitled to confidential funds for peace and order maintenance, it was “ironic” that Duterte sought allocation of such funds given that she claimed Davao City was “very peaceful, disciplined, and well” during her tenure. "So why is it necessary to have an increasingly confidential fund?" the lawmaker stressed, noting such a fund should be used for other fruitful endeavors. "I remember the time the teachers of Davao City were asking for city allowance, but she did not grant it. Instead, she refused and even got mad with ACT (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) during that time," Castro pointed out. While none in the law limits the amount of confidential funds, the militant lawmaker pointed out that it should be rationalized. A proposed law aimed at imposing a cap and limit on confidential funds, streamlining the allocation of such that would promote transparency and accountability, is currently being crafted, according to Castro. It will be filed in Congress when the session resumes in November. The post Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA rises in rankings of world’s most internationally connected airports
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has established itself as one of the most internationally connected airports in the world. Known by its International Air Transport Association (IATA) code, MNL, it ranked 15th in the top 50 global airport mega hubs and secured the third spot in the top 25 low-cost carrier airport mega hubs. According to the 2023 Megahubs Index by OAG, a leading provider of digital flight information, intelligence, and analytics for airports, MNL has climbed from 29th place in 2019 to 15th place this year in terms of international connectivity. The flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, emerged as the dominant air carrier with a 32% share of flights. In this list, led by the United Kingdom's London Heathrow Airport, MNL also ranks 6th among the top international mega hubs in the Asia Pacific region, following KUL (Malaysia), HND (Japan), ICN (Republic of Korea), BKK (Thailand), and SIN (Singapore). OAG noted, “The presence of seven Asian airport hubs in the Global Top 20 is significant considering the region is still on the path towards a full recovery.” Currently, MNL hosts 40 international carriers serving 58 international destinations. The latest addition to NAIA’s roster in 2023 is ZIPAIR, which launched its first flight between Manila and Narita last July. Additionally, Philippine Airlines has introduced nonstop flights to Perth, and Air China now directly connects Tianfu Chengdu to NAIA. Among the top 25 mega hubs for low-cost international connections this year, MNL stands out in third place, trailing only KUL (Malaysia) and ICN (Republic of Korea). MNL is the home of Cebu Pacific Air, the Philippines’ leading low-cost carrier (LCC), which will be launching flights to Da Nang, a new destination from Manila, beginning December 7th. Thirteen Asia Pacific airports, including MNL, dominate the rankings, reflecting the high level of LCC penetration in South Asia and Southeast Asia. “We are pleased that MNL is able to ride the momentum brought about by the strong and consistent travel rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the LCC penetration in our region. We are likewise grateful for the confidence the international carriers have extended to us. Testament to this is the growing number of applications from various international carriers who wish to operate flights in NAIA,” Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co said. “NAIA being the country’s main gateway makes it incumbent upon us, as the airport authority, to expand the destinations Filipinos, as well as our guests, can fly to and from MNL,” added Co. HK Express is set to launch its inaugural flight between Manila and Hong Kong on 13 October, while United Airlines is scheduled to launch nonstop flights connecting Manila with San Francisco starting 30 October. The post NAIA rises in rankings of world’s most internationally connected airports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Semiconductor industry having a renaissance — player
Even if unharmed by the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic three years ago, the semiconductor industry is fast regaining momentum, and even experiencing a renaissance as proven by a top executive of CIRTEK Electronics Corporation, an independent complete solution provider for subcontract manufacturing of semiconductor devices. In his guest appearance on the DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Business Sense, Brian Liu, managing director and CEO of Cirtek Electronics Corp., said the company’s full-year 2022 performance has breached its all-time high performance in 2019. “We reached an all-time high prior to the pandemic in 2019. But because of the effects of Covid-19, world economies closed. Supply chain problems occurred. So, we took a bit of a slowdown during that time frame; 2020 to 2021 was a bit of a slowdown for us,” he said. Renaissance “We do believe that the semiconductor industry is in a renaissance right now where a lot of the supply pool is shifting away from Greater Asia and making its way to Southeast Asia so this should serve as a good tailwind for the semiconductor industry,” he added. According to tradingeconomics.com, semiconductor exports from the Philippines climbed 0.8 percent year-on-year to a seven-month high of $6.70 billion in June 2023, following an upwardly revised 2.4 percent gain in the prior month. Sales grew for electronic products (12.0 percent), other manufactured goods (2.8 percent), ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets used in vehicles, aircraft, and ships (14.6 percent), machinery and transport equipment (11.2 percent), and cathodes and sections of cathodes of refined copper (38.5 percent). By destination, sales increased to China (15.0 percent), Hong Kong (15.9 percent), the US (6.9 percent), the Netherlands (59.4 percent), South Korea (4.4 percent), Malaysia (3.1 percent), and the European Union (23.0 percent). Benefiting from WFH Further, he said the work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic have even generated pent-up demand for chips that they manufacture. “So basically, it is a mix, we keep our portfolio as diversified as possible. But back in the height of the pandemic, radiofrequency and communication chip sets comprised a large volume of our production because of the demand for work-from-home hybrid spaces. This prompted a lot of demand for higher bandwidth and connectivity,” he said. “Some of these chipsets go to the laptops that we work on so as you know demand for laptops also surged during work-from-home setups, and right now we’re seeing an industrial revolution where a lot of traditionally mechanical devices are being electrified,” he added. AI’s help As contentions about artificial intelligence or AI grow in various parts of the world, Liu said AI is beneficial to his industry in terms of improving their production. “Now we are seeing a new need for a new sub-segment such as artificial intelligence to power new automation and new devices through this automated way of machines learning and doing things on their own. This has created new device families as well, especially in the processing space and the hybrid system and packages. We are talking about multi-function chip sets being consolidated into one system. Hence a new product family is being derived,” he explained. Liu maintained that the semiconductor industry will remain a very crucial part of everybody’s lives, seeing that semiconductors comprise the very impetus of technology itself. “So, any gadget, any device, or any equipment would not be able to function without the aid of semiconductors, and because of the continuous evolution of technology and new innovations being created, this catalyzes new semiconductor device families to be continuously created, and that’s why I do believe that semiconductors play a crucial role as the building block of technology itself,” according to Liu. The Cirtek Group harnesses more than 29 years of expertise in the assembly and testing segment of the semiconductor industry and has been accredited and certified by several international quality institutions for the latest quality system standards. Beginning with just three customers in 1984, the company through its subsidiaries has significantly grown its customer base to 42 at present. “We are an independent Filipino semiconductor company, located at the Heart of Laguna Techno Park. Basically, we maintain a very highly diversified portfolio, so we do semiconductors for RF and communications, industrials, aerospace, consumer, system, and packages, and automotive as well,” Liu stated. The post Semiconductor industry having a renaissance — player appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 killed in China kindergarten attack
BEIJING, China (AFP) -- Six people were killed and one wounded in an attack at a kindergarten in southern China’s Guangdong province on Monday, a spokeswoman for the city government said. “The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students,” she said. She did not offer details about the identities or ages of the victims, nor the weapon used in the attack, which took place in the city of Lianjiang. “One suspect has been arrested,” she said, adding that a police investigation was underway. The suspect was a 25-year-old male surnamed Wu, local police said in a statement. The incident took place around 7:40 am (2340 GMT on Sunday), the state-backed China News Network reported. Videos shot by passersby claiming to show the crime scene were removed from video-sharing platform Douyin and Twitter-like Weibo. While guns are strictly controlled, China has been struggling with a spate of mass stabbings. Violent crime has been on the rise as the economy has grown in recent decades and the gap between rich and poor has widened rapidly. Spate of attacks Fatal attacks targeting students and schools have occurred nationwide in recent years. The attacks have forced authorities to step up security and prompted calls for more research into the root causes of such violent acts. Last August, three people were killed and six others wounded in a knife attack at a kindergarten in southeast China’s Jiangxi province. In April 2021, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China. In June of the previous year, 37 students and two adults were wounded by a knife-wielding attacker at a primary school in southern China. And in November 2019, a man climbed a kindergarten wall in southwest Yunnan province and sprayed people with a corrosive liquid, wounding 51 of them, mostly students. The same year, eight schoolchildren died and two others were wounded in a “school-related criminal case” in the central Hubei province, with a 40-year-old man arrested. And in April 2018, a 28-year-old man killed nine college students and injured 12 others outside their school in the northern province of Shaanxi. The attacker later said he acted out of revenge after being harassed by a student at the same school. The post 6 killed in China kindergarten attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australian climber dies on Everest in 10th fatality this season
An Australian climber has died on Everest, his expedition organizer said on Sunday, in the 10th fatality on the world's highest peak this climbing season. Jason Bernard Kennison, 40, who reportedly survived a bad car crash in 2006, died after becoming unwell on Friday, Asian Trekking said. After becoming "unresponsive" at the summit, he was brought down to the Balcony area below the peak, Asian Trekking chief Dawa Steven Sherpa told AFP. "Since the oxygen cylinders that they had with them were running out, they decided to descend to Camp 4 hoping to climb back again with oxygen cylinders to rescue him," Sherpa said. "It was high wind and bad weather that prevented them (from) going back to bring him down. He died in the Balcony area." Kennison's death is the sixth among non-Nepalis while four Sherpas have lost their lives on Everest in this year's climbing season. On average, five climbers die every spring climbing season on Everest. But in 2019, 11 people died, with four of the deaths blamed on overcrowding on the mountain. According to Australian media reports, Kennison spent years learning to walk again after the road accident left him with multiple injuries including to his spinal cord. Nearly 450 climbers have already climbed Mount Everest this season, according to Nepal's tourism department. It has issued 478 permits to foreign climbers this year, with each paying an $11,000 fee. Since most will need a guide, more than 900 people -- a record –- were expected to try to summit during the season, which runs until early June. The post Australian climber dies on Everest in 10th fatality this season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA records highest int’l passenger volume and flight movement since pandemic
In April 2023, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport experienced a strong international market with the highest monthly passenger and flight traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Manila International Airport Authority said that in April 2023, 9,089 international planes and 1,677,779 foreign passengers were transported through the country's primary gateway. In comparison to April 2022, when there were 663,824 foreign passengers and 4,494 international flights, there have been more than twice as many passengers and aircraft that have taken off and landed. According to MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co., summer is indeed a popular time for vacation and international travel, not only for Filipinos taking advantage of airlines’ promotional fares or using travel funds for flights they couldn't use due to the pandemic but also for our international visitors wanting to see the Philippines. Co added that after more than two years of closed borders, they expect the momentum of recovery to continue for tourism and the aviation industry, noting that NAIA welcomed 1,178,461 passengers overall in the first ten days of April as travelers took advantage of the long Holy Week break. Combined with domestic figures, NAIA registered a total of 3,666,503 passengers and 22,816 flights in April 2023. This amounts to a 50% increase from the 2,447,795 passengers in April 2022 and 86% of the 4,261,352 passengers in April 2019, the final full year before the pandemic. Additionally, the number of flights has climbed by 28% compared to the 17,774 flights in the same month last year, and as of April 2019, there were 98% of the 23,327 flights. In comparison to April 2022, when MIAA's OTP rating was 71.24%, the average for April 2023 was 75.20%. The post NAIA records highest int’l passenger volume and flight movement since pandemic appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China economy grows 4.5%
China's economy grew 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, rebounding after the end of zero-Covid measures late last year, official data showed Tuesday. The figures were the first snapshot since 2019 of a Chinese economy — the world's second-largest — unencumbered by the strict health measures that helped keep the coronavirus in check but battered businesses and supply chains. Retail figures, the main indicator of household consumption, were up 10.6 percent on-year in March, the biggest bounce since June 2021. According to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics, industrial production in March climbed 3.9 percent on-year. Tuesday's NBS report said in the first three months of the year China had faced a "grave and complex international environment as well as arduous tasks to advance reform, development and ensure stability at home." Beijing's virus containment policy — an unstinting regime of strict quarantines, mass testing and travel curbs — strongly constrained normal economic activity before it was abruptly ditched in December. The Chinese economy is also beset by a series of other crises, from a debt-laden property sector to flagging consumer confidence, global inflation, the threat of recession elsewhere, and geopolitical tensions with the United States. The official January-to-March growth figure was significantly higher than the 3.8 percent predicted by analysts in an AFP poll. China's economy grew by just three percent in the whole of last year, one of its weakest performances in decades. It posted a 4.8 percent expansion in the first quarter of 2022, though that slowed to just 2.9 percent in the final three months of the year. The government has set a comparatively modest growth target of around five percent this year, a goal the country's Premier Li Qiang has warned could be hard to achieve. An AFP poll of analysts predicted that the Chinese economy would grow by an average of 5.3 percent this year. That is roughly in line with the International Monetary Fund's forecast of 5.2 percent. Still, experts have warned that wider global trends could yet weigh on China's recovery. Teeuwe Mevissen, an analyst at RaboBank, said: "Consumption saw a recovery during the first quarter partly because of pent-up demand but is not yet back on pre-pandemic levels. "Loss in household wealth due to the real estate crisis and The post China economy grows 4.5% appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lapu-Lapu’s COVID-19 cases climb a bit
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The total active Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Lapu-Lapu City has climbed to 59. This was based on the monitoring of the City Health Office (CHO) on August 29, 2022, after they logged an additional one new case and one reinfection of the virus. However, the CHO has also logged […] The post Lapu-Lapu’s COVID-19 cases climb a bit appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Mental health and the pandemic
The number of deaths due to suicide climbed an astounding 25.7 percent year on year, from 2,808 in 2019 to 3,529 in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority......»»
Covid response funding swells to $10.1B – DoF
Financing for the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic response has climbed to $10.1 billion (P486.92 billion) as of November 4, the Department of Finance (DoF) reported on Friday. At a virtual economic briefing hosted by the Philippine embassy in Washington, D.C., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said that although battling “the pandemic is costly,” […].....»»
PH climbs 4 spots in global innovation ranking
The Philippines climbed 4 places in the Global Innovation Index to 50th among 131 economies in 2020 from 54th spot in 2019......»»
Marikina, Antipolo COVID-19 cases rise
Neighbors Marikina and Antipolo cities reported additional cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Monday. Based on the latest data from the City Health Office-Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Marikina had four more infected residents while the death toll likewise climbed to 37 after two additional fatalities. The number of recoveries increased to 352 with […] The post Marikina, Antipolo COVID-19 cases rise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
More MRT-3 workers get virus
The number of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 employees infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 has climbed to 202......»»
Cebu province cases climb to 1.6K, deaths at 101
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu province now has a total of 1,608 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases after the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) reported 68 new cases of the infection on Monday, July 6, 2020. The province’s death toll has also climbed to 101 with nine new deaths logged. With the figures, […] The post Cebu province cases climb to 1.6K, deaths at 101 appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
COVID-19 cases in PH hit 38,805 with 294 new infections
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases climbed to 38,805 on Thursday as the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 294 new infections. Of the new cases, 52 are “fresh” or those detected in the last three days, while 242 are “late” cases or were part of the DOH’s validation backlog. Recoveries […] The post COVID-19 cases in PH hit 38,805 with 294 new infections appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
BuCor virus count reaches 223
The number of inmates infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 has climbed to 223, the Bureau of Corrections reported yesterday......»»
Healthcare workers with COVID-19 climb to 127
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The number of healthcare workers in Central Visayas with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has climbed to 127 as of June 9. In a report furnished to the media on Thursday, June 11, the Department of Health in the region (DOH – 7) and its Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (RESU) shows […] The post Healthcare workers with COVID-19 climb to 127 appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Virus-infected inmates now 222
The number of inmates infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 has climbed to 222, the Department of Justice reported yesterday......»»
Cops with COVID jump to 315
The number of police officers whocontracted the coronavirus disease 2019 has climbed to 315, the Philippine National Police reported yesterday......»»
Vista Land& rsquo;s net income rose 10% to P11.6b in 2019
Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., the country’s largest home builder owned by the Villar Group, said Thursday net income climbed 10 percent in 2019 to P11.6 billion as its commercial leasing and residential businesses delivered strong results......»»