PH gov’t reports 550K Daily Average Vaccination in August
Vaccination rollout of the Philippines against COVID-19 has been ramped up as the national government reports that the country has reached the 550,000 mark in average daily vaccinations in the first 12 days of August 2021. National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon made the announcement, adding that the 550,000 daily […].....»»
Phivolcs: Bulusan logs increased seismic activity
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has observed increased seismic activity in Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province. Phivols has recorded 87 volcanic earthquakes in the Bulusan Volcano Network since 5 a.m. on 14 October. Of the number, 29 were volcano-tectonic or VT earthquakes—associated with rock fracturing processes occurring 1 to 8 kilometers beneath the southern and western sectors of Bulusan Volcano. The degassing at the active summit crater and vents has been weak to moderate this week. Bulusan emitted an average of 241 tons of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas daily on 19 October. Phivolcs also noted an increase in volcanic carbon dioxide concentrations from June to August 2023. The volcanic spring temperature has likewise increased since February. It was detected in a monitored spring on the southwestern sector of the edifice. Phivolcs said these parameters indicate that hydrothermal activity driven by deep magma degassing may be occurring beneath the volcano and may lead to steam-driven eruptions at any of the summit vents. Bulusan remains under Alert Level 0 (normal). However, increased chances of steam-driven or phreatic eruptions occurring at the crater or summit area is still expected. Entering into the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone, particularly near the vents on the south-southeastern slopes, should be avoided due to the possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruption, rockfall, and landslide. Flying close to the volcano’s summit should also be avoided as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. Phivolcs also warned people living within valleys and along river or stream channels should be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall. The post Phivolcs: Bulusan logs increased seismic activity appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bulusan acting up anew — Phivolcs
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, or Phivolcs, on Monday warned of increased chances of steam-driven or phreatic eruptions occurring at the crater or summit of Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province. Phivolcs said it has recorded 87 volcanic earthquakes in the Bulusan Volcano Network since 5 a.m. on 14 October, of which 29 were volcano-tectonic earthquakes. The agency also observed weak to moderate degassing at the active summit crater and vents this week. Bulusan has emitted an average of 241 tons of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas daily since 19 October. Phivolcs also noted an increase in volcanic carbon dioxide concentrations from June to August 2023, and an increase in volcanic spring temperatures since February. Phivolcs said these parameters indicate that hydrothermal activity driven by deep magma degassing may be occurring beneath the volcano and may lead to steam-driven eruptions at any of the summit vents. However, Bulusan remains under Alert Level 0 (normal) although Phivolcs reminded the public that increased chances of steam-driven or phreatic eruptions occurring at the crater or summit area are still expected. Phivolcs has warned the public against entering the four-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone, particularly near the vents on the south-southeastern slopes due to the possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions, rockfalls and landslides. Flying close to the volcano’s summit should also be avoided as ash from a sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. Phivolcs also warned people living in the valleys and along the river or stream channels to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahar in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall. The post Bulusan acting up anew — Phivolcs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
September inflation balloons to 6.1%, raising 9M inflation average to 6.6%
The Philippine Statistics Authority released its consumer price index data for September, which revealed that headline inflation had risen to 6.1%, up from 5.3% in August......»»
Sugar prices hit 13-year high due to El Nino fallout: FAO
Global sugar prices soared to their highest level in almost 13 years in September as the El Nino weather phenomenon hit production in India and Thailand, the Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday. While world food prices steadied as a whole last month, the FAO's Sugar Price Index jumped by 9.8 percent compared to August, the highest point since November 2010, the UN agency said. El Nino, a climate pattern that occurs on average every two to seven years, is typically associated with warming ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon, which can last between nine to 12 months, started in July, according to the UN's World Meteorological Organization. The FAO's Sugar Price Index has now risen for two consecutive months due to increasing concerns over a tighter global supply outlook in the 2023-2024 season. "This mainly reflects early forecasts pointing to production declines in key sugar producers, Thailand and India, due to drier-than-normal weather conditions associated with the prevailing El Nino event," the FAO said. "Higher international crude oil prices also contributed to the increase in world sugar prices," it added. The post Sugar prices hit 13-year high due to El Nino fallout: FAO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bourse, peso fall amid elevated inflation
The stock market ended yesterday in the negative territory after the release of the September 6.1 percent headline inflation data, while the peso moved sideways on Thursday. The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 119.6 points to close at 6,178.60, while the broader All Shares also dropped 49.81 points to 3,348.75. “Philippine shares fell towards closing as the latest inflation print came below expectations,” Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said. Red hot prices Headline inflation accelerated to 6.1 percent last month from 5.3 percent in August. All sectors dropped, led by Mining and Oil, which shed 184.98 points. Volume reached 676.7 million shares with a total value of P5.4 billion. Decliners led advancers at 119 to 67, while 45 shares were unchanged. The peso, meanwhile, closed at 56.67 to the dollar, slightly higher than the 56.71 finish on Wednesday. It opened the day at 56.6 from the previous day’s kick-off at 56.82. The currency pair traded between 56.59 and 56.69, bringing the day’s average to 56.63. The total volume of trade amounted to $1.23 billion, lower than the previous day’s $1.52 billion. The post Bourse, peso fall amid elevated inflation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOH: Flu, COVID-19 cases increasing amid rainy season
The Department of Health reported on Thursday an increase in the number of respiratory infections, such as influenza-like illness and COVID-19, which are common during the rainy season. According to the Health Department, Covid-19 cases have been slightly increasing since August with an average of 172 new cases per day. Earlier this week, the department reported 1,231 new COVID-19 cases, of which eight were tagged as severe and critical cases. The daily average cases also climbed from 172 to 176, which is 6 percent higher than the cases from 18 to 24 September. Despite the reported increase in COVID-19 cases at the national and regional level, the DoH said the country’s health system capacity “remains at low risk” with total and intensive care unit bed utilization rates at 16 percent and 13 percent, respectively. The agency also recorded a total of 134,636 cases of influenza-like illness across the country. “Cases are slightly increasing with cases reported in the recent three to four weeks (20 August to 4 September) 8 percent higher compared to the two weeks prior,” it said. ‘Expect more’ The DOH warned the public to expect more cases of respiratory infections in the coming months as the country approaches colder months. “Communicable diseases, particularly respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 infections, are expected to increase during the rainy season and colder months due to the proliferation of viruses as the weather transitions from increased heat and high humidity in the summer to wet and damp weather conditions,” it said. To prevent respiratory infections from further increasing, especially this rainy season and upcoming holiday season, the agency “encouraged to perform individual self-assessment and, as needed, employ layers of protection such as masking, ensuring adequate ventilation, isolating when sick, as well as getting vaccinated and boosted to provide additional protection against infection or severe disease.” The post DOH: Flu, COVID-19 cases increasing amid rainy season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan sees hottest September since records began
Japan has seen its hottest September since records began 125 years ago, the weather agency said, in a year expected to be the warmest in human history. The scorching September's average temperature was 2.66 degrees Celsius higher than usual, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Monday. This was "the highest figure since the start of statistics in 1898", the agency said in a statement. This year is expected to be the hottest in human history as climate change accelerates, with countries including Austria, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland each announcing their warmest September on record. Across Japan last month, 101 of 153 observation locations broke an average temperature record, including in Tokyo, with an all-time high of 26.7 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), in Osaka with 27.9C and in Nagoya with 27.3C. The average temperature jump of 2.66C was "extraordinary" and "easily topped previous highs", weather agency official Masayuki Hirai told AFP on Tuesday. "If this is not an abnormally high temperature, I don't know what is," he said. French weather authority Meteo-France said the September temperature average in the country will be around 21.5 degrees Celsius, between 3.5C and 3.6C above the 1991-2020 reference period. The UK, too, has matched its record for the warmest September since its records began in 1884. The average global temperature in June, July and August was 16.77 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous 2019 record, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a report. In September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders the climate crisis had "opened the gates to hell". In his opening address at the Climate Ambition Summit, Guterres evoked this year's "horrendous heat" but stressed: "We can still limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees," referring to the target seen as needed to avoid long-term climate catastrophe. The post Japan sees hottest September since records began appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phivolcs: Slim chance for Mayon to exhibit explosive eruption
There’s a slim chance that Mayon Volcano will exhibit an explosive eruption despite being categorized in “relatively high unrest” status, the chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Friday. “The parameters we are observing now are not too elevated, compared to the parameters observed in July and August," Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said in an interview over the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing. However, Bacolcol said Mayon still exhibiting an effusive eruption, with the lava flows have maintained their advances to approximately 3.4 kilometers in Bonga (southeastern), 2.8 kilometers in Mi-isi (south), and 1.1 kilometers in Basud (eastern) gullies. The Phivolcs expect this Mayon’s effusive eruption to continue for several weeks or more, he added. Alert Level 3 has been maintained in the Albay province’s Mayon since June, which means that a relatively high level of unrest and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days are possible. Bacolcol said they are monitoring two factors to consider before lowering the volcano to Alert Level 2; when the flow of lava and occurrence of pyroclastic density current would stop. As of Friday, Phivolcs logged 18 volcanic earthquakes, 95 rockfall events, and 3 PDC events. Meanwhile, Bacolcol said volcanic smog or vog is also unlikely in Mayon, because of the low volume of sulfur dioxide emission. Mayon emitted an average of 761 tonnes of volcanic SO2 per day on 28 September. "This is not as huge compared to the S02 emission in Taal in the Batangas province. Mayon's S02 emission could be dispersed easily," he said. He added that continuous rainfall may result in lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels where PDC deposits were emplaced. Entering the Mayon's 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone remains prohibited due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards. Increased vigilance against PDCs, lahars, and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice is also advised. The post Phivolcs: Slim chance for Mayon to exhibit explosive eruption appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vietnam economy grows 5.3% in third quarter
Vietnam's economy grew 5.3 percent on-year in the third quarter, official data showed Friday, though experts warned it was on course to miss an ambitious year-end target. Loan interest rate reductions, an extension of tax payments and increased public investment had a positive impact, the General Statistics Office said. But analysts warn it will be an uphill battle for the clothing, shoes and electronics manufacturing hub to reach a year-end target of 6.5 percent expansion for 2023. "Vietnam would only reach a year-end economic growth of between 4.5 percent and 4.7 percent, much lower than the government's set target," Rong Viet Stocks Company chief economist Tran Thi Ha My told AFP. "Growth for the fourth quarter is expected to be at around six percent... largely thanks to improved industrial production and exports." According to GSO, a slump in demand hit the country's exports. One of Vietnam's largest shoemakers for brands such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok announced in August it would cut jobs for the third time this year. Vietnam earned nearly $260 billion in the first nine months from exports. The communist state has long been a success story among Asian economies and in 2022, its economy grew eight percent. The Asian Development Bank predicts 5.8 percent growth for Vietnam's year-end figure, "mainly due to weak external demand". "Weak external environment, including from a subdued recovery in the People's Republic of China, has hampered export-led manufacturing, thus shrinking industrial production in Vietnam," the bank’s Vietnam country director Shantanu Chakraborty said this week. "The economy remains resilient, and recovery is expected to pick up in the near term, driven by strong domestic consumption, which is supported by moderate inflation, an acceleration of public investment and improved trade activities." The GSO reported that 776,000 more laborers in Vietnam have found jobs since the beginning of the year, compared with the same period last year. Average monthly income was around $288, nearly seven percent higher, GSO said. The post Vietnam economy grows 5.3% in third quarter appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘FIBA fever’ doubles tourist arrivals
The successful staging of the FIBA World Cup 2023 in Manila has filled various hotels near the venues of the basketball games, as well as tripled the tourist arrivals from participating countries, according to the Department of Tourism recently. Data from the DoT-National Capital Region Office said all nine FIBA official hotels in Metro Manila — where most of the FIBA official venues were located — logged a higher average hotel occupancy from 25 August to 12 September 2023. The report said Conrad Manila near the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City reported a 100 percent average hotel occupancy from those said dates. Other hotels in Pasay also saw a higher average hotel occupancy, including Hotel101-Manila and Microtel MoA, which both posted 92 percent occupancy; Hilton Manila with 91.8 percent, and TRYP MoA with 91 percent occupancy. On the other hand, the Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig also reported an impressive 96 percent hotel occupancy rate during the same period. The post ‘FIBA fever’ doubles tourist arrivals appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DITO passed 4th technical audit
DITO Telecommunity, a China-backed company that broke the industry duopoly of Globe and PLDT, has passed its fourth government-mandated technical audit that measures its compliance with network coverage and internet speed commitments. In a letter sent to DITO Telecommunity chief administrative officer Adel Tamano, the National Telecommunications Commission or NTC confirmed that it passed its fourth yearly technical audit. The independent audit is part of the conditions outlined in the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or CPCN given to the company. The Independent Auditor’s Report of Factual Findings from the Conduct of Specified Procedures — Year 4 Committed Levels of Service dated 29 August submitted by R.G. Manabat & Co. to the NTC stated that DITO surpassed its target. As part of the issuance of its CPCN in July 2019, DITO Telecommunity needs to record 70.01 percent network reach with a minimum speed of 55 Mbps in the third year of its commitment period. Notably, the audit showed that DITO now covers 80.65 percent of national population coverage. Affordable Internet fulfilled Its minimum average broadband speed or MABS, meanwhile, clocked in at 74.97 Mbps for 4G and 639.32 Mbps for 5G for all sites with a combined MABS of 357.14 Mbps. “Despite all the challenges that we have faced, we continue to achieve our commitments to government and the Filipino people, to provide affordable world-class service and to serve the underserved. This is in support of the Marcos administration’s drive towards digitalization and Nation-building,” Tamano said. If DITO fails to fulfill its commitments on time, the government forfeits, in its favor, the P25.7 billion performance bond that DITO paid before construction activities. DITO has promised to cover 84 percent of the Philippines and offer a minimum average speed of at least 55 Mbps by the end of its commitment. DITO recently conveyed that unresolved interconnection issues with its rivals have been affecting its subscriber base expansion as well as its development of new products for users. The PCC affirmed DITO’s complaints last year over the alleged anti-competitive behavior of its rivals regarding their interconnection deals. PCC said it found “reasonable grounds to open a preliminary inquiry into the complaints filed by Dito Telecommunity against Globe Telecom and Smart Communications.” Under Executive Order 59 issued by late President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993, interconnection is a mandated and important component of the telco industry as it allows interoperability and exchange of calls, SMS, and other information from one network to another. The post DITO passed 4th technical audit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rozul Reef devastated, Escoda Shoal now dead, PCG confirms
Following the suspicion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that China was the one responsible for harvesting the corals of Rozul Reef, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed this on Monday, adding that another West Philippine Sea feature Escoda Shoal is now dead due to coral harvesting and seabed devastation. Tarriela, who has been fearless in hitting China for its bullying and dangerous maneuvering against PCG operatives in the WPS, pinpointed the Chinese Maritime Militia that has been swarming in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, are the ones responsible for the devastation of the said features. "From 09 August 2023 to 11 September 2023, PCG monitored an average presence of approximately Thirty-three (33) CMM vessels at vicinity Rozul Reef and Fifteen (15) CMM vessels in Escoda Shoal. Maritime patrols carried out during the same period by BRP SINDANGAN (MRRV 4407) and BRP CABRA (MRRV 4409) further validated the presence of these CMMs in these West Philippine Sea features," he said in a statement on Monday. Tarriela noted that during the same period, the PCG launched missions to conduct extensive underwater surveys of the seabed in both Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. "The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject WPS features appeared lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life. Moreover, the surveys conducted in Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of its underwater terrain," he said, confirming the report released by the AFP Western Command last week. Further, he said the presence of crushed corals strongly suggests a potential act of dumping, possibly involving the same dead corals that were previously processed and cleaned before being returned to the seabed. "The continued swarming for indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities of the Chinese Maritime Militia in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal may have directly caused the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the WPS features. The PCG emphasizes the importance of protecting and preserving our marine environment, which plays a crucial role in sustaining marine life and supporting local communities," according to Tarriela. The post Rozul Reef devastated, Escoda Shoal now dead, PCG confirms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BFP to investigate QC fire marshal, inspector over lapses
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday directed the Bureau of Fire Protection to "investigate thoroughly" Quezon City Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga and his inspection chief Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion for lapses committed in the wake of several fire incidents this year in their jurisdiction. Abalos said he has ordered BFP Chief Louie Puracan to investigate thoroughly and determine the accountability of the two fire local officials. Abalos made the move after QC Mayor Joy Belmonte in her letter dated 14 September, copy of which was obtained by Daily Tribune, recommended that the two officials be transferred from their position after their investigation found "serious lapses in the inspection process" of the two BFP officials. "After an investigation into the deadly fire last August 31 in Tandang Sora, wherein 15 lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa, this City, into a residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters 'office only' contractor of clothes, garments, and bags as its business area and nature of business. At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities. Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021 and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023," Belmonte's letter read. "The capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to these fires appears therefore to have decreased significantly," Belmonte wrote. The severity of this year's incidents, according to the Mayor, necessitates a call for a change in leadership of the QCFD. "Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Bañaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion," Belmonte added. She also cited that their evaluation conducted on fire incidents that occurred this year showed an average of more damage, injury, and deaths compared to previous years. Earlier, fire incident protocols were also broken in the aftermath of a blaze in Tandang Sora that claimed the life of retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another blaze, a five-alarm fire in Culiat injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. “I’ve instructed the BFP to strengthen the training of BFP personnel on fire prevention and suppression. Vigilant and rigorous inspections are the key to mitigating future fire incidents.” Abalos said. He also thanked the Quezon City government for its assistance to those injured or rendered homeless in these recent fires. “Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Mayor Joy Belmonte sa kanyang pakikiramay sa mga nasunugan. Pinahahalagahan natin ang kanyang pakikipagtulungan sa pagtiyak ng kaligtasan ng publiko," the DILG secretary said. The post BFP to investigate QC fire marshal, inspector over lapses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday called on the Bureau of Fire Protection to undertake reforms in the BFP - Quezon City Fire District (QCFD). Belmonte made the call as results of the probe conducted by the city government and the Quezon City Council revealed lax inspection, backlog in the examination of businesses, and other lapses in the performance of the BFP-QCFD. "The BFP should look into how the BFP-QCFD fulfilled its mandate in the light of tragic loss of lives and properties due to recent fires in the city. Were the BFP-QCFD leadership remiss in their duties? They should hold their personnel accountable if proven guilty of inefficiency," she said. Belmonte earlier sought the relief of two officials from the BFP-QCFD following a review of the performance of the agency prompted by the tragic loss of lives caused by the fire last 31 August in Tandang Sora. An evaluation conducted by the city government of each fire incident that occurred this year showed on average, more damage, injury, and death compared to the previous year. “The capability and effectiveness of the BFP-QCFD in responding to these fires have lessened significantly. The city government recognizes that each fire has its own distinct volatile circumstances. Nonetheless, the severity of this year's incidents necessitates a call for a change in the leadership of the agency. A change is needed for the welfare of our citizens. We look forward to a better performance from the BFP," Belmonte said. The two officials were identified as BFP-QCFD fire marshall, Fire Senior Superintendent Aristotle Bañaga, and the chief of the QCFD Fire Prevention Branch, Fire Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion. Data from the BFP revealed that from January to August 2023, there were 153 fires recorded in the city, while there were only 219 fires from January to December 2022. With a third of the year left, there have already been eight firefighters and 63 civilians injured compared to only two firefighters and 60 civilians for the entirety of last year. Moreover, there were already 24 deaths in the first eight months of this year while there were 30 from January to December 2022. There were 8,362 individuals or 2,380 families affected by the fires up to August this year, higher than the whole of last year’s record of 7,295 individuals or 2,005 families. “For this reason and to protect the people of Quezon City, I am calling upon the national leadership of the Bureau of Fire Protection to assign to us a new fire marshall for the QCFD and a new inspection head,” Belmonte added. Belmonte also called on the BFP to be more transparent in their own investigation of the Tandang Sora fire. “The BFP has failed to reciprocate the city government’s efforts to exercise transparency. They resisted our calls to be apprised of the progress of their own probe, or to our requests for coordination. We therefore ask the BFP to cooperate fully with the city government as mandated by law, to ensure full transparency and clarity in these investigations. Our people demand more, and the victims and their families deserve nothing less,” Belmonte said. Belmonte earlier ordered the City Legal Department to form a Special Panel of Investigators to probe the incident and if warranted by evidence, to file the appropriate case(s) against pertinent and surviving officers of the business establishment involved in the deadly fire in Tandang Sora. Local government personnel found to be liable after the conduct of the investigation will likewise face administrative and criminal charges. “The city government continues to thoroughly investigate the devastating fire of August 31. It has coordinated with and interviewed its departments, the barangay, the homeowners association, the relatives of the victims, and the survivors, to ascertain the circumstances that brought about this tragedy. We will leave no stone unturned, and we will not spare even our own officials and personnel,” the mayor added. The mayor assured the residents that the city government will continue to beef up the city’s fire prevention measures and efforts. On 14 September, Mayor Belmonte extended financial assistance to the families of the fire victims. Earlier, the city government helped arrange for the cremation of the remains of the victims, among others. The post Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kuwait invasion hostages suing UK, airline
Airline passengers and crew members held captive and used as human shield by Iraqi forces for four months during the Kuwait invasion in 1990 are planning to sue the United Kingdom government and British Airways for damages. McCue Jury & Partners, the legal counsel of some of the victims, said the legal action would “ensure the truth is fully disclosed, those responsible are held to account, and due compensation is paid.” It said each of the hostages “may claim an estimated average of £170,000 ($213,000) each in damages.” The law firm said that “what the hostages now know is that evidence exists” that the UK government and the airline “knew the invasion had already begun” but allowed the flight to land anyway. The victims claimed “the flight was being used to insert a black ops team of former special forces and security services” into Kuwait, the firm added. A total 367 passengers and crew of BA flight 149 were taken off the Kuala Lumpur-bound plane when it landed in the Gulf state on 2 August 1990, hours after Saddam Hussein’s troops swept into the emirate. “We were not treated as citizens, but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain,” Barry Manners, who was on the flight and is taking part in the claim, said. WITH AFP The post Kuwait invasion hostages suing UK, airline appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Small islands take ocean protection case to UN court
Leaders of small island states turned to the UN maritime court on Monday to seek protection of the world's oceans from catastrophic climate change which threaten the very existence of entire countries. The nine island states are asking the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to determine if carbon dioxide emissions absorbed by the oceans can be considered pollution, and if so, what obligations countries have to prevent it. "This is the opening chapter in the struggle to change the conduct of the international community by clarifying the obligation of states to protect the marine environment," said the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne. "The time has come to speak in terms of legally binding obligations rather than empty promises that go unfulfilled," he said, addressing the court in Hamburg, Germany. Ocean ecosystems create half the oxygen humans breathe and limit global warming by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. But increasing emissions can warm and acidify seawaters, harming marine life. At the heart of the case is the international treaty UNCLOS that binds countries to preventing pollution of the oceans. The UN treaty defines pollution as the introduction by humans of "substances or energy into the marine environment" that leads to harm to marine life. But it does not spell out carbon emissions as a specific pollutant, and the plaintiffs argue that these emissions qualify. Marine heatwave The push for climate justice won a big boost when the UN General Assembly in March adopted a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to lay out nations' obligations on protecting Earth's climate and the legal consequences they face if they fail to do so. The ICJ's advice is still pending but the action has opened up a new front to bind countries to pledges on reducing emissions. The move at the UN had been led by Vanuatu, which also counts among the islands that had brought Monday's case before the ITLOS. Small islands like Vanuatu are particularly exposed to the impact of global warming, with seawater rises threatening to submerge entire countries. "Just a few years -- this is all we have before the ocean consumes everything my people built across centuries," Tuvalu's Prime Minister Kausea Natano told the court. "If international law has nothing to say about an entire country going underwater... then what purpose does it serve?" he asked, pleading for a clear direction from the court. Across the two-thirds of the planet covered by seas, nearly 60 percent of ocean surface waters experienced at least one marine heatwave in 2022, according to the annual State of the Climate report led by scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is 50 percent more than pre-industrial levels and "the highest in the modern atmospheric record and in paleoclimate records dating back as far as 800,000 years", the report published this month noted. The world's oceans also set a new temperature record in August. Average sea surface temperatures reached an unprecedented 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for over a week, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, after months of unusually high temperatures. Other island states joining the ITLOS case include The Bahamas, Niue, Palau, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines. Thirty-four other state parties will also participate in the court hearing, with sessions scheduled through to 25 September. The post Small islands take ocean protection case to UN court 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......»»
Phl inflation hit 5.3% in August
The Philippine inflation rate accelerated in August due to higher prices of rice and fuel, ending a six-month streak of slowdown and making the central bank reevaluate its decision to pause interest rates. Preliminary data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday showed that the country's headline inflation reached 5.3 percent in August, surpassing the 4.7 percent rate recorded in July. The country's headline inflation also called the consumer price index, is above the 5 percent forecast of economists in a DAILY TRIBUNE poll but within the central bank's 4.8 percent to 5.6 percent projection for the month. But the country's core inflation, which excludes the volatile energy costs, eased to 6.1 percent in August from the previous month's 6.7 percent. This brings the average core inflation from January to August 2023 to 7.4 percent. Core inflation was observed at 4.6 percent in August 2022. In a press briefing, National Statistician and PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa noted the higher prices of rice, which weigh heavily in the consumer price index. “The acceleration of food inflation in August 2023 was mainly brought about by the higher year-on-year growth rate observed in rice at 8.7 percent from 4.2 percent in July 2023,” Mapa said. In response to rising retail costs and concerns about merchant stockpiling, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has limited the price of the basic commodity. The Philippines set rice price caps to control food costs, and they would last as long as the government deemed it necessary. The country's economic planning secretary said that the Philippines, one of the top importers of rice in the world, may drop tariffs on the grain to help lower domestic expenses in response to the unexpected increase in consumer prices in August. The country’s chief economic planner has also called for a review of the existing tariff levels on rice to help lower the cost of this staple for consumers while considering the impact of this intervention on local producers. “To partially counterbalance the rise in global prices and alleviate the impact on consumers and households, we may implement a temporary and calibrated reduction in tariffs,” National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in another statement. Meanwhile, food inflation nationwide increased to 8.2 percent in August 2023 from 6.3 percent in July 2023. Food inflation was lower at 6.5 percent in August 2022. PSA said transportation prices increased 0.2 percent during the month after declining 4.7 percent annually in July. For context, the Light Rail Transit Authority raised fares during the month. LRTA increased the single journey ticket minimum fares for both LRT1 and LRT2a to P15 while maximum fares have gone up as high as P35. In August, oil companies raised diesel prices by almost P10 and gasoline by almost P6. ING economist Nicholas Mapa said rice, transport, and electricity costs will determine the inflation path for the next few months. While he expects the BSP to stay on hold, he said in a post on platform X (formerly Twitter) that it "could consider a hike if this becomes a trend." Following the data, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said in a statement it "stands ready to adjust the monetary policy stance as necessary" to prevent the broadening of price pressures and the emergence of additional second-order effects. The post Phl inflation hit 5.3% in August appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoT chief seeks Rotarians’ support for tourism projects
A partnership with the Rotary Club of Manila, along with other Rotary Clubs in the country can realize the government’s objective of transforming the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia. [caption id="attachment_179067" align="aligncenter" width="2430"] Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, in her speech as guest speaker of the Rotary Club of Manila during the Club's weekly meeting at the Manila Polo Club last 31 August, said it was her ‘sincere hope that with the partnership of the Rotary Club, as well as its members and the captains of industry who contribute in one way or another to the project of nation-building, we can ensure that our country — through tourism — will have a more primary role in Asia as a tourism powerhouse.’[/caption] This was the call made by Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco after presenting the stance of the tourism industry in the country before members and officers of the Rotary Club of Manila during the Club’s membership meeting at the Manila Polo Club last Thursday, 31 August 2023. Frasco reported that the efforts of the DoT, along with the whole-of-government approach ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in implementing the department’s projects with an eye to restoring the glory of the tourism industry has resulted as of 30 August 2023 into 3.6 million international arrivals, surpassing the total number of international arrivals last 2022. The figure is already 75.92 percent of the country’s target of 4.8 million tourist arrivals this year. “Philippine tourism contributed 6.2 percent to our gross domestic product in 2022; it is being hailed by our economic managers as the second growth driver in the first six months of this year,” she said. By the end of 2022, Frasco said the tourism industry has contributed over P1.87 trillion to the Philippine economy as a composite of international and domestic spending, representing a 67 percent recovery since 2019. “Tourism also contributed over 5.5 million in tourism employment, an 11 percent share of the national employment, and also represents over 93 percent in recovery from 2019 data,” she added. Frasco also said that the rallying of Philippine tourism after the battering it got from the pandemic stands at 66.3 percent, higher than the 54 percent average recovery of ASEAN nations in 2022. As per tourism receipts, Frasco said the industry has already breached P285.9 billion as of 31 July 2023. Pillars of Tourism The Tourism secretary stressed that to give the Philippines a fighting chance at standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its neighbors in the ASEAN region, her department had crafted the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, which does not only focus on the promotion of tourism alone but also in analyzing and understanding the essential pillars of tourism. Approved by President Marcos Jr. last May 2023, the NTDP provides a framework to guide the development and implementation of programs, projects, and activities towards a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and globally competitive tourism industry. NTDP’s seven strategic goals include improvement of tourism infrastructure and accessibility; cohesive and comprehensive digitalization and connectivity; enhancement of overall tourist experience; equalization of tourism product development and promotion; diversification of the tourism portfolio through multidimensional tourism; maximization of domestic and international tourism; and strengthening tourism governance through close collaborations with national and local stakeholders. Putting the Plan into concrete action, the DoT hopes to have an accumulated total of 51.9 million tourist arrivals and 34.7 million tourism-related jobs in the country by 2028. Frasco said in terms of infrastructure, the DoT has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Highways to improve accessibility in the regions with tourism sites. “This is by constructing, rehabilitating and adding tourism roads leading to tourist destinations. This year, over 158 kilometers of tourism roads have already been constructed,” she said. Aside from this, Frasco said the DoT has also coordinated with the Department of Transportation in improving connectivity, primarily in the country’s gateways for the improvement of flights and tourist journeys. With this, Frasco said the country is starting to see robust recovery of connectivity in the country, including a 100 percent increase in flights in Clark International Airport; a 614 percent increase in flights in Kalibo International Airport; and over a 300 percent increase in flights in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, among other airports in the country. Moreover, she said they also partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the purpose of improving internet connectivity across 94 tourist destinations in the country. Connectivity in 47 of these destinations have already improved, according to Frasco. e-VISA Furthermore, Frasco said the DoT has engaged with other government agencies, namely the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice, the DICT, and the Bureau of Immigration for the streamlining of the visa application process, aiming to enhance convenience and accessibility for all international travelers, starting with Chinese visitors. Last 24 August, the DFA implemented the Philippine e-Visa system in Philippine Foreign Service Posts in China. The Philippine e-Visa will allow foreign nationals entering the country for tourism or business to apply for temporary visitor visas remotely through their personal computers, laptops and mobile devices. Other initiatives conceptualized by the DoT to improve the tourism experience include the “Hop in Hop Off” project; being part of the “Love the Philippines” tourism slogan; the “Philippine Experience”; facilitating a cultural tourism circuit development focused on heritage, culture, and arts to enhance current tour and domestic circuit offerings, which include Food and Gastronomy, Pilgrimage and Wellness, Living Cultures and Heritage, and an Arts caravan. In order to equip Filipino tourism workers, the DoT is set on training 100,000 of these workers and capitalize on the world-renowned Filipino hospitality. “We have already managed to train over 71,000 Filipino workers,” Frasco said. Optimistic “Frasco said the Marcos administration remains optimistic about tourism recovery and the resurgence of the nation. “Our numbers will indicate that tourism will continue to be a top economic driver that will provide massive employment and livelihood opportunities to Filipinos and our MSMEs,” she said. With the launch of the enhanced “Love the Philippines” branding, Frasco maintained that it would give the country a better opportunity to be reintroduced to the world. The post DoT chief seeks Rotarians’ support for tourism projects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Analysts predict inflation rate at around 5.0% for August
The country's inflation rate will remain above the government's 2 to 4 percent target band, said private sector economists who slightly upgraded their price-rise forecasts for August. A DAILY TRIBUNE poll of analysts over the weekend yielded a median estimate of 5.0 percent for August inflation, within the 4.8 to 5.6 percent forecast given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last Thursday. If the August number matches the poll consensus, the median estimate will be higher than the 4.6 percent print in July 2023 but lower than the 5.4 percent inflation rate in June 2023. The Philippine Statistics Authority is expected to release the August inflation data on Tuesday, 5 September. Bank of the Philippine Islands's lead economist Emilio "Jun" Neri Jr. said higher prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, diesel and vegetables likely drove the Consumer Price Index much higher month-on-month. "Lower electricity (and) other food items may offset some of this," Neri said in an email to Daily Tribune. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said that the country's higher local palay and rice prices are one of the "main catalysts" for the August inflation print due to weather disturbances in most Southeast Asian countries affecting rice exports. He added that the agriculture damages caused by tropical storms in Northern and Central Luzon likewise affected the prices in the country. Ricafort likewise attributed the higher fuel prices and depreciating Philippine Peso against the US Dollar to the slightly higher inflation rate for August. "However, these are offset by mostly softer economic data in China and other countries, as partly weighed by higher inflation that reduced household spending and higher interest rates that led to higher borrowing costs," Ricafort said in a Viber message. Security Bank's senior assistant vice president and chief economist Robert Dan Roces also shared the same insights with other economists, saying that the primary factors contributing to the slight increase in the August inflation print are fuel and food prices. "Although the current diesel pump price is significantly lower than the P75 per liter average recorded in June of the previous year, food and fuel prices remain the main drivers of inflation. Notably, farm gate prices of other food items decreased in August compared to July," Roces said in an email. Despite these factors, Roces said the retailers may either be reluctant to reduce current prices or the price reduction price may be taking some time. Roces also underscored that the current inflation increase is mainly driven by the price of rice, which has recently surged by up to P10 per kilo. "Looking ahead, we still see that inflation will fall into the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) target range of 2 percent to 4 percent by the fourth quarter of this year, barring sustained spikes in rice and fuel in the remaining months of 2023," Roces said. China Banking Corp. chief economist Domini Velasquez said core inflation is expected to continue its downtrend to around 6.0 percent in August despite the projected higher headline rate. "If realized, we do not expect BSP to react immediately to the expected inflation print with higher policy rates. Shocks for August were largely supply-side but have not, so far, detailed the inflation path toward the target range in (the fourth quarter). We still expect inflation to fall within the BSP's target by November," Velasquez said. The post Analysts predict inflation rate at around 5.0% for August appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»