The state and condition of Filipino human capital
In the course of Philippine economic development in the last half century, Filipino human capital experienced some improvement......»»
Abduction by state agents: An isolated incident or a growing pattern?
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 18, 2024, 3:52 pm JEERS TO the media for reporting the abduction in Batangas of Jose Marie Estiller on February 20 as an isolated incident and for not providing the necessary background of past cases of abductions and enforced disappearances by state agents in the country. The lack of context ignores the continuing reality of human rights violations against activists.....»»
Abduction by state agents: An isolated incident or a growing pattern
JEERS TO the media for reporting the abduction in Batangas of Jose Marie Estiller on February 20 as an isolated incident and for not providing the necessary background of past cases of abductions and enforced disappearances by state agents in the country. The lack of context ignores the continuing reality of human rights violations against activists and critics during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.Media.....»»
On the edge of Gaza, Israeli soldiers brace for battle
After 16 days of mobilising and massing near the Gaza Strip, an eerie calm lingers among Israeli troops as they await the highly anticipated invasion of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory. The parched desert floor is now filled with hundreds of armoured vehicles along with columns of tanks primed for the expected onslaught. The mechanised steel is adorned with the blue and white Israeli flags, while soldiers labour away with the everyday maintenance of their vehicles. This entire first line is protected by an immense trench, about two kilometres (more than a mile) long, that was dug by engineering units outfitted with heavy machinery. Like most ground offensives, the combat engineering corps will lead the armoured formations when they enter Gaza -- breaching defences and clearing mines and booby traps to pave the way for ground troops. "Military engineering is essential. Without us, no one enters Gaza," explained a soldier serving with unit 601 of the military engineering corps, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "There are a lot of obstacles. The enemy is spraying rockets and other things that I cannot detail to prevent us from progressing," he added. Jammed Israel's general staff said their troops are "ready" for a ground incursion, after more than two weeks of heavy bombardment of Gaza by Israeli warplanes and artillery that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 5,700 people. The campaign follows the bloodiest day in Israel's 75-year history, when hundreds of Hamas fighters rampaged through communities across southern Israel, killing around 1,400 people and taking more than 200 others hostage, according to Israeli officials. The decision to launch a ground invasion is now in the hands of the Israeli government, even as pressure builds from its allies over the shape and parameters of the operation. As its forces wait to strike, Israel has jammed signals near the Gaza border, rendering navigation applications like Google Maps and Waze useless throughout the militarised zone that has been sealed off from civilian use. AFP journalists on the ground noted that the attempts to pin their locations with the apps resulted in errant positions, including the airport near Tel Aviv or the Egyptian capital of Cairo. To reach the sprawling Tze'elim base some 20 kilometres from Gaza, a steady traffic jam leads to the entrance of the largest military facility in the country's southern desert. For kilometres (miles), tourist buses, family cars, tanks and army jeeps form an seemingly endless convoy en route to the base. Tze'elim has long been renowned as one of the premier training grounds for urban combat, which includes life-size replicas of Gaza neighbourhoods, including a mosque and minarets. The forces that have spent years honing their skills at the base will likely be instrumental in the expected ground campaign. Israeli forces last entered Gaza on foot in 2014, allowing Hamas ample time since then to fortify and expand their defences, including a maze of tunnels snaking under the city. In Tze'elim, "tens of thousands" are believed to be on hand in addition to the 169,500 Israeli soldiers already serving in active duty, while an estimated 360,000 reserves have been mobilised to assist in the fight. "Many are already on the ground," explains a senior officer on condition of anonymity referring to the Gaza border. The families of conscripts flock to the base to deliver meals or join their relatives on brief stints of leave, as they lounge on camping chairs lining the road to the base. 'We have to face this' At the entrance to the facility, Omer, a 23-year-old artillery reservist, searches through the masses of troops hoping to find a friend who is taking him on 24-hour leave. "I have been cut off from everything for 14 days -- two weeks in the field, shooting day and night," explained the artilleryman, with a dirt-smeared face and an Indian necklace hanging from his neck. Before the war, the gunner was a yoga teacher and had been studying in northern India when he received his marching orders. Since then, Omer has been manning his battery during "impossible" nights filled with the repeated concussion of heavy artillery and clouds of dust kicked up by passing armoured vehicles. "The worst thing is being in this shit and not even having time to grieve. I have two friends from Nova killed and a friend of a friend kidnapped," said the Israeli soldier, referring to the desert rave where around 270 people were gunned down by Hamas. "When all this is over, we will also have to face this," he added. "But right now, we don't have time." The post On the edge of Gaza, Israeli soldiers brace for battle appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian strike on Ukraine mail depot kills six
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) — At least six postal workers were killed while 17 were wounded after Russian missile strikes hit a mail depot in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said. The strike in the northeastern Kharkiv region on Saturday came as Kyiv declared its positions in the embattled city of Avdiivka were “protected” despite Russian attacks, while Moscow said it had downed Ukrainian missiles targeting the Crimean Peninsula. The six killed in the depot attack were all workers at the Ukrainian postal operator Nova Poshta in Korotych, a village on the outskirts of Kharkiv city, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said. “The victims, aged between 19 and 42, received shrapnel wounds and blast injuries,” he said. Of the injured being treated in hospital, seven were in a serious condition, according to Sinegubov, who said “doctors are fighting for their lives.” The regional prosecutor’s office later updated the number of injured to 17. President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video on social media of what appeared to be a heavily damaged warehouse surrounded by rubble and a container with the Nova Poshta logo. Sergiy Nozhka, who works for Nova Poshta, described the condition of some his colleagues as “mild to moderate severity,” adding that “there are some people in a very serious condition.” He said that a rocket “flew into the neighboring depot, but at ours too — the windows and shutters flew out. This is not the first time.” According to the prosecutor’s office, Russian forces in the Belgorod region north of Kharkiv fired S-300 missiles, two of which hit the warehouse. “Debris analysis continues at the site in order to establish the exact number of injured and dead,” office spokesperson Dmytro Chubenko told Ukraine’s state broadcaster Suspilne. Separate Russian attacks on villages near the war-battered Ukrainian city of Bakhmut killed at least two people on Sunday, officials said. Both Kyiv and Moscow are preparing for a grueling winter ahead, as Ukraine warns of renewed strikes on its energy infrastructure and Russia contends with a Ukrainian counteroffensive to regain territory. In the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s positions around the frontline city of Avdiivka were “protected”, Zelensky said in his evening address Sunday. The city has been the center of intense fighting in recent weeks as each side struggles to make advances. Ukraine’s general staff said on Friday that Russia had stepped up its military assault on Avdiivka in an ongoing bid to encircle and capture it. “The Avdiivka and Maryinka directions are particularly tough”, Zelensky said. “Numerous attacks by Russians. But our positions are protected.” Avdiivka has been a symbol of Ukrainian resistance since 2014, after it briefly fell to Russian-backed separatists. It lies just 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the Moscow-held city of Donetsk, capital of the Donetsk region that Russia said last September it was annexing. Ukrainian soldiers had been bracing for a new assault after a failed Russian offensive earlier this month using columns of armored vehicles and tanks from three sides. Built around a huge coke plant, Avdiivka had a pre-war population of around 30,000 people. Around 1,600 remain, according to local authorities, living in basements converted into bomb shelters. The city center has been all but destroyed through daily Russian artillery shelling and a months-long aerial bombing campaign. Also on Sunday Russian forces shot down three missiles targeting the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, a Russian official said. The peninsula is crucial to Russia’s offensive, both for supplying troops in southern Ukraine and for carrying out missile strikes from the sea. The post Russian strike on Ukraine mail depot kills six appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD welcomes CoA report on NCR warehouse
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Thursday said it welcomed the recommendations of the recent Commission on Audit report to improve the condition of the warehouse operated by the DSWD Field Office-National Capital Region. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has already ordered FO-NCR Director Michael Joseph Lorico to physically inspect the warehouse and check the condition of the stockpile of relief goods, according DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, who is also the agency’s spokesperson. “The words ‘state of disrepair’ and ‘lack of cleanliness and organization’ are not acceptable to the DSWD’s manual of housing relief items in any of our warehouses or facilities,” Lopez said. “Rest assured that the DSWD management is already looking into this concern to fast-track the apply the necessary changes to improve the stockpiling, cleanliness, and condition of the NCR warehouse,” he added. Lopez said that aside from the immediate inspection, Gatchalian also ordered to sort out all relief supplies to ensure that no outdated items will be distributed to areas that will be hit by disaster or calamities. The Department, Lopez said, will also take into consideration the regular pest control and repairs to improve the condition of the storage facility, which is operated and managed by FO-NCR. The National Resource Operations Center, the main disaster hub of the DSWD located in Pasay City, can temporarily hold some of the family food packs from the regional warehouse until the situation in the said facility is sorted out, according to the DSWD Disaster Response and Management Group. Lopez assured the public that the DSWD has sufficient relief goods, both food and non-food items, to respond to families affected by typhoon “Jenny.” “At present, the Department has more than P1.8 billion stockpile and standby funds ready for relief distribution to areas that will be affected by typhoon “Jenny” so our kababayans need not worry because the government is prepared,” the DSWD spokesperson said. The post DSWD welcomes CoA report on NCR warehouse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘They put a price on everything’: extortion hits Mexican economy
Plots of land lie empty among lime and banana plantations in one of Mexico's most violent regions -- abandoned by their owners due to widespread extortion squeezing Latin America's second-largest economy. As in many other agricultural zones around the country, criminal gangs in the western state of Michoacan have become a major market force, driving up costs and hurting not just farmers but also consumers. Take limes, for example: despite a national increase in production, and a slowing of overall consumer price inflation, the cost of the citrus fruit rose by more than 50 percent in the past year, according to the Agricultural Market Consulting Group (GCMA), a consulting firm. The impact is huge in a country where limes are a vital ingredient in many dishes. "The prices are through the roof!" said Gabriela Jacobo, a 53-year-old housewife who now only buys a few limes a week. The threat from organized crime is such that trucks transporting limes now have police escorts, AFP reporters saw during a visit to the region. The fallout has even been felt in Mexico City, where drug and gang violence is often seen as a faraway problem and the ability to source food from all around the country eases supply problems. The price of limes in the capital doubled, reaching almost $4.5 per kilo ($2 per pound) in August. "It's not because of a supply issue," but because of extortion, said GCMA analyst Juan Carlos Anaya. Turf wars Michoacan, which covers an area as big as Costa Rica, is riven by bloody turf wars between rival gangs such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Los Viagras, and La Familia Michoacana. As well as fighting over drug smuggling routes, they also compete to make money through extortion. Payment is taken in the form of a charge of 11 US cents to package each kilo of limes, a farmer told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal. It may not sound like much, but the region can produce about 900 tons of fruit every day. In the past, "the criminals had their fights but they left us to work. Now they don't even leave us to work,'" the farmer said. Tomato, banana, and mango producers, as well as transporters and distributors, must also pay the gangs, he said. "They put a price on everything," he added. Extortion and theft cost companies in Mexico about 120 billion pesos ($6.8 billion) a year, equivalent to 0.67 percent of the country's annual economic output, according to official figures. In the southern state of Chiapas, extortion and violence have caused food shortages in communities bordering Guatemala. "There's no electricity. There's no food. There's no water. There's no gas," a resident told AFP. The region is gripped by a turf war between the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels that has led to dozens of business closures and forced locals to buy supplies in Guatemala, at higher cost. Even the ingredients for tortillas -- a Mexican staple -- are being purchased across the border. Cities such as Chilpancingo, the capital of southern Guerrero state, also saw widespread closures of chicken shops in the past after farmers and merchants who allegedly refused to pay extortion were murdered. 'Deep trouble' Avocado growers have also fallen prey to the battle for control of Michoacan's agricultural riches. Last year the United States briefly suspended avocado imports from the state after a US inspector checking export shipments before the Super Bowl received phone threats. To confront crime, lime producers like Hipolito Mora founded self-defense groups in 2013 that were themselves later accused of links to criminals. After vehemently denouncing drug traffickers, Mora was shot dead in June in Michoacan. "We're in deep trouble with the cartels," said his brother Guadalupe Mora, who was being watched over by several bodyguards. "They charge us a fee for everything -- basic foods, soft drinks, beers, chicken. Everything's very expensive because of them," he said. State prosecutor Rodrigo Gonzalez urged people to come forward to report such crimes. "We're committed to fighting these people, identifying them, arresting them, and bringing them to court," he said. But many fear they will suffer the same fate as Mora if they speak up. Despite the risks, the farmer said that he had no intention to leave his land. "Lots of people depend on us and our work, to provide for their families," he said. The post ‘They put a price on everything’: extortion hits Mexican economy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SEC eases float disclosure rules
Regulator Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has issued guidelines streamlining the requirements for companies seeking to raise funds in the capital market. The Commission on 12 and 21 September issued SEC Memorandum Circular 13 and 14, Series of 2023 to amend Annex C of Rule 12 of the 2015 Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code. Annex C of SRC Rule 12 details the non-financial information that must be disclosed in the registration statements filed with the SEC by corporations issuing securities such as shares of stock, corporate bonds, and commercial papers in order to raise capital. Part III, Paragraph A, Subparagraph 2(a) of Annex C directs a registrant to discuss its “financial condition, changes in financial condition, and results of operation for each of the last three fiscal years” under the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of its prospectus. MC 13 clarifies that registrants are required to disclose financial information for only two comparative periods for the last three fiscal years. For instance, financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 must contain line items showing comparative balances only for 31 December 2022 and 31 December 2021. In addition, the financial statements must contain line items for the comparative balances only for the fiscal years ended 31 December 2021 and 31 December 2020. Risk factors required MC 14 relaxes the requirement for a registrant to provide mitigating factors in the Risk Factors section of its prospectus, making the disclosure optional. Part I of Annex C directs a registrant to provide a description of its business, including a discussion of major risks involved in the company and its subsidiaries. MC14 amends the provision by stating that “[t]he company may include disclosure of the procedures to identify, assess, and manage such risks.” Furthermore, Paragraph C, Part VI of Annex C has been amended such that “[t]he registrant may indicate measures to mitigate the risks” related to its business. Such risks include factors that make the offering speculative or risky such as the absence of operating history, lack of profit from recent operations, poor financial position, or lack of market for the registrant’s securities. “The streamlined procedures are part of the Commission’s efforts to encourage more companies to tap the capital markets for their business expansion needs,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino said. The post SEC eases float disclosure rules appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Big fuss over .02%
The Philippine Stock Exchange index is considered the gauge of the activity in the equities market and, by extension, of the economy since the direction of the line graph indicates the country’s financial health. The index tracks the price movements of a basket of select companies listed on the bourse, representing various sectors of the economy. Investors and market participants use the PSE index as a reference to evaluate the performance of their investment portfolios and make informed investment decisions. The daily movement of the index influences investor confidence and sentiment. Increased investor confidence can stimulate trading activity, attract foreign investments, and encourage local companies to raise capital through initial public offerings or secondary floats. A strong and stable PSE Index can enhance the stock market’s perception as an attractive investment destination. This could attract foreign capital inflows, increase liquidity, and contribute to developing the local capital market. Thus, the impending exit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., or MPIC, and Aboitiz Power Corp., or APC, from the Philippine Stock Exchange index seems a bit off as both companies are major players in the country’s growth story. Replacing APC and MPIC in the exclusive blue chips club are tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.’s Bloomberry Resorts and the Po family’s Century Pacific Food. The revamp takes effect on Tuesday, 26 September. MPIC is stepping out of the index after its public float dropped to 2.78 percent as part of its program to delist by October. APC’s exclusion from the benchmark was decided on, however, after it missed by a few decimal points of the 20 percent float rule for stocks to be retained in the PSEi. The company purchased 11.4 million shares as part of its buyback program that brought the public float level to below 20 percent, the level required to stay in the PSEi. Based on APC’s report to the market, stocks owned by the public are 19.98 percent of the total listed shares of 7.35 billion. Listed companies are required to have a 10-percent public float, but the elite index members are given a more arduous 20-percent public ownership condition. APC is off by .02 percent. APC’s buyback activities increased non-public scrips to 5.886 billion, bringing the total number of publicly owned shares to 1.47 billion. “Aboitiz Power’s current public ownership levels far exceed the 10-percent minimum public ownership level required for it to remain listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange,” an APC statement to the PSE said. “Even with this stock buyback program, there is no intention to delist from the PSE, but merely to reward our existing shareholders with a larger share of a brighter future,” APC added. The PSEi must accurately reflect the stock market’s overall performance and, in the bigger picture, the economy’s strength. Its composition should go beyond the mere technical criteria to allow a more representative indicator of the daily activity of the market. APC accounts for one out of every five megawatts, or MW, of installed capacity in the country and has some 1,000 MW of renewable energy capacity in the pipeline. In the first half of the year, the company reported a P17.8-billion net income, 79 percent higher than the P10 billion recorded in the same period a year ago. In the second quarter, the company’s net income reached P10.3 billion, 46 percent higher than the P7 billion profit a year ago. The decision to remove a key bourse participant, which also has among the most active shares, is like benching your star player because he forgot to bring a matching pair of socks. The post Big fuss over .02% appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thailand’s ancient town of Si Thep added to world heritage list
Thailand's ancient ruined town of Si Thep, a 1,500-year-old complex of temples, monasteries and other buildings, was added to UNESCO's world heritage list on Tuesday. The site in Phetchabun province -- some 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Bangkok -- is Thailand's first cultural site to be recognized by UNESCO since 1992. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin thanked the UN cultural body for the decision but an expert warned the complex is not ready for an influx of tourists. Archaeologists date the statues and buildings of Si Thep, built by the Dvaravati civilization, to between 1,500 and 1,700 years ago. At its peak the town was a thriving cultural and trading metropolis that celebrated Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. The decision was announced by UNESCO at a meeting in Riyadh, and in a prepared video message, Srettha thanked delegates for the listing. Si Thep was "a treasure not only for people all over the world, but for people of all generations," he said. "I look forward to welcoming you all to the site". Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, minister of natural resources and environment, said it was a "proud moment" for his country. Speaking at a press conference in the capital Bangkok, he invited people "to cherish the beauty of Si Thep, the new UNESCO site of Thailand." But Chulalongkorn University history and heritage lecturer Phacha Phanomvan said the site was "completely unprepared" for a sudden spike in visitor numbers. "The work starts now," she told AFP, warning of a lack of basic infrastructure including no waste management, roads in poor condition and no parking spaces for large tour buses. She is worried about undiscovered sites and looting of artefacts which could fetch higher prices on the black market because of the heritage listing. "Si Thep was already one of the most looted sites in Thailand in the 1970s and 1980s," she said. The site also has unresolved land boundary and zoning issues affecting nearly 300 local villagers including dozens of households without title deeds. Officials said that from September 20 to 24 it will be free to enter Si Thep, which is Thailand's fourth site on the UNESCO cultural heritage list. UNESCO already recognizes historic Ayutthaya and Sukhothai towns, as well as archaeological site Ban Chiang in northeastern Thailand. Thai officials hope the UNESCO listing will help attract more tourists -- a vital part of the kingdom's economy, which has struggled in the pandemic's aftermath. The post Thailand’s ancient town of Si Thep added to world heritage list appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pre-historic Tell al-Sultan site added to world heritage list
The United Nations' cultural organization inscribed the pre-historic site of Tell al-Sultan, near the Palestinian city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, on its World Heritage List Sunday. Tell al-Sultan, which predates Egypt's pyramids, is an oval-shaped tell, or mound, located in the Jordan Valley that contains the prehistoric deposits of human activity. The UNESCO decision, which was posted by the organization on X, formerly Twitter, was taken at its 45th World Heritage Committee meeting held in Riyadh. "The property proposed for nomination is the prehistoric archaeological site of Tell al-Sultan, located outside the antique site of Jericho," UNESCO's assistant director general, Ernesto Ottone, said at the session. The site was inscribed following a three-year candidacy "during which no state party raised any objections", said a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. "There are no Jewish or Christian remains found at the (Tell al-Sultan) site. It's a place of pre-historic remains," the diplomat told AFP. Israel quit the UN organization in 2019 over accusations it fosters an anti-Israel bias but sent a delegation to this year's meeting in Saudi Arabia. The Palestinian Authority, acknowledged by the United Nations as a non-member observer state, welcomed the listing of the Tell al-Sultan site. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said he considered the decision to inscribe Tell al-Sultan "a matter of great importance and evidence of the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people". He vowed that the Palestinian authorities would "continue to preserve this unique site for all humanity", according to a statement from his office. Diverse Palestinian heritage UNESCO's listing shows that the Tell al-Sultan site is "an integral part of the diverse Palestinian heritage of exceptional human value", Palestinian tourism minister Rula Maayah, who was attending the meeting in Riyadh, said in a statement. Given Tell al-Sultan's "importance as the oldest fortified city in the world... it deserves to be a World Heritage Site," she said. "A permanent settlement had emerged here by the 9th to 8th millennium BC due to the fertile soil of the oasis and easy access to water," UNESCO said on its website. UNESCO said the "skulls and statues found on the site" testify to cultic practices among the neolithic population there, while the early bronze age archaeological material shows signs of urban planning. "Vestiges from the middle bronze age reveal the presence of a large Canaanite city-state occupied by a socially complex population," UNESCO added. The Tell al-Sultan site has been under excavation for over a century and is billed as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement on the planet, Palestinian official Wafa news agency reported. It is the fourth Palestinian site to be listed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, alongside the Church of the Nativity and the Old City of Hebron. Israel has occupied the West Bank -- now home to some three million Palestinians -- since the 1967 Six-Day War, when it also seized the Gaza Strip, the densely populated coastal enclave it has since withdrawn from. The Palestinians want these territories for their future state, along with annexed east Jerusalem as its capital. Jericho is one of the oldest inhabited cities on the planet and is a major tourist destination in the Palestinian territories. UNESCO urged for the protection of other archaeological sites in Jericho. "The other archaeological sites located in Jericho, covering among other Jewish and Christian heritage, also have important historical interest and deserve to be preserved as well," said Ottone. Archaeology is a highly political subject in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and some discoveries have been used to justify the territorial claims of each people. The post Pre-historic Tell al-Sultan site added to world heritage list appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P7.43-B Covid meds wasted
While the government scrounges for funds to make healthcare and medicines accessible to all Filipinos, the Commission on Audit, or CoA, found that more than P7.43 billion worth of drugs, medicines, and vaccines were wasted after the Department of Health failed to distribute them in 2022. The DoH was then under Secretary Francisco Duque III, covering the period when the pandemic was on the wane. The Universal Health Care law took effect in 2019, but PhilHealth members still have to pay for more than half of their medical needs due to the lack of funds to implement the measure fully, according to state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, or PIDS. “Despite modest improvements in health outcomes, inequities continue to exist due to unresolved challenges in access to healthcare,” according to PIDS. State auditors said the overstocking and the slow-moving inventory indicated “excessive spending” as the procured items exceeded the current requirements of the Centers for Health Development. “These deficiencies were also caused by a breakdown in the inventory/supply management system, such as inadequate procurement planning; laxity in creating adequate monitoring and reporting system; absence of periodic assessment of inventory movements; identified weakness in internal controls; acceptance of drugs and medicines not in accordance with the standard requirement pertaining to shelf life; and failure to formulate and take necessary corrective measures and poor distribution system,” CoA said. In the DoH’s annual report, state auditors discovered that the department had P7.43 billion worth of drugs, medicines, and vaccines that were expired, damaged, excessive, overstocked, understocked, slow-moving, undistributed, distributed late and accepted below 19 months before expiration. CoA attributed the enormous spoilage to deficient procurement planning, poor distribution and monitoring systems, and weaknesses in internal controls. Citing Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1445, the CoA said the DoH should have safeguarded the government resources against loss or wastage through illegal or improper disposition. Under DoH Administrative Order 2016-0008, medicines and drugs beyond their expiration date should be disposed of as these may be unsuitable for use, and there is no guarantee that the quality of the products is maintained. According to the World Health Organization, drugs do not become toxic or ineffective on expiry but may slowly deteriorate over time depending on the product, formulation and storage conditions. Some become toxic, but most simply lose their efficacy. Stale meds in NCR, Ilocos, Tacloban According to CoA, the National Capital Region and Ilocos and Tacloban regions had the highest recorded slow-moving medicines and drugs, totaling P5.6 billion. Expired vaccines were found at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital & Medical Center or MMMMHMC (361 expired vials); Central Luzon (261,138 vials); Easter Visayas (1,671,878 doses); and Caraga (104,962 vials). DoH-Western Visayas had 5,551 vials nearing their expiration date and 6,425 at MMMHMC. Moreover, the CoA said the expirations could be attributed to various factors, including the reluctance of local government units and other implementing agencies to accept vaccines they doubted they would use up. The lack of cold room storage, low demand for vaccination, operational wastage/thawed but not used, and late deliveries from DoH, CoA said, all contributed to the expiry of vaccines. “Overall, the problem exposed an inability to safeguard, manage, and utilize health funds and resources economically and effectively,” CoA said. “Overstocked or slow-moving drugs and medicines are exposed to the risk of possible wastage due to the poor condition of the warehouses, and the maintenance of excessive supplies entails additional costs in terms of manpower and warehouse space, which could have benefited the government’s health programs for the poor,” it added. Nevertheless, the CoA directed the DoH to impose appropriate sanctions and to expedite the issuance and distribution of near-expiry vaccines to stave off future wastage of government funds. The DoH agreed to the CoA’s recommendations and informed auditors that it had initiated the necessary actions. Meanwhile, the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital informed DoH that drugs, particularly Remdesivir, were fully utilized before their expiration date, and the FEFO (first to expire, first out) policy was implemented to avoid wastage of state resources. The post P7.43-B Covid meds wasted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stop blockade, Moscow told
The president of the European Council Charles Michel has demanded an end to Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian seaports. “This must stop,” Michel told reporters in India’s capital of New Delhi, ahead of a G20 summit. “Ships with grains need to have safe access to the Black Sea,” he said, noting that the United Nations initiative had initially delivered 32 million tons to the market, “especially to developing countries.” Michel also slammed Moscow for attacking Ukrainian seaports hosting grains silos and warehouses. “Over 250 million people face acute food insecurity worldwide, and by deliberately attacking Ukraine’s seaports, the Kremlin is depriving them of the food they desperately need,” Michel added. Russia’s blockade to prevent grain ships sailing in and out of Ukraine was lifted under last year’s UN-brokered deal called Black Sea Initiative. Russia pulled out of the grain agreement in July after claiming that it had failed to fulfil the goal of relieving hunger in Africa. Moscow then stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s export hubs and shipping infrastructure. The Kremlin also asked Turkey to help Russia export its grain to African countries without any involvement from Ukraine. Missile strike Meanwhile, Russian missiles struck cities in central and eastern Ukraine Friday killing one person and injuring dozens of others, officials said. In the central city of Kryvyi Rig, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, a missile attack on a police building killed a policeofficer, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said. “Rescuers of the State Emergency Service pulled out three more from under the rubble. They are in serious condition,” he said. Photos he shared from the scene showed smoke spewing from the ruins of the building as rescue workers carried an injured person to an ambulance. Over 40 people were injured, the head of the city administration Oleksandr Vilkul said. At least three people were injured after Russia also struck the city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine, officials said, while one man was injured by a rocket attack on Zaporizhzhia in the southeast. “Over the past 24 hours, 93 enemy attacks on 29 towns and villages of the Zaporizhzhia region have been recorded,” Yuriy Malashko, head of the local administration, said. WITH AFP The post Stop blockade, Moscow told appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines says ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar
The Philippines is ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Tuesday, as the bloc wrestles with how to engage with the country's junta rulers. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. "It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026," Marcos told Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. "We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter," he said, according to a statement from the presidential palace. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed it would be replaced as chair. "Myanmar will skip ASEAN chairmanship in 2026," he told AFP, without giving further details. Marcos did not say why Manila was taking over the chair from Myanmar. However, two Southeast Asian diplomats attending the summit said the move was agreed by leaders so the crisis would not hijack the bloc's agenda and prevent "external partners" coming to Myanmar for their gatherings. "It's been decided. It was announced at the leaders' meeting and there was no objection," said one diplomat on the condition of anonymity. ASEAN wrote to the Philippines to ask if it was willing to accept the chair for that year and Manila accepted, the diplomat said. A second diplomat, who also declined to be identified, said the switch had been agreed after "leaders' assessment on the progress" of a five-point plan agreed two years ago that the junta in Myanmar has largely ignored. Laos will host next year's summit and Malaysia will chair the event in 2025. The post Philippines says ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blasts rock Quito, inmates take 57 guards hostage
Grenades and car bombs have exploded in Ecuador’s capital, followed by inmates in six prisons taking hostage 57 guards in an apparent retaliation for crackdowns on jail weapons and transfer of notorious prisoners. One of the explosions outside the headquarters of the SNAI prisons authority on Wednesday night was caused by a car rigged with “two gas cylinders with fuel, a slow fuse and apparently dynamite sticks,” the police’s anti-drug investigations boss, General Pablo Ramirez, told reporters Thursday. The other car bomb detonated at a building that formerly housed SNAI offices. Three grenade explosions also hit the capital city, Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz said. No one was hurt in the explosions. Six people, including a Colombian national, were arrested near the scene of one of these explosions, according to Ramirez. The official said an inmate transfer and the police raid of a prison in the southern city of Latacunga to search for weapons, ammunition and explosives earlier Wednesday may have triggered the blasts. Inmates in Cuenca — hundreds of kilometers away from Latacunga — and jails in five other unnamed locations then took dozens of prison guards hostage. “They want to intimidate the state to prevent us from continuing to fulfill the role of the armed forces and the police in controlling these penitentiary centers,” Security Minister Wagner Bravo told FM Mundo radio. The condition of the hostages is unknown but Interior Minister Juan Zapata expressed concern over their safety during a press conference in the capital Quito. Meanwhile, six people, including a Colombian national, were arrested near the scene of one of the explosions, according to Ramirez. WITH AFP The post Blasts rock Quito, inmates take 57 guards hostage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Outlook upgraded, says Tokyo’s R& I
Tokyo-based debt watcher Rating and Investment Information Inc., or R&I, kept the country at investment grade BBB+ while upgrading the country’s outlook from stable to positive due to the economy’s continued resilience in the face of global headwinds. In a statement on Monday, the debt watcher said the country has been performing well despite uncertainty surrounding the global economy. R&I cited the economy’s strong performance, improving fiscal position, and stable political environment as reasons for the upgrade. The agency also noted that the Marcos Jr. administration’s policies are supportive of economic growth and poverty reduction. Steady policies “In terms of economic policies, the Marcos Jr. administration has continued the previous administration’s policies to address key infrastructure development and structural reforms, leading to better prospects that the country will make progress in raising income levels, which has been a key challenge,” R&I said. “R&I will upgrade the rating once the factors such as the economic growth path sought under the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028, the stable macro-economic condition, and the improving trend of fiscal position are confirmed,” the debt watcher added. R&I also said that the country’s strong growth in gross domestic product or GDP in 2022 by 7.6 percent “has continued” into 2023. The economy grew by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023. The growth made the Philippines one of the fastest-growing economies among R&I-rated peers like Indonesia and Mexico. The government’s goal for growth in 2023 is for it to be between 6.0 and 7.0 percent. The debt watcher stressed that it doesn’t see the country’s current account deficit on the negative side as the government is spending a lot on infrastructure, which will help the economy grow. R&I also took note of the country’s steady inflows from abroad Filipino remittances and foreign direct investments, as well as its enough foreign reserves, when talking about the country’s external payments. Countries with investment-grade ratings can get cheaper loans from development partners and foreign debt capital markets because they are less likely to default on their loans. In a separate statement, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Philippines’ strong macroeconomic fundamentals, improving fiscal position, stable political environment, strong banking system, and comfortable external payments led to the affirmation and revised outlook. A “BBB+” rating is two levels above the minimum investment grade and only one level lower than an “A-” rating. Diokno also said that the R&I’s better outlook got the Philippines closer to the government’s goal of getting an “A” rating before 2028 or before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends his term. Road to A “We are firmly on track to our ‘Road to A’ and remain committed to further improving the country’s investment climate through structural reforms to enhance the quality and pace of infrastructure development,” he added. Diokno said that the good outlook means there is a good chance that the Philippines’ credit rating will improve. But he also said that this would rely on things such as meeting the goals for economic growth set out in the Philippine Development Plan, keeping the economy stable, and making progress toward improving the country’s finances. The post Outlook upgraded, says Tokyo’s R&I appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan debt watcher keeps Phl credit rating, upgrades outlook to ‘positive’
Tokyo-based debt watcher Rating and Investment Information Inc. kept the Philippines' investment grade credit rating at BBB+ and changed the country's stable outlook to positive due to the Philippine economy's continued resilience in the face of global headwinds. In a statement on Monday, the debt watcher said the Philippine economy has been performing well despite uncertainty surrounding the global economy. R&I cited the Philippine economy's strong performance, improving fiscal position, and stable political environment as reasons for the upgrade. The agency also noted that the Marcos Jr. administration's policies are supportive of economic growth and poverty reduction. "In terms of economic policies, the Marcos Jr. administration has continued the previous administration's policies to address key infrastructure development and structural reforms, leading to better prospects that the country will make progress in raising income levels, which has been a key challenge," R&I said. "R&I will upgrade the rating once the factors such as the economic growth path sought under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the stable macro-economic condition, and the improving trend of fiscal position are confirmed," the debt watcher added. R&I also said that the country's strong growth in gross domestic product in 2022 by 7.6 percent "has continued" into 2023. The Philippine economy grew by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023, making one of the fastest-growing economies among R&I-rated peers like Indonesia and Mexico. The government's goal for growth in 2023 is for it to be between 6.0 and 7.0 percent. The debt watcher stressed that it doesn't see the country's current account deficit on the negative side as the government is spending a lot on infrastructure, which will help the economy grow. R&I also took note of the country's steady inflows from abroad Filipino remittances and foreign direct investments, as well as its enough foreign reserves, when talking about the country's external payments. Countries with investment-grade ratings can get cheaper loans from development partners and foreign debt capital markets because they are less likely to default on their loans. In a separate statement, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Philippines' strong macroeconomic fundamentals, improving fiscal position, stable political environment, strong banking system, and comfortable external payments led to the affirmation and revised outlook. A 'BBB+' rating is two levels above the minimum investment grade and only one level lower than an 'A-' rating. Diokno also said that the R&I's better outlook got the Philippines closer to the government's goal of getting an "A" rating before 2028 or before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends his term. "We are firmly on track to our 'Road to A' and remain committed to further improving the country's investment climate through structural reforms to enhance the quality and pace of infrastructure development," Diokno said. Diokno said that the good outlook means there is a good chance that the Philippines' credit rating will improve. But he also said that this would rely on things such as meeting the goals for economic growth set out in the Philippine Development Plan, keeping the economy stable and making progress toward improving the country's finances. The post Japan debt watcher keeps Phl credit rating, upgrades outlook to ‘positive’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan debt watcher keeps Phl credit rating, upgrades outlook
Tokyo-based debt watcher Rating and Investment Information Inc. kept the Philippines' investment grade credit rating at BBB+ and changed the country's stable outlook to positive due to the Philippine economy's continued resilience in the face of global headwinds. In a statement on Monday, the debt watcher said the Philippine economy has been performing well despite uncertainty surrounding the global economy. R&I cited the Philippine economy's strong performance, improving fiscal position, and stable political environment as reasons for the upgrade. The agency also noted that the Marcos Jr. administration's policies are supportive of economic growth and poverty reduction. "In terms of economic policies, the Marcos Jr. administration has continued the previous administration's policies to address key infrastructure development and structural reforms, leading to better prospects that the country will make progress in raising income levels, which has been a key challenge," R&I said. "R&I will upgrade the rating once the factors such as the economic growth path sought under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the stable macro-economic condition, and the improving trend of fiscal position are confirmed," the debt watcher added. R&I also said that the country's strong growth in gross domestic product in 2022 by 7.6 percent "has continued" into 2023. The Philippine economy grew by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023, making one of the fastest-growing economies among R&I-rated peers like Indonesia and Mexico. The government's goal for growth in 2023 is for it to be between 6.0 and 7.0 percent. The debt watcher stressed that it doesn't see the country's current account deficit on the negative side as the government is spending a lot on infrastructure, which will help the economy grow. R&I also took note of the country's steady inflows from abroad Filipino remittances and foreign direct investments, as well as its enough foreign reserves, when talking about the country's external payments. Countries with investment-grade ratings can get cheaper loans from development partners and foreign debt capital markets because they are less likely to default on their loans. In a separate statement, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Philippines' strong macroeconomic fundamentals, improving fiscal position, stable political environment, strong banking system, and comfortable external payments led to the affirmation and revised outlook. A 'BBB+' rating is two levels above the minimum investment grade and only one level lower than an 'A-' rating. Diokno also said that the R&I's better outlook got the Philippines closer to the government's goal of getting an "A" rating before 2028 or before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends his term. "We are firmly on track to our 'Road to A' and remain committed to further improving the country's investment climate through structural reforms to enhance the quality and pace of infrastructure development," Diokno said. Diokno said that the good outlook means there is a good chance that the Philippines' credit rating will improve. But he also said that this would rely on things such as meeting the goals for economic growth set out in the Philippine Development Plan, keeping the economy stable and making progress toward improving the country's finances. The post Japan debt watcher keeps Phl credit rating, upgrades outlook appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Survey showing more Pinoys suffer from hunger validates Food Stamp Program — DSWD
The Second Quarter 2023 Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showing more Filipinos suffer from involuntary hunger is a validation of the national government’s Food Stamp Program (FSP), a Department of Social Welfare and Development official said Friday, 4 August. DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez during DSWD’s Facebook livestream said this was addressed when they recently launched in Tondo, Manila, one of the FSP’s pilot areas. “The SWS findings that more Filipinos suffer from involuntary hunger during the 2nd quarter is a validation that the Marcos administration is on the right track in implementing the Food Stamp Program, with the DSWD as lead agency,” Lopez said. “The pilot implementation from July to December of 2023 will initially cover 3,000 families. The target beneficiaries are those families whose income does not go beyond P8,000 a month,” Lopez pointed out. The survey defined involuntary hunger as “being hungry and not having anything to eat.” Moderate hunger, meanwhile, refers to being involuntarily hungry “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months. Severe hunger refers to a condition that persons go through “often” or “always.” While involuntary hunger rose by 5 points in the National Capital Region (NCR) and increased by another 2.6 points in areas adjacent to the NCR, the involuntary hunger rate hardly changed in the Visayas, with hunger record decreasing by 5.4 points in Mindanao, according to the SWS survey from June 28 to July 1. Lopez said about one million food-poor families are expected to benefit from the “Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp program”, a DSWD flagship program that intends to provide food augmentation to families experiencing involuntary hunger due to extreme poverty. “The FSP involves providing cash-based assistance in the form of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that will be loaded with specific cash amount for purchasing a select list of commodities from registered local retailers. This aims to empower the poor to let them choose what food they want to eat based on the list provided by DSWD,” Lopez explained while stressing that “Strictly no liquor or any alcohol is allowed.” Ultimately, the Food Stamp Program aims to properly address the gaps and assist households in attaining the recommended energy needs to perform their daily tasks and routines that directly and indirectly contribute to human capitalization and nation building. The FSP will be conducted in five (5) pilot sites with "different geopolitical characteristics." These include the selected cities and municipalities in NCR, Caraga Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The pilot sites are geographically isolated regions, urban poor settings, calamity-stricken areas, and rural poor areas. “The FSP beneficiaries will be given tap cards which will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000 a month. The tap cards could be used by the food-poor families to purchase a select list of food commodities from DSWD-accredited local retailers,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out. Lopez explained that the tap cards will not be loaded with money but will instead be loaded with food equivalent based on the recommendation of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), which helped craft the program that limits the “baskets of goods” to 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fats. “The program will also be conditional and have a work component. This means that those who will sign up would be required to seek employment in order to continue receiving the FSP benefits,” the DSWD spokesperson said. Lopez also assured that the DSWD will continuously measure and monitor the beneficiaries in the regions that it has identified throughout the implementation of the Food Stamp Program. “DSWD hopes that through the Food Stamp Program, the country will be able to combat hunger and achieve food security towards the realization of a zero hunger Philippines,” the DSWD official said. The post Survey showing more Pinoys suffer from hunger validates Food Stamp Program — DSWD appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar’s detained civilian leader Suu Kyi receives partial pardon
Jailed Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been pardoned in five criminal cases, although she still faces 14 others, state media said Tuesday. A military coup in February 2021 plunged the Southeast Asian nation into chaos and widespread violence as the military junta launched a bloody crackdown on dissent. "Chairman of State Administration Council pardoned Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sentenced by the relevant courts under five cases," a state media broadcast said. The broadcast said the 78-year-old Nobel Peace laureate still faces 14 other cases. Tuesday's announcement was part of an amnesty of more than 7,000 prisoners to mark Buddhist Lent. The junta announced on Monday it would extend Myanmar's state of emergency by six months, state media said, which is likely to delay elections promised for August. Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since 2021, has been sentenced to 33 years in jail for a clutch of charges, including corruption, possession of illegal walkie-talkies and flouting coronavirus restrictions. "She couldn't be freed completely, although some sentences against her were pardoned. She still has to face 14 cases. Only five cases out of 19 were pardoned," a legal source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. Former Myanmar president Win Myint, who was also removed in the 2021 coup, would also be pardoned in two cases, the broadcast said. The announcement said 125 foreign prisoners would be released and pardoned. An unspecified number of prisoners facing the death penalty also had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment, it said. Health concerns Suu Kyi has only been seen once since she was held after the 1 February 2021, putsch -- in grainy state media photos from a bare courtroom in the military-built capital Naypyidaw. There have been concerns about Suu Kyi's health since her detention, including during her trial in a junta court that required her to attend almost daily hearings. She was moved from prison to a government building last week, according to an official from her political party. In July, Thailand's foreign minister said he had met with Suu Kyi, the first known meeting with a foreign envoy since she was detained. A junta spokesman told AFP the meeting had lasted more than an hour but did not give any details about what was discussed. Myanmar frequently grants amnesties to thousands of prisoners to commemorate holidays or special Buddhist dates. The junta released some 23,000 prisoners after the 2021 coup in a move that human rights groups feared at the time was aimed at freeing up space for military opponents. More than 24,000 people have been arrested since the military booted Suu Kyi's government from power, according to a local monitoring group. Almost 20,000 remain behind bars, according to the latest figures. Still popular Suu Kyi remains hugely popular in Myanmar, even after her international image was tainted by a power-sharing deal with the generals and her failure to speak up for the persecuted Rohingya minority. But many fighting for democracy have jettisoned her core principle of non-violence and taken up arms to try and permanently root out military dominance of Myanmar's politics and economy. The military cited alleged widespread voter fraud during elections in November 2020 as a reason for its coup, which sparked huge protests and a bloody crackdown. Those polls were won resoundingly by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, with international observers saying at the time the polls were largely free and fair. Conflict since the coup has displaced more than one million people, the United Nations says. According to a local monitoring group, more than 3,800 people have been killed since the coup, a figure the junta puts at 5,000. The post Myanmar’s detained civilian leader Suu Kyi receives partial pardon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Muntinlupa’s fight vs malnutrition feted
The National Nutrition Council-National Capital Region has given the City of Muntinlupa its third Green Banner Seal of Compliance in appreciation of its efforts to fight malnutrition, particularly among youngsters. In addition, the city won nine special honors and was nominated for two excellent and finalist positions on program implementers or focal points for nutrition across a range of programs and policies. As part of this year’s Nutrition Month Celebration, the NNC-NCR recognized Riane Grace Gatmaitan, a Grade 7 student from Tunasan National High School, as the Grand Winner of the On-the-Spot Poster Making Contest. “Congratulations, Muntinlupa!” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said. “This is a commendable affirmation of our efforts to end urban malnutrition.” “There is still much to be done, but for the time being, we want to thank all the local nutrition and health professionals who worked so hard to make this distinction possible,” he added. Local government units with programs and policies that have demonstrated a significant influence on the local nutrition condition of the community are awarded the Green Banner Seal of Compliance by the NNC. An LGU may receive the Seal if it posts an overall success rate of at least 85 percent on particular nutrition metrics. Muntinlupa thus received the GBSC and the special honors for Best LGU in nine important categories, namely: (1) Adherence to and dissemination of national nutrition laws and regulations; (2) infant and young child feeding program; (3) nutrition promotion for behavior change; (4) micronutrient supplementation program; (5) mandatory food fortification program; (6) nutrition in emergencies program; (7) overweight and obesity management and prevention program; and (8) implementation of nutrition-sensitive programs; and 9) documentation of nutrition programs. In addition, the NNC-NCR honored Dr. Magdalena C. Meana of Muntinlupa as the Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Action Officer for 2022, Alicia A. Tanabe as the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar, and Leah Faith Macabulos as a finalist for the Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Program Coordinator for the National Capital Region. The NNC honors exceptional BNSs for laying the foundation and carrying out their regional nutrition programs. Additionally, a recipient of a GBSC award is eligible to compete for the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner on Nutrition award at the national level and must continue to perform well for three years in a row. The post Muntinlupa’s fight vs malnutrition feted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»