Tuburan adopts stricter measures to curb COVID -19 spread
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – More health and safety guidelines will be implemented in the municipality of Tuburan until the end of the month to curb the rise in coronavirus disease cases in this midwestern Cebu town. As agreed during a meeting which Mayor Danny Diamante called on Monday, November 16, the gathering of more than […] The post Tuburan adopts stricter measures to curb COVID -19 spread appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Victorias LGU-run dog shelter adopts 20 impounded dogs from Bacolod
Victorias LGU-run dog shelter adopts 20 impounded dogs from Bacolod.....»»
DTI adopts SRP changes for coffee, salt product variants
DTI adopts SRP changes for coffee, salt product variants.....»»
Philippines mining adopts global standards
The Philippine mining industry is aligning its reportorial requirements with global standards, potentially attracting investors to advance the industry......»»
House panel adopts resolution urging NTC to suspend SMNI
The House committee on legislative franchises adopted Tuesday night a resolution authored by a Davao City-based lawmaker who urged the National Telecommunications Commission to suspend the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International......»»
QCPD adopts Belmonte’s green programs
The public should expect environment-friendly police camps in Quezon City starting in December......»»
Senate adopts reduction of confidential, intel funds allocation for 2024
Senate adopts reduction of confidential, intel funds allocation for 2024.....»»
Aboitiz Land gets Circle of Excellence Award for Diversity Company of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards
Aboitiz Land, the real estate arm of the Aboitiz group, is among those honored with the prestigious Circle of Excellence Award under the Diversity Company of the Year category at the Asia CEO Awards held at the Manila Marriott Hotel on 24 October 2023. This recognition highlights the company’s steadfast commitment to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in every aspect of its culture. “Aboitiz Land’s dedication to diversity and inclusion extends far beyond our organization’s borders. We strive to create a positive influence not only within our team, but also among the vecinos we serve and the local communities surrounding our projects,” David Rafael, CEO and president of Aboitiz Land said. Fostering Inclusivity: A Closer Look at Aboitiz Land’s DE&I Program What sets Aboitiz Land’s DE&I program apart is its holistic approach, addressing each stage of the employee journey to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here are some key features of Aboitiz Land’s DE&I program: The organization adopts flexible educational and geographical hiring requirements, prioritizing relevant professional experience over strict educational attainment. The consanguinity policy within the organization is relaxed, allowing relatives of employees to pursue careers within the company. A hybrid work setup is implemented, providing flexibility and saving time and resources for employees. Transparent communication is encouraged, fostering trust and openness within the organization. Employee feedback is collected regularly through channels like Amara, a virtual employee experience champion. Aboitiz Land promotes a multigenerational leadership approach and maintains a healthy gender balance with a 45:55 male-to-female employee ratio. They also ensure LGBTQIA+ representation across all levels of the company. The organization offers flexible benefits through the FlexBen program, allowing employees to customize their benefit packages based on individual needs. Expanded healthcare coverage includes provisions for child dependents, common-law and same-gender partners. Additionally, government benefits are extended to cover a wider range of family situations. Development opportunities are available to all team members, ensuring that individual growth is not limited to specific segments. Growth partnerships and curated learning solutions are provided to facilitate skill development. Aboitiz Land’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program has led to elevated levels of employee satisfaction and engagement. This, in turn, fosters a productive workforce that is driven to consistently enhance performance, ultimately delivering better products and services. The Asia CEO Awards honors business excellence in the Philippines and is the largest event of its kind in Southeast Asia. The post Aboitiz Land gets Circle of Excellence Award for Diversity Company of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A positive difference
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” Mahatma Gandhi once said. Marian Wright Edelman states, “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.” Two memorable statements capture the essence of Attorney Kelvin Lester Lee, hailed by Dean Antonio La Viña of Ateneo School of Government as “one of the finest and most visionary individuals to have emerged from Ateneo Law School.” It’s no surprise that Atty. Lee became a Commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019. While his position may be formidable, those who have met him in person can attest to his kind-hearted nature and willingness to devote his time generously. When expressing his views, he displays a remarkable level of candor, always taking the time to carefully consider his words before speaking. Aside from his sense of humor, Lee possesses a remarkable ability to engage in meaningful conversations. When he speaks, he has a way of looking directly into your eyes, underscoring the significance of his words. Even in intense situations, he maintains a calm demeanor and is known to offer a comforting smile, lightening the atmosphere. In his role as Commissioner at the SEC, Atty. Lee assumes the responsibility of overseeing various crucial departments and divisions. These include the markets and securities regulation department, the information and communications technology department, the PhiliFintech innovation office dedicated to Philippine financial technology, and the international affairs and protocol division. Moreover, he holds authority over capital markets, sustainable finance, Fintech and information technology, and international affairs, ensuring their effective management and implementation. While the enormity of those tasks might induce vertigo in most individuals, Atty. Lee remains unfazed. “It is perhaps the best job I have ever had,” he admitted. “I enjoy making a positive change in the sector I am handling. I enjoy pushing innovations and encouraging improvements in the financial sector and capital markets.” With great responsibility, Lee adopts a heightened level of caution. Recognizing the potential impact of his words, he expressed the need to exercise carefulness in his public statements, as any statement he makes can influence the stock market. This awareness underscores his commitment to acting with prudence and considering the far-reaching implications of his words. Let’s delve into the life of Lee, who began his journey in the humble city of Davao, his birthplace. He embarked on his educational path at the Ateneo de Davao University for his grade school education, followed by his enrollment at Davao Central High School, then called Davao Chinese High School. After completing his schooling in Davao, he ventured to Beijing, China, where he pursued studies in the Chinese language and gained work experience with a foreign company. However, after two years, he returned to the Philippines and enrolled in Ateneo de Manila University to pursue a law degree. This journey showcases his diverse experiences and the foundation of his educational and cultural background. “The Ateneo de Manila entrance exam was the only one I could take that year when I came back from China,” he said, adding that he never dreamed of becoming a lawyer. “I just wanted to give it a try. And found I was a surprisingly good fit for it.” As a lawyer, he has five ideal lawyers. Only one is a foreigner: Sir Thomas Moore, an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, and statesman whom Roman Catholics venerated as Saint Thomas More. “He stood by his faith and principles,” he said. Fresh from hurdling the Bar exam, he worked at the Siguion-Reyna Montecillo and Ongsiako law firm, where he learned the importance of being enterprising and putting in a diligent effort to succeed. However, despite his professional growth, he decided to quit and return to his hometown of Davao, placing the deeply rooted value on family and prioritizing personal and familial responsibilities above career pursuits. As a father to two daughters, Atty. Lee expressed that fatherhood has had a profound impact on him, bringing about significant changes. He considers it one of the greatest blessings he could ever receive. According to him, the love that his children show him is genuine and unmatched. He believes that the love of young children is unparalleled. Experiencing this level of love is indescribable, knowing someone loves you unconditionally. This extraordinary bond makes fatherhood one of the most precious and fulfilling aspects of his life. “The love your kids show you is real,” he said. “You will never be as loved as you are by your young children. There is no feeling quite like it to know that someone loves you as much as that. That’s what makes it one of the best things.” Working in government “It is an honor to serve. Very few people get an opportunity to help the country and serve the president and the people,” said Lee, who is a former assistant secretary at the Office of the Executive Secretary in Malacañang, where he was also designated to sit on the Board of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Atty. Lee’s dedication to public service earned him well-deserved recognition in his field. In March this year, he received two international accolades for his role in driving the advancement of financial technology in the Philippine business sector, highlighting his visionary thinking and influential impact solidifying his reputation as a trailblazer in the field. In the 10th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, Lee was bestowed the Gold Stevie award for his outstanding contributions as a Thought Leader of the Year. These awards celebrate workplace innovation across all 29 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. From a vast pool of over 800 regional nominations, winners were selected in various categories, including the Award for Excellence in Innovation in Products & Services, the Award for Innovative Management, and the Award for Innovation in Corporate Websites, among others. “It feels great. It’s always wonderful to be recognized for all the hard work and changes you pursue at a government agency. And I was quite surprised to get the Gold Stevie Award, the highest level of the award for thought leadership. I feel so honored!” In the next decade, Atty. Lee, now 44, envisions continuing his career in law, possibly incorporating elements of technology, and hopes to stay actively involved in government work and make a significant impact by fostering meaningful transformation. “Working in government can be quite fulfilling. I encourage young lawyers and professionals to enter the arena and work in government to try and make a positive difference.” The post A positive difference appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CAAP adopts Borongan’s airport-building style
BORONGAN CITY — It was the necessity of getting a direct flight started the soonest that prompted the local government here to build its own airport, albeit in a novel and most cost-effective way given its limited budget. But the novel idea of using a modular construction system in the construction of an airport terminal gave the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines the idea on how it will build airport terminals in the future across the country. Rupert Ambil, Borongan City Information Officer and Flights Operation Chairman of the Borongan City Airport, said the city is the first local government unit in the country to construct its own airport terminal. “Thanks to the innovative design by the engineering team and the remarkable speed at which this project was completed, the CAAP is now adopting the modular design for other airports in the country,” Ambil said. On Thursday, CAAP issued a statement that it will be expanding the use of its modular construction system to more airports across the country, following its completion at Borongan Airport. “CAAP is actively implementing alternative approaches to swiftly address the concerns of passengers such as check-in areas and passenger terminal buildings with limited spaces,” CAAP said. “To address these areas for development, CAAP aims to create more spacious, efficient, and passenger-friendly environments that meet international standards and accommodate the increasing passenger volume of airports,” it added. “The modular construction system, which initially piloted at Borongan Airport, offers a sustainable approach to constructing terminal facilities with passenger amenities, as it minimizes construction waste. It uses pre-fabricated structural steel, a sustainable and cost-effective approach that allows for flexibility in design and rapid construction.” CAAP said it has identified additional airports where the construction system will be implemented. One of them is the Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro where construction aimed to increase passenger movement is set to start in December 2023 with a total budget of P36 million. The post CAAP adopts Borongan’s airport-building style appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl to UN: Uphold int’l law to keep Indo-Pacific free, open
Adherence to international law by all nations would maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines said Sunday. Speaking on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reiterated that all countries are accountable for maintaining a rules-based global order. “Its present and future rest on the predictability and stability of international law, which safeguards the rights of all states. If multilateralism is to endure, all states must adhere to the rule of law,” Manalo said. “Guided by an independent foreign policy, the Philippines actively works with nations to promote a rules-based international order,” he added. Quoting President Marcos, Manalo stressed that the Philippines is “a friend to all and enemy to none.” The DFA chief also said that the Philippines advocates the “peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law.” “This has always been our position with respect to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, inasmuch as we are prepared to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights and territorial integrity,” he said. “Our Constitution renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to a policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations,” he added. In his speech, the country’s top diplomat also pointed out that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is “now part of international law.” China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, with its historic nine-dash line claim, which the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated after siding with the Philippines. Seven years after the Tribunal favored the Philippines’ arbitral case against China, the ruling remains on paper as China continues to disregard it by keeping its illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea. For Manalo, all nations must adhere to international law to sustain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. "Adherence to international law contributes to keeping the Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN at the center, free and open and our region stable and peaceful. In line with this, we are guided by the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,” he said. The post Phl to UN: Uphold int’l law to keep Indo-Pacific free, open appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Parañaque adopts QR Ph in online payment services
To promote full cashless payment system in local government transactions, the city government of Parañaque has fully adopted the national quick response code standard, also known as QR Ph, in its bid to accelerate digitalization......»»
Pageantry reinvented : The Miss Philippines adopts new pageant format, extends application period
Some major departures of the pageant is that it is doing away with the often staple swimsuit competition, and formal wear segment will incorporate a red carpet segment along the lines of the Cannes Film Festival......»»
Bangko Sentral adopts UN’s green money guide
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, or BSP, has committed to sustainable investing by complying with the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment. In a statement released Monday, the central bank said it has become a signatory of the PRI to strengthen its efforts to protect the environment and further guide its policies and investments under an 11-point Sustainable Central Banking Strategy. This overall strategy encompasses investments in green bonds under the environmental, social and governance or ESG approach, and climate stress-testing activities which determine and evaluate environmental risks from banking activities, according to BSP. Road to responsible investing “We are extremely pleased to welcome BSP as a PRI signatory. As the central bank for the Republic of the Philippines, BSP has a broad mandate and responsibilities, and a unique opportunity to influence the responsible investment ecosystem in the market,” PRI chief Executive officer David Atkin said. This initiative allows the BSP to deepen its understanding of responsible investing, enhance the inclusion of ESG factors into the overall investment process and decision-making and benchmark its practices with other PRI signatories,” BSP said. The PRI was created in 2005 by some of the world’s largest institutional investors through discussions with former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The post Bangko Sentral adopts UN’s green money guide appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate adopts reso on WPS harassment
A resolution denouncing China’s intrusion into the West Philippine Sea and its harassment of Filipino fishermen was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The approval of Senate Resolution 718, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros, came after the Senate held an executive session on Monday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and their senior officials. Members of the Senate, as well as the mentioned officials, discussed Hontiveros’s earlier resolution which urges the national government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to elevate China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations General Assembly. Under the resolution, the lawmakers urged the Philippine government, through the DFA, to “continue asserting” the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone. Likewise, the agency was encouraged to “intensify” efforts to engage the international community in upholding its hard-earned victory at the Hague. The Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its historic victory over China in 2016 last month, which solidified Manila’s claims to the West Philippine Sea. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of 5 July, the Philippine government, through the DFA, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The resolution also states that the DFA is “expected” to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS. Should China continue to ignore the country’s efforts, the resolution contains actions the agency must do such as bringing international attention to China’s harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS; utilizing international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea; and engaging with “like-minded” countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS. The DFA is also encouraged to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines’ established rights in the West Philippine Sea; and pursue other diplomatic modes as the agency may deem appropriate and necessary. ‘Never watered down’ In his manifestation, Zubiri stressed that the resolution filed by Hontiveros was “never watered down,” but instead “strengthened.” “We came out with strong consensus yesterday after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP chief of staff General Brawner and DFA Secretary Manalo and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed, we actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Senator Risa,” he said. “I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government. Now we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the North,” he added. He continued: “And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous.” For her part, Hontiveros expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for the adoption of the resolution, which she described as an “important success” for the country. “I would first like to thank all our colleagues for this concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of our national conversation but for ensuring that the Philippine government takes the necessary steps to consolidate global support over our historic 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said. “This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission.” The post Senate adopts reso on WPS harassment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS
A resolution denouncing China's intrusion into the West Philippine Sea and its harassment of Filipino fishermen was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The approval of Senate Resolution 718, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros, came after the Senate held an executive session on Monday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and their senior officials. Members of the Senate, as well as mentioned officials, discussed Hontiveros’s earlier resolution which urges the national government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to elevate China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations General Assembly. Under the resolution, the lawmakers urged the Philippine government, through the DFA, to “continue asserting” the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic rights. Likewise, the agency was also encouraged to “intensify” efforts to engage the international community in upholding its hard-earned victory at the Hague. The Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its historic victory over China in 2016 last month, which solidified Manila's claims to the West Philippine Sea. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of July 5, the Philippine government, through DFA, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The resolution also states that the DFA is “expected” to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines' sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS. Should China continue to ignore the country’s efforts, the resolution contains actions the agency must do such as bringing international attention to China's harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS; utilizing international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea; and engaging with “like-minded” countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS. The DFA is also encouraged to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines' established rights in the West Philippine Sea; and pursue other diplomatic modes as the agency may deem appropriate and necessary. ‘Never watered down’ In his manifestation, Zubiri stressed that the resolution filed by Hontiveros was “never watered down,” but instead “strengthened.” “We came out with strong consensus yesterday after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP chief of staff General Brawner and DFA Secretary Manalo and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed, we actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Senator Risa,” he said. “I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government. Now we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the North,” he added. He continued: “And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous.” For her part, Hontiveros expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for the adoption of the resolution, which she described as an “important success” for the country. “I would first like to thank all our colleagues for this concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of our national conversation but for ensuring that the Philippine government takes the necessary steps to consolidate global support over our historic 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said. “This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission. In the face of relentless China propaganda since last week, we held our ground. Despite fake news and lies to stop the adoption of the measure, we stood firm,” she added. She continued: “This is an important success not only of the Senate but of the whole Philippines. The Senate crossed party lines to stand unified for our country.” The lawmaker also said that the fight against China’s reckless behavior in the West Philippine Sea “does not end here.” “The fight continues,” she stressed. The post Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Esquire adopts Oradian cloud core banking platform to scale business 10x in 5 years
Esquire Financing Inc., has adopted Oradian’s advanced cloud-native core banking system to realize its ambitions for MSMEs across the Philippines......»»
SSS adopts PhilSys registry for social security transactions
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday announced its partnership with Social Security System (SSS) for the latter's adoption of the national ID in social security services to expand operations in the digital economy......»»
Foodpanda enhances tools for partner merchants
Foodpanda is providing its vendors with a supply of QR Codes tagged to their own Tabsquare accounts and allows restaurant owners to review transactions via the food and beverage digital ordering system’s analytics. The online food and grocery delivery platform announced the enhanced tools for its merchants during the company’s recent partner vendors summit, themed “CRAVE: Creating Relationships and Advancing Vendor Experiences.” The grand event served to underscore Foodpanda’s commitment to forging strong bonds with its partners and celebrated the success and achievements of these businesses. In a statement, foodpanda Philippines commercial director Luis Antonio Yanga expressed enthusiasm about hosting the summit and connecting with their partner vendors. “At foodpanda, we believe in fostering meaningful relationships with our partners. We are eager to share the innovative initiatives and remarkable products we have for them so that together, we can drive progress and revolutionize the online food delivery industry,” he said. Yanga also said foodpanda wants to accommodate the diverse needs of every vendor as it adopts a hypercare approach to ensuring that programs and solutions are tailored to the needs of its partner merchants, including those who are part of their pandapick program. First introduced last year, the pandapick app allows users to discover dishes from brands available only on the platform. They also offer merchants access to elevated benefits only available to pandapick partners. “It is crucial to understand each vendor’s top growth objectives and pain points. From those criteria, we will start to customize the benefits most relevant to them including additional visibility on the app, marketing support, and tools to drive their growth,” according to Yanga. The enhanced QR Code scanning process for dine-in orders is a strategic response to a rising market demand, evidenced by the country’s QR Code transactions totaling P32.7 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Through Tabsquare, foodpanda partner vendors will be provided with a supply of QR Codes tagged to their own Tabsquare accounts. Partner vendors who attended the summit were provided with a firsthand end-to-end experience using TabSquare, showcasing its convenience, seamless operations and efficiency. The post Foodpanda enhances tools for partner merchants appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pinoys torn between U.S., China in conflict
In an armed conflict between China and the United States, Filipinos would equally support and reject a government position of taking sides, based on the latest Pulse Asia survey commissioned by former presidential spokesman Harry Roque. An “Ulat ng Bayan” survey revealed that 45 percent of respondents said the Philippines should choose sides in the event of a war between the two superpowers. Another 45 percent believed that the country should not. Conducted from 19 to 23 June, the Pulse Asia survey had 1,200 respondents. In terms of geographical areas and socio-economic classes, the Visayas region (62 percent) and Class ABC (54 percent) registered the highest affirmative response. On the other hand, most respondents from Luzon (54 percent) and Class D (47 percent) answered in the negative. “Despite the strong pro-American sentiment in the Philippines, the survey results indicate that Filipinos are torn between China and the US in the context of an Indo-Pacific conflict because it would be catastrophic to our country,” Roque said. “Our economy has yet to fully recover from the inflationary effect of the Russia-Ukraine war, several miles away from the Philippines. We cannot afford to be embroiled in a war that is so close to our shores,” he said. Meanwhile, 78 percent of the respondents agreed with the constitutional provision of renouncing war and adhering to peace and freedom with all nations as a matter of national policy. The former party-list representative said it was the dominant opinion among the respondents regardless of geography and socio-economic status. Article 2, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution states: “The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts accepted principles in international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.” Roque said, “The country must never fall into a proxy war trap perpetrated by any war-mongering hegemon. Likewise, our government should never permit a foreign state to use our territory, either through a military agreement or an unholy alliance, in attacking another county.” “Even as a third-party participant in a war, the Philippines stands to risk the lives and well-being of countless Filipinos. It is also counterproductive to our socio-economic gains in recent years, including our march towards an upper middle-income nation status.” Roque noted that the Philippines is a peace-loving nation that should continue advancing regional peace and stability in accordance with international law. Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA, the Philippines currently hosts nine agreed locations aimed at strengthening the joint interoperability of the American and Filipino armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region. China has said America’s increased military deployment in the EDCA sites would jeopardize regional peace, security, and stability. The post Pinoys torn between U.S., China in conflict appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos adopts new strategy vs money laundering, terrorist and weapon financing
The new EO, dated July 4 and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, amends the Duterte-era EO 68. The Palace has yet to publish the new EO. .....»»