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DISASTER RESPONSE. Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo (2nd from left, seated) arrives in Bangued, Abra for an aerial inspection of areas hit by a magnitude 7 earthquake on Wednesday (July 27, 2022). Tulfo also met with Abra Governor Dominic Valera (4th from left) and Vice Governor Joy Valera-Bernos to discuss relief operations. (PNA photo from Abra Provincial Government)

 

BAGUIO CITY – Both the national and local governments on Wednesday launched disaster and relief operations in northern Luzon areas affected by a magnitude 7 earthquake that has killed at least one, injured several, and triggered landslides in parts of the Cordillera region.

 

Abra's provincial and municipal governments, as well as the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, have already conducted their respective emergency meetings to consolidate response actions, as troops from the 24th Infantry Battalion under the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army have been tapped to help.

 

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo arrived in Abra before noon on Wednesday after a flyby for an aerial inspection of the damage brought about by the earthquake.

 

In a meeting with local officials of Abra attended by Governor Dominic Valera and Vice Governor Joy Valera-Bernos, Tulfo assured assistance and support from the national government.

 

“Food items are being transported to Abra to assure that nobody will go hungry. The DSWD-Cordillera Administrative Region and the SWAD have also been alerted for the cash assistance needed,” he said during the meeting with the officials.

 

Food packs

 

As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the DSWD-CAR said a total of 24,247 family food packs worth PHP16,047,220.51 are available.

 

At least 4,434 packs have been prepositioned in Abra; 1,000 each in Apayao and Ifugao; 1,231 in Mountain Province; and 1,294 in Kalinga.

 

Non-food items are also available for dispatch, such as family tents, modular tents, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, sanitation kits, kitchen boxes, rolls of laminated sacks, and malong.

 

 

Benguet Congressman Eric Yap, in a video message posted on Facebook, said he has already coordinated with private contractors to help clear roads of landslides, especially in Benguet, which connects to other parts of the region like Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra.

 

Condition of roads

 

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), meanwhile, said Kennon Road, the Benguet-Vizcaya Road, the Baguio-Bua-Itogon Road, and Mt. Data Cliff are all closed to vehicular traffic due to several landslides.

 

The Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur Road via Tue and Kayan Roads in Mankayan is also still closed due to a series of road slides but DPWH equipment is already onsite to punch open the road.

 

The Baguio-Bontoc Road and the Mountain Province-Cagayan Road via the Tabuk-Enrile Road have already been cleared while two loaders are still clearing the latter road's Gawa section.

 

The Mountain Province-Nueva Vizcaya Road, Junction Talubin-Barlig, and Dantay-Sagada Road are all open to traffic.

 

Work, class suspension

 

The chief executives of Baguio City, Benguet, and Abra have ordered a suspension of work in government and classes in both public and private schools.

 

Abra Governor Dominic Valera and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in separate orders, told building owners to prevent entry into their respective structures pending the conduct of a structural stability assessment.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the magnitude 7 earthquake hit Abra at 8:43 a.m., with a depth of 25 km.

 

As of 1 p.m., more than 200 aftershocks have been recorded, according to Phivolcs.

 

The DSWD said the lone casualty in Benguet was reported in La Trinidad, while several others were injured in Abra. (PNA)

 

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RESCUE. A fire officer in Benguet pulls a victim out of a rubble in Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet after a magnitude 7 earthquake hit several provinces in Northern Luzon on Wednesday (July 27, 2022). The victim eventually died while undergoing treatment at the Benguet General Hospital. (PNA photo courtesy of PNP)

 

MANILA – At least five people were reported dead and another 64 injured as a result of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Abra and other parts of Luzon on Wednesday, according to the 6 p.m. update of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD).

 

In a briefing conducted by OCD Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, two of the fatalities were from La Trinidad and Tuba, Benguet; one from Balbalan, Kalinga; one in Bangued, Abra; and one in Gattaran, Cagayan.

 

Meanwhile, the OCD said 64 were reported injured and these can be broken down into 57 from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and another seven from Region 1 (Ilocos).

 

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal told the Philippine News Agency that these figures “are still subject for verification.”

 

Timbal said these can be adjusted once verified reports come in from the field.

 

The damaged infrastructures in Ilocos Sur were reported as the following:

-- Municipal Building and District Hospital in Cervantes
-- Gabriela Silang Hospital
-- Vigan Cathedral
-- Bantay Bell Tower

 

Meanwhile, 61 schools were reported damaged in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), and the CAR.

 

The OCD also reported three damaged bridges -- Anduyan Bridge in Tubao, La Union; Calungbuyan Bridge in Santa town, Ilocos Sur; and Biweng Bridge in the CAR.

 

Alejandro said they are still waiting for reports to make an estimate on the damage sustained by agriculture and other damaged assets.

 

He added that they are also waiting for field reports to determine the number of the affected population.

 

Houses damaged by the earthquake were placed at 428, broken down into 423 in the CAR and five in Ilocos Region. (PNA)

 

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(PNA file photo)

 

MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday that around 8,027 schools in seven regions in the country were affected following the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Luzon.

 

An initial report from the DepEd showed that numerous schools were damaged including those in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Central Luzon Region (Region 3).

 

"Sixty-one schools in Cordillera, Regions 1, 2, and 3 are damaged, while 116 classrooms are totally damaged, with an estimated cost [of] PHP290-million," the DepEd said.

 

Likewise, 174 classrooms in these areas were partially damaged, with an estimated cost of PHP87 million.

 

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte ordered Wednesday the activation of the Education Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) teams to provide an immediate response to affected schools following the magnitude 7 earthquake, the epicenter of which was traced in Abra.

 

“Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte has already activated [the DRRM] to monitor and respond to the situation, including the provision of Psychological First Aid to affected personnel and learners,” the DepEd said.

 

The Education chief also said that classes in schools from “heavily affected” areas are now suspended. (PNA)

 

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Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road (Photo courtesy of DPWH)

 

MANILA – A total of 14 national roads, particularly in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions, are currently impassable in the aftermath of the magnitude 7 earthquake that jolted parts of Luzon on Wednesday morning.

 

In its latest situation report, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it has deployed quick response teams to inspect the safety of national roads and bridges, as well as other public infrastructures.

 

Secretary Manuel Bonoan said he has instructed the DPWH Regional and District Engineering Offices in the area to immediately check public infrastructure for any damage brought about by the quake that could endanger motorists and the general public.

 

“Our teams of engineers are conducting an assessment to evaluate the structural integrity and damage caused by the earthquake as we simultaneously clear debris along national roads and bridges,” he said in a statement.

 

As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, the roads in Abra that are reported closed are the Abra-Kalinga Road K0437+250 to K0475+000, Intermittent Sections and at K0474+000 due to soil collapse; Abra-Ilocos Norte Road, K0430+000 section and Calaba Bridge due to settlement of approach; and Abra-Cervantes Road, at Biweng Bridge due to damaged approach.

 

Also closed to traffic are Kennon Road, Benguet; Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road K0303+100, Bobok Bisal, Bokod due to soil collapse and K0302+700, Poblacion, Bokod due to rock fall in Benguet; and the Baguio-Itogon Road, Itogon Bridge, K0267+519.

 

Likewise closed are the Congressman Andres Acop Cosalan Road, K0318+500, Sitio, Bugao, Barangay Adaoay, Kabayan, Benguet due to soil collapse; the Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road K0297+200, K0297+800, K0298+400 sections in Beling-belis, Kapangan and K0313+150 section in Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet due to slope collapse; Kalinga-Abra Road K0468+860 and K0467+400 in Ableg, Pail, Kalinga, and K0497+000 onwards Abra, Pantikian to Balblasang, Balbalan and Lubuagan-Batong Buhay Road in Upper Kalinga; Banaue-Hungduan-Benguet Boundary Road, K0389+700, Wangwang, Tinoc in Ifugao; and various sections of the Baguio-Bontoc Road, Mt. Province-Cagayan via Tabuk-Enrile Road, Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur Road via Kayan Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur Road via Tue, all in Mountain Province.

 

On the other hand, seven road sections in the two regions have limited access – Asin Road, K0305+820, Asin, Baguio City; Palispis Marcos Highway, K0273+780, Poblacion, Tuba, Benguet; Baguio-Bontoc Road, Balili Bridge, Benguet; and Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya K0254+300, Sitio Lamut, Beckel, La Trinidad, Benguet.

 

Other roads that have limited access due to the earthquake are the Congressman Andres Acop Cosalan Road K0318+800, Sitio, Bugao, Barangay Adaoay, Kabayan, Benguet; Baguio-Bauang Road, K0296+600 LS, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet; and Calungbuyan Bridge, Santa Rancho, Santa, Ilocos Sur.

 

Aside from these roads, houses, old buildings, and churches in Ilocos were also damaged by the tremor. (PNA)

 

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(Photo courtesy of PIA Abra)

 

MANILA – A magnitude 7 earthquake jolted Abra this mornin g July 27th

, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

 

Phivolcs earlier logged this as magnitude 7.3.

 

The tectonic quake struck 3 km. northwest of the municipality of Tayum at 8:43 a.m., with a depth of 17 km.

The following are the reported intensities:

 

Intensity VII: Bucloc and Manabo, Abra;

Intensity VI: Vigan City, Sinait, Bantay, San Esteban, Ilocos Sur; Laoac, Pangasinan; Baguio City;

Intensity V: Magsingal and San Juan, Ilocos Sur, Alaminos City and Labrador, Pangasinan; Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya; Mexico, Pampanga; Concepcion, and Tarlac City, Tarlac; City of Manila; City of Malabon;

Intensity IV: City of Marikina; Quezon City; City of Pasig; City of Valenzuela; City of Tabuk, Kalinga; Bautista and Malasiqui, Pangasinan; Bayombong and Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya; Guiguinto, Obando, and San Rafael, Bulacan; San Mateo, Rizal;

Intensity III: Bolinao, Pangasinan; Bulakan, Bulacan; Tanay, Rizal;

Intensity II - General Trias City, Cavite; Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

Phivolcs also logged the following instrumental intensities:

Intensity VII: Vigan City;

Intensity V: Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Peñablanca, Cagayan; Dagupan City, Pangasinan; Sinait, Ilocos Sur; Baguio City;

Intensity IV: Gonzaga, Cagayan; Baler, Aurora; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya; Ramos, Tarlac; Ilagan, Isabela; Basista, Pangasinan; Claveria, Cagayan; San Jose, Palayan City and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Madella, Quirino; Tabuk, Kalinga; Santiago City, Isabela;

Intensity III: Quezon City; Iba, Zambales; Navotas City, Malabon City, Metro Manila; Magalang & Guagua Pampanga; Bolinao, Sison and Infanta, Pangasinan; Bulakan, San Ildefonso, Guiguinto, Plaridel, and Malolos City, Bulacan; Tarlac City, Tarlac;

Intensity II: Dona Remedios Trinidad, Angat & Santa Maria, Bulacan; Tagaytay City, Cavite; Pasig City Metro Manila; Polillo, Gumaca and Infanta, Quezon;

Intensity I: Tanay, Taytay, Morong, Antipolo City, Rizal; Marilao,Bulacan; San Juan City, Las Piñas City, Metro Manila; Lucban, Quezon; Subic, Zambales; Mercedes,Camarines Norte; Olongapo City, Zambales; Carmona, Cavite.

 

Reported intensity is the traditional way of knowing the intensity based on reports of people who felt the earthquake while instrumental intensity is measured using an intensity meter that measures ground acceleration.

 

Aftershocks and damage are expected from the temblor, Phivolcs said.

 

Response

 

In a statement, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it is coordinating with regional counterparts in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, as well as the National Capital Region.

 

“Assessment continues as of now but some areas have sustained damages to public and private structures. Some areas in the Cordilleras have no power and Internet. Monitoring of mountain roads continue," it said.

 

Aftershocks were reported in the town of La Paz in Abra.

 

(Photo courtesy of PIA Abra)

 

The town’s Operations Center Building was badly damaged by the tremor, based on pictures posted on the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) - Abra’s Facebook page.

 

Abra Rep. Ching Bernos also shared photos of buildings damaged by the earthquake.

 

(Photo courtesy of Office of Rep. Ching Bernos)

 

In Bucay town, two were reported injured and were taken to a hospital for immediate treatment.

 

Meanwhile, Antonio Burgos, 56, a balikbayan from Germany who is now vacationing in Bangued, Abra, suffered slight injuries after he was hit on the head by falling tile debris while taking a bath.

 

He said most employees at the different government offices have been sent home.

 

Netizens also posted on social media about the effects of the earthquake.

 

In a video posted by Edison Adducul, falling debris was seen from a watchtower in Bantay, Ilocos Sur after the earthquake.

 

The tremor also damaged several centuries-old ancestral houses in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, based on pictures posted by Berniemack Arellano.

 

(Photo courtesy of Berniemack Arellano)

 

Several roads were closed due to fallen rocks and landslides from the earthquake – the Keweng-Deepey Road in Itogon, Benguet; Poblacion-Sakkawa-Wayangan Road in Tubo, Abra and the Daldalakan-Malucsad-Magsilay Road in Pasil, Kalinga. (with Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)

 

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So, another award for the Philippine tourist industry.

 

Tourism Authorities love to win awards.

 

Recently Lifestyle travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler has included the Philippines in its list of 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World.

 

Condé Nast used the data from the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, particularly its section on natural resources, and polled among the magazine's editors for personal picks to come up with a Top 40.

 

In considering natural resources, the WEF takes note of a country's total animal species, number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and number of protected ecosystems.

 

They took note of the over 7,000 islands found around the country, many among them counted as the world's most beautiful.

 

 Kayangan Lake in Coron

 

Travel destinations mentioned include the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and the famous Banaue Rice Terraces. Traveler even included a photo of Kayangan Lake in Coron, Palawan to further show the island's beauty.

 

Other countries that made the list include Australia, Mexico, Brazil, China, Kenya, Canada, Japan, Greece, New Zealand, and the United States, while Southeast Asian neighbors include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

 

Marketing awards is big business

 

Now I am sure the Philippines deserved this acknowledgment however magazines set up these types of awards to attract readers and PR for that issue, but primarily to sell advertising.

 

If you work for a tourist board and you get advanced knowledge that you are up for an award or a good listing, then you will most likely take an advert to milk the publicity as much as possible.

 

Awards are given out for everything these days from the best beach to the best tourist attraction, even the best immigration service.

 

Therefore, all I am saying is sometimes we need to take these awards with a pinch of salt.

 

That said I am sure the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan deserves a mention as it is a unique experience.

 

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The house where a 10-year-old boy died saving his younger siblings from a fire on July 23, 2022, in Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Chanh District. Photo by VnExpress/Dong Hoang

 

A 10-year-old boy took four of his siblings out of a burning house in HCMC’s Binh Chanh District, then lost his life trying to save his youngest brother reported VN Express.

 

Nguyen Dao Phu Quy and his five younger siblings were inside their house in Vinh Loc A Commune when it caught fire on the afternoon of July 23.

 

Quy took four of his siblings to the house's balcony so that neighbors could take them to safety as the fire spread rapidly.

 

Neighbors who had rushed to rescue the children and put out the fire said Quy rushed back into the burning house to save his youngest brother who was just 8 months old.

 

After the fire was brought under control, Quy was found holding the baby in the bathroom. Both were unconscious. They were taken to the hospital but could not be saved.

 

A neighbor named Thuy said Quy rushed back into the house "way too fast even as everyone was focused on making sure the other four children were safe."

 

"It is heartbreaking. He was just 10 but he was so brave and loved his siblings so much."

 

The father of the children, Nguyen Vinh Phuoc, 37, said he rented the house in 2021.

 

On the day of the fire, he, and the oldest child, 15, were working at a construction site in Thu Duc City, an hour's drive away from Binh Chanh.

 

His wife was working at a company around one km from the rented house.

 

Every day, she would go home to make lunch for the children before returning to work.

 

While his parents and oldest brother were busy working, Quy oversaw taking care of five siblings on his own, including preparing the formula for the baby and feeding the toddlers.

 

Quy used to live with his grandmother and uncle in his mother's hometown of Soc Trang Province in the Mekong Delta as his parents could not take care of all the children.

 

For his summer break, the boy wanted to be with his siblings and parents.

 

He had stayed with his family for three weeks when the fire broke out. Quy and his youngest brother were buried Monday.

 

Police are investigating the fire.

 

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Dalat Palace Hotel where South Korean tourists stay during their trip to Da Lat Town, Lam Dong Province. Photo courtesy of the hotel

 

A charter flight from South Korea is scheduled to arrive in Da Lat shortly, marking the first international service to the Central Highlands tourist town after over two years.

 

The flight operated by Korean Air carrying 141 South Korean tourists would land at Lien Khuong Airport, around 30 kilometers from downtown Da Lat, at 9:50 p.m., Lam Dong Province news portal reported, citing Lam Dong Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

 

Crazy House Da Lat

 

The tourists would stay at Dalat Palace Hotel, play golf, and visit some famous tourist attractions in the town during the five-day itinerary.

 

Provincial authorities said there would be more international flights to Da Lat from now until the year-end as it targets to receive 150,000 foreign tourists this year, around 35 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

 

 

Situated on a plateau around 1,500 meters above sea level, Da Lat enjoys year-round cool weather and is famous for its French colonial heritage.

 

In the first half of this year, Vietnam welcomed 602,000 foreign tourist arrivals, up 6.8 times year-on-year, according to General Statistics Office.

 

South Korea had the largest number of visitors to Vietnam at 108,000 in 2019.

 

On March 15, the government allowed quarantine-free entry and resumed its visa waiver for citizens of 24 countries, including South Korea.

 

It has also removed most other entry restrictions like medical declaration and Covid tests.

 

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MANILA – Local carriers on Monday welcomed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s plan to upgrade the airports and build more international airports in the country.

 

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said doing so would improve connectivity to strategic locations. Further, this would help decongest the bottleneck in the country's main gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

 

"That's good news for airlines! We look forward to better airports because that will make travel more convenient and enjoyable for passengers," Cebu Pacific (CEB) spokesperson Carmina Romero told the Philippine News Agency.

 

Earlier this month, CEB chief commercial officer Xander Lao expressed his hope that the Marcos administration would continue investments in airports, and well as training of air traffic controllers.

 

"We need to increase the capacity so that more flights can be accommodated to and from the country," he said.

 

In a statement, Philippine Airlines chief operations officer Stanley Ng agreed with Marcos that the construction of new international airports will help boost tourism targets, and generate economic growth that will create employment opportunities in the aviation and tourism industries.

 

"New access roads will help these economic benefits to flow into local communities. As industry stakeholders, we welcome and support these plans announced by President Marcos in his SONA," he said.

 

Budget airline AirAsia Philippines said it supports the administration's vision for better, reliable, and safe air transport through infrastructural development, particularly the improvement of the existing airports and the establishment of new ones.

 

The airline said it will remain aggressive and competitive in domestic and international air travel and cargo as it serves a greater number of Filipino travelers and overseas Filipino workers, spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

 

“The Marcos administration can expect AirAsia to support its vision by adhering to the highest standards of safety in all of its flights; and facilitate fleet and route expansion to cater to the growing demand of passenger and cargo traffic in the different provinces,” he added.

 

Dailisan said the airline will complement the administration's vision with strategic collaborations with stakeholders through initiatives like the a-fest (AirAsia Fiesta) which he said actively promotes the various festivities nationwide. (PNA)

 

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TRAINS. Rolling stock of the MRT-7 parked along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. On Tuesday (July 26, 2022), Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez gives updates on the progress of several railway projects such as the Metro Manila Subway. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

 

MANILA – An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said the Metro Manila Subway Project has reached 60 percent completion rate on procurement.

 

“Metro Manila Subway is 33 kilometers (km) from Valenzuela all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), around 17 stations. We expect to provide daily ridership from 400,000 to as high as 800,000,” DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said during the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) economic briefing at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

 

He also gave an update on the railway projects based on four indicators—procurement, design, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, and construction.

 

Another big-ticket project is the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, with both its Tutuban to Malolos and Malolos to Clark segments at 93 percent complete on procurement, while the Manila to Tutuban to Calamba segment is at 61 percent complete on procurement.

 

“As to the detail and design, we're more than 70 percent complete, and as to ROW, it's 55 to 60 percent,” he said.

 

The NSCR is expected to be operational by 2026 to 2027 and will run for 147 kilometers from Clark to Calamba.

 

It will have 35 stations and is expected to have a daily passenger capacity of 400,000 to 700,000 daily.

 

Chavez said the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Extension Project—which will extend the LRT-1 southward from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite—is at 69 percent completion rate on construction.

 

“The 122 trains are there already, around 24 rolling stocks. The station developments are in place already, except Las Piñas to Bacoor,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), a public-private partnership (PPP) project with San Miguel Corp., is at a 61 percent completion rate on construction.

 

Once complete, Chavez said the MRT-7 is seen to have a daily passenger capacity from 400,000 to 800,000.

It will run for 22.8 km from northeast to northwest, have 14 stations, and will connect San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to the Common Station in Quezon City.

 

To date, Chavez said the common station, or the Unified Grand Central Station, is expected to be completed by “the second quarter of 2023.”

 

Designed to connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway with access to road transport, he said the station is expected to serve “at least 150, passengers daily.”

 

In addition to these projects in Luzon, he reiterated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s desire to complete the Cebu Railway System, the Panay Railway Project, and the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP).

 

The MRP, he said, is to be “resubmitted” to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) “in the coming weeks” for funding reapproval.

 

“The intention is to continue whether we're going to PPP or ODA (official development assistance), we will leave it to the Department of Finance, NEDA, and the economic team of the President,” he said.

 

He said while the Panay Railway Project is not “in the master plan,” he said at least five railway projects have been identified for development in the Visayas.

 

“Good news for Cebu, because in the master plan of rail transport from 2018 to 2019 there are five railway projects identified for development in the Visayas, in particular in Cebu province,” he said.

 

On Monday, Marcos in his first SONA announced his administration’s desire to continue the “Build, Build, Build” program of the previous administration and other projects such as the Panay Railway Project and the Cebu Railway System.

 

The 12 railway projects have a combined cost of PHP1.9 trillion and are at various stages of implementation.

Marcos noted that the infrastructure development spending of the country will be sustained at 5 percent of the gross domestic product in addition to making use of PPPs. (PNA)

 

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(PNA file photo) 

 

MANILA – The Philippine Army (PA) said Tuesday it strongly supports President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s call for legislators to prioritize the passage of a law calling for a mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program for senior high school students.

 

"The PA supports the national defense strategy of our Commander in Chief, which includes the revival of the mandatory ROTC program for our youth. Moreover, the organization trusts the wisdom of our legislators for the program’s revival," Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

 

Trinidad said the ROTC program is anchored on the Constitutional provision on the defense of the State.

He noted that the ROTC is a crucial part of the military’s long-term reserve force development plan that instills discipline, patriotism, and nationalistic values in the youth who are considered the future of the nation.

 

"The Philippine Army, as part of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) reaches out to the youth by providing them with another perspective on nation-building. The proposed revival of mandatory ROTC program will be instrumental in the development of a capable, committed, and well-trained reserve force that will serve as an expansion base for the regular force in times of war, rebellion, or other national emergencies," Trinidad said.

 

In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, Marcos emphasized the need to renew the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs (Grades 11 and 12) in all public and private tertiary-level educational institutions.

 

"The aim is to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize the students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations," he said. (PNA) 

 

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Reuters

 

SINGAPORE — Singapore on Tuesday (July 26) reported one more case of monkeypox infection, which now means the total number of cases in the country since June is 10.

 

The latest case reported is a 28-year-old Taiwanese man who lives in Singapore and recently returned from Canada, said MOH in an update on its website.

 

He first developed symptoms on July 22, including a fever, headache, muscle aches and pain. He subsequently also developed a rash, said MOH.

 

The man sought medical attention on Tuesday and was admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases the same day, said the ministry.

 

He is in stable condition and contact tracing is ongoing.

 

The man's infection is not linked to any of the earlier monkeypox cases.

 

Monkeypox is a viral disease that is typically self-limiting, with patients recovering within 14 to 21 days.

 

Those who are infected usually experience fever, headache, muscle ache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, lethargy, and rash.

 

Of the 10 monkeypox cases announced in Singapore since June, five are imported and five are local. None of the cases so far are linked.

 

On Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that MOH does not recommend the mass vaccination of Singapore’s population against monkeypox, reiterating the ministry’s stance on the viral disease.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency. CNA

 

Parked cars on a street in Singapore. (File photo: iStock/tobiasjo)

 

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Friday (Jul 22) that the current method for computing the quota available for Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding will now be adjusted to reduce volatility in supply. 

 

According to CNA, from August, supply will be based on a rolling average of vehicle deregistration’s over two quarters instead of one.

 

Under the new counting method, the COE quota for August to October will be 10,581 – 11.5 per cent drop than the 11,951 COEs that were available for bidding in the May to July period.

 

With the surge in COE premiums in recent months and Open Category prices hitting an all-time high of S$114,001 in the latest bidding exercise, many have expressed concern that the new quota system will cause prices to rise further. 

 

How will the new counting method affect prices? 

 

Under the new rules, the available COEs will be based on the average of deregistration’s from the preceding six-month (two-quarter) period. This is unlike the current counting method, which simply takes deregistration’s from the preceding quarter, explained Dr Bryan Tan, chief scientist at online car marketplace Carro.

 

As such, the new rules “reduce the volatility” of COE prices, said Dr Tan. 

 

“In the short run, the COE prices will also be lower under the new system than the previous system. Under the adjusted method, the COE quota for August to October will be 10,581 versus 9,394 for the current system.”

 

COE prices will still likely increase as the COE quota for May to July was 11,951, which already led to COE premiums skyrocketing to S$114,001 for Category E recently, said Dr Tan. 

 

“This increase in COE quota under the new rules will moderate the price increase of COE. In short, there will still be a price increase but at a smaller extent compared to the current rules.” 

 

In the longer term, Dr Tan noted that the new rules imply that COE price peaks will not be as high as they would be under the current counting method. Conversely, however, the COE price troughs will also not be as low as they would have been. 

 

Together, these will reduce the volatility of COE prices, he said.

 

The move should also smooth out short-term fluctuations, and “counter-balance knee-jerk, short-term bidding behaviour that may accentuate small, random fluctuations”, added Assistant Professor Terence Fan from the Singapore Management University. 

 

The revised counting method is not a big change, but the hope is to better align COE prices with underlying demand, said the assistant professor of strategic management (education).

 

Why is the counting method being changed? 

 

Assoc Prof Fan suggested that the new counting method was probably introduced due to concerns over random fluctuations in available COEs and the knee-jerk reactions from bidders – and these may not necessarily be the same motorists who ultimately drive the cars. 

 

“The introduction of the new method is an example of smaller operational adjustments that may help better align COE prices with underlying demand. If after some time, say a few rounds of COE bidding, COE prices become moderate, then there is less need for more serious tweaking of the current system and policy,” he said. 

 

“The move shows that the Land Transport Authority is keenly aware of what is happening to COE prices and seeks to ensure they are truly reflective of the underlying demand.” 

 

With the rise of private-hire vehicles and food delivery services, Dr Tan added that COE is “increasingly a factor of production” where an increase in COE premiums would also lead to inflationary pressures.

 

Hence, the new counting method is also a targeted tool to lower inflation. 

 

“Inflation in Singapore is at an all-time high. Our core inflation hit 4.4 per cent in June which is the first time that it has breached the 4.0 per cent handle since end-2008. Headline inflation, which includes accommodation and private transport costs, is at a record high of 6.7 per cent, up from 5.6 per cent in May,” he said. 

 

“Of course, social pressures such as access to private transport for families with kids or invalids might be cause for consideration as Singapore changes its social compact to be more inclusive.”

 

At least two major private-hire companies, Tribecar and Lion City Rentals, earlier told CNA that they did not bid aggressively for COEs to increase their fleet sizes in recent months, rejecting suggestions they were the cause of record-breaking COE premiums.

 

Colonel Tran Van Du, 61, attends a meeting as deputy director of the Immigration Department at the Public Security Ministry in 2020. Photo courtesy of the police

 

A former top immigration official at the Ministry of Public Security has been arrested for allegedly taking bribes in organizing Covid-19 repatriation flights reported VN Express.

 

Colonel Tran Van Du, 61, former deputy director of the Immigration Department at the Public Security Ministry, was among six people arrested Monday as investigation into the repatriation flight scandal was expanded, the ministry's spokesman To An Xo said.

 

Nguyen Mai Anh, 46, an international relations specialist at the Government Office, Ngo Quang Tuan, 38, an international relations specialist at the Transport Ministry, and Vu Sy Cuong, 36, a former immigration official at the Public Security Ministry, also face charges of taking bribes.

 

Bui Huy Hoang, 34, an official at the Health Ministry, was arrested under fraud charges, and Nguyen Tien Manh, 52, a travel business leader, was arrested for giving bribes.

 

Vietnam had operated around 2,000 repatriation flights to bring home residents stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

But many people had to buy very expensive tickets and complete tortuous procedures to get a seat on repatriation flights.

 

Investigation found many officials and business leaders had taken advantage of the policy to earn money.

 

Each repatriation flight organized during the Covid-19 pandemic earned profits of several billion Vietnamese dong (VND1 billion = $42,750) after deducting costs, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

 

A series of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tourism firm directors have been arrested for their involvement in bribery while organizing these flights.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung was arrested in April for taking bribes.

 

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file photo

 

Three women aged 37-54 died in the southern Ca Mau Province after a drinking binge over two days during which they and three men consumed five liters of rice wine.

 

According to VN Express, initial investigations by the police show that 3.5 liters of rice wine were consumed by a 54-year-old female landlord with five friends – two women and three men, from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday (July 20) night.

 

This group continued to drink the next day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., consuming another 1.5 liters of alcohol. The five liters of alcohol of unknown origin were purchased by a man in the group for VND37,000 ($1.58) per liter.

 

On the evening of July 22, all three women complained of tiredness. They began vomiting and had trouble breathing.

 

Relatives rushed them to a local hospital’s emergency ward.

 

The landlady died on the way to the hospital.

 

The other two women were taken to the Ca Mau Province General Hospital in critical condition, comatose with no pulse or blood pressure and requiring mechanical ventilation.

 

The doctors diagnosed them with alcohol poisoning, and suspected methanol poisoning (industrial alcohol), and administered emergency rehydration and dialysis, but both died the following day.

 

Three men who are drinking with them are in good health, including one who is the husband of one of the deceased.

 

People in the neighborhood said this group of people organized drinking parties occasionally.

 

Local officials said Monday that families suspect the three women died of alcohol poisoning and did not request a post mortem.

 

However, police said that deaths will be investigated to determine the cause.

 

It is not uncommon practice for sellers or makers to mix industrial alcohol to other liquors to reduce prices.

 

Many deaths and serious complications have happened due to methanol poisoning caused by alcohol consumption.

 

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As has been widely reported, this week the UN brokered a deal with Russia and Ukraine to start shipping wheat from the region again.

 

That said the bombing of the port by Russians over the weekend may delay shipping.

 

Apart from the logistical problems of avoiding mines around the Black Sea ports will this initiative last.

 

The UN and Turkey are trying to broker an agreement to allow Ukrainian exports to resume, which would require Russia to lift the blockade and Ukraine to remove mines from its ports.

 

Ukrainian officials say they can't trust Russia not to use the agreement to gain a military advantage.

 

 

Meanwhile, Ukraine has 30 million tons of grain sitting in silos. That accounts for more than half of the available storage space even before the new harvest begins this summer.

 

How will this embargo lifting affect us living in Vietnam and SE Asia?

 

Vietnam main global imports are computers, electrical products, and parts (18 percent of total imports) and machine, instruments, and accessories (16 percent). Others include telephones, mobile phones and parts thereof (8 percent); textile fabrics (5 percent) and iron and steel (4 percent).

 

Vietnam was the fourth largest buyer of Russian wheat after Egypt, Turkey, and Bangladesh in the past.

They imported 1.2 million tons of Russian wheat back in 2018/19.

 

Meanwhile some countries were far more reliant on Ukraine for their products prior to the blockade.

 

Those include some of the world's most populous countries: at least 25% of wheat exports in Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, and Pakistan came from Ukraine.

 

Ukraine-Vietnam in 2020, Ukraine exported $214million to Vietnam.

 

The main products that Ukraine exported to Vietnam were Iron ores and concentrate; including roasted iron pyrites ($60M), Wheat and meslin ($53.8M), and Maize (corn) ($33.7M).

 

So hopefully Vietnam will start to see Wheat from Ukraine arriving at its ports in the next few months.

 

Every bit helps to keep prices rising.

 

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NATURAL BEAUTY. A view of the ocean atop a mountain in Baler town, Aurora. The province that is known for its beaches is being rebranded to include dive, surfing, trekking and wellness sites to attract more tourists. (File photo by Loretta Allarey-Paje)

 

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The number of tourist arrivals in the province of Aurora reached over 650,000 in the first half of this year.

 

Data from the Aurora Tourism Office showed that a total of 653,054 tourists visited the province from January to June, an indication that the province's tourism industry is on its way to recovery from the impact of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

 

The top tourist destinations in the province are the towns of Dipaculao, Baler, Dingalan, and Maria Aurora.

 

The report was based on the data supplied by the municipal tourism offices of the province’s eight towns, namely Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, and San Luis.

 

Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Chriselle May Yambao said on Thursday the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon (DOT-3) is also rebranding Aurora to include dive, surfing, trekking and wellness sites to attract more tourists.

 

“This is a very unique type of product development wherein we pair up activities and not only concentrate on only one activity. Aurora is very rich in natural resources with its mountains and seas,” Yambao said in a radio interview.

 

So far, she said among the selected dive sites in the province for freediving are the Barangay Dibutunan Marine Protected Area (MPA), Digisit MPA, and Dicasalarin.

 

Other dive sites will also be opened once the local government unit (LGU) guidelines have been set.

Yambao said locals will also be trained and certified as freediving guides to ensure the safety of divers visiting the province.

 

In terms of wellness activities, she said Aurora is an ideal place for meditation and yoga because of its beautiful natural scenery.

 

“We are hoping that this going to be alternative activities in Aurora, aside from surfing which the province is known for,” Yambao added. (PNA)

 

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(File photo)

 

MANILA – President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday pushed for the transition to renewable energy to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change on the country.

 

Marcos, in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered at Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City, said the use of renewable energy will top his administration's climate change agenda.

 

"We will increase our use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind,” said Marcos, whose home province Ilocos Norte houses the now-famous Windmills of Bangui.

 

The shift to renewable energy is seen as a solution to help slow down the effects of climate change.

 

The United Nations-body Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its report released in April 2022, bared that solar and wind energy and batteries have shown sustained cost reductions of up to 85 percent since 2010.

 

Many policies and laws have improved energy efficiency, reduced deforestation rates, and accelerated renewable energy deployment, according to the IPCC report.

 

Marcos emphasized the need to promote the use of renewable energy, as he noted that the Philippines is a disaster-prone country.

 

Given the country's geographical situation, capacity-building for natural disaster resiliency is "a must," he said.

 

Marcos said investing in science and technology would enable the government to have accurate weather forecasts and on-time disaster alerts.

 

“For the welfare of our people, it is incumbent upon us to lessen our vulnerability,” he said. “Studies show that many areas in the Philippines are already at high risk from the rise in sea levels brought about by the increase in global temperature. We must adapt to this phenomenon with disaster-proof urban planning."

 

Partnership with private sector

 

The Philippines, though a minor contributor to climate change globally, is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change.

 

Marcos also raised alarm over the precarious fresh water supply situation in the country, especially in urban areas.

 

“Many of our water supply systems date back to the 1950’s and they must already be rehabilitated and improved,” he said.

 

He then directed Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia "Toni" Yulo-Loyzaga and Public Works Secretary "Manuel" Manny Bonoan "to explore possible partnerships with the private sector to address this critical situation.”

 

“There is no question that the preservation of the environment is preservation of life. If we cannot mitigate climate change, all our plans for the economy will be for naught,” Marcos said.

 

Marcos said environmental laws and policies must be followed when the government forges partnership with the private sector.

 

“Companies who exploit our natural resources must follow the law. We all have the responsibility to preserve the Earth, for we are but custodians, and we will pass this treasure on to future generations,” he said.

 

Marcos, in his inaugural speech delivered on June 30, mentioned plastic pollution and climate change as among critical issues his administration will address.

 

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said Marcos will continue pursuing a whole-of-nation approach in mitigating climate risks. (PNA)

 

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on Monday (July 25, 2022). Marcos’ SONA lasted for one hour and 14 minutes. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

 

MANILA – In an hour-long speech, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered a "data-driven" State of the Nation Address (SONA) that laid out his plans for the Philippines for the six years.

 

Marcos' first SONA was one hour and 14 minutes long that tackled the government's agenda on economic recovery, Covid-19 pandemic response, the resumption of face-to-face classes, as well as the legislative priorities for his administration.

 

His notably most applauded statements in his speech were about bringing the much-needed health facilities beyond Manila, and not surrendering even a square inch of the country's territory, referring to Manila's ongoing territorial dispute with other littoral states over the South China Sea.

 

“We will bring the health care system closer to the people so that they will no longer have to go to the centers of their town, province, and region. We’ll put up clinics and Rural Health Units [RHUs] to be visited by doctors, nurses, midwives and med techs once a week -- it would be easier for the sick to be treated without having to travel far,” Marcos said.

 

Marcos also focused on the theme of continuity, as he vowed to continue his predecessor’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program but with a new focus on developing the country’s railway system, as well as tax administration reforms of the previous administration.

 

Marcos directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to build upon already existing lines by modernizing old railway systems.

 

“Full speed ahead! Improving our railway system, along with modernizing existing airports and seaports, will maximize our strategic location in the Pacific. And connect our many islands,” he said.

 

Over 1,300 guests graced the event to witness first-hand the President's address inside the newly-renovated plenary hall from lawmakers, Cabinet officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and other guests.

 

Consistent with his wish for a simple SONA, his guests wore Filipiniana and barong that would reflect the Philippines' rich culture, heritage, and tradition.

 

Among the remarkable attendees were Vice President Sara Duterte who wore a tribal outfit in honor of the Bagobo Tagaba tribe of Davao City, and Sen. Robinhood "Robin" Padilla wearing a Francis Libiran-made attire composed of fine Inaul fabric woven by the Maranaos of Mindanao.

 

Among the SONA performers was a group from Marcos' home region of Ilocos sang the national anthem.

The first SONA was directed by film director Paul Soriano.

 

Around 20,000 police personnel were deployed to ensure security within the immediate area surrounding the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City, as well as Commonwealth Avenue, the road that leads to the complex.

 

Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto described Marcos' first SONA as "data-driven", considering that others before him had used words to conjure the future, while he painted it using numbers.

 

"And that makes his SONA brave, not boring, because when you set specific targets -- on growth, jobs, debt, inflation -- then you set up the goals by which your administration will be measured. Promises have receipt. Not motherhood statements), but calculable key result areas," Recto said.

 

Recto said the President was also correct in predicating all his programs with a plan on how to revitalize the economy because only a strong one would yield the resources and revenues that would finance the rebuilding of the "Covid-ravaged" nation.

 

"His speech was structured in such a way that before he dazzled us with programs, he gave us a fiscal reality check," he said.

Newly-elected Speaker Martin Romualdez, for his part, said Marcos has clearly spelled out a roadmap of governance in his six years of office in his first SONA.

 

"His message was crystal-clear: the main focus of his administration will be economic recovery, with agriculture as the major engine for growth and employment," Romualdez said.

 

Romualdez said the prospect of economic recovery looks bright with Marcos' plan to impose tax administration reforms and observe sound fiscal management.

 

He also agreed with his plan to prioritize government spending on items that will immediately address the economic scarring caused by the pandemic.

 

Meanwhile, around 20,000 Marcos supporters from Metro Manila and nearby provinces packed the IBP Road in Quezon City during the "Kilos Suporta para sa Pagbangon at Pagkakaisa - PBBM SONA," based on crowd estimates from event organizers.

 

The attendees -- all clad in red BBM shirts, face masks, and caps -- cheered for the President and flashed his signature peace sign.

 

"We are here to show our support for President Bongbong Marcos as he delivers his first SONA. He wanted us to listen to his programs and here we are, heeding his call," said Malayang Quezon City president Edwin Rodriguez, one of the organizers of the event.

 

Vice President Sara Duterte called on administration supporters to help the president fulfill the programs he had cited in his maiden SONA as she met with pro-Marcos groups that gathered along IBP Road.

 

" Hopefully, we will be united in executing the plans outlined by the President of our country," she said. (PNA)

 

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Singapore Police ForceSingaporean Pi Jiapeng (left) and Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa are wanted by the police for allegedly failing to deliver luxury watches and bags and fleeing across the border

 

SINGAPORE — Conducting checks on all outgoing vehicles from Singapore's land checkpoints will have a significant impact on trade and travel and could also "severely worsen" the departure traffic situation, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

 

"While the checks may not be 100 per cent, they are not minimal or negligible in number," said the authority.

 

ICA was responding to TODAY's queries on Saturday (July 23) about how a couple fled Singapore after allegedly failing to deliver luxury watches and bags to their buyers.

 

The fugitives — Singaporean Pi Jiapeng and Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa — had left the country by hiding in the container compartment of a lorry and were assisted by a 40-year-old Malaysian man. 

 

TODAY also asked if ICA is considering a review of its policy of not checking 100 percent of outgoing vehicles at the border checkpoints.

 

In response, ICA said that Singapore's land checkpoints are one of the busiest land crossings in the world, and about 200,000 travellers depart daily prior to the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

Any delay in clearing departure traffic during peak hours can cause traffic tailback onto the roads inland, such as the Bukit Timah Expressway for Woodlands Checkpoint and the Ayer Rajah Expressway for Tuas Checkpoint, said ICA.

 

It added that such delays would also disrupt trade flows between Singapore and Malaysia.

 

ICA said that it adopts a "risk management approach" to departure clearance screening of people, goods and conveyances and takes an "arrival-centric approach" to border security, which ICA added is a widespread practice internationally and done to optimise resources. 

 

This is why the approach to departure checks changes based on Singapore's prevailing security posture, ICA said in its response. 

 

"For example, enhanced checks will be conducted on departing conveyances in the aftermath of major security incidents to prevent the perpetrators from leaving Singapore," said ICA. 

 

On the other hand, ICA subjects all arriving conveyances to 100 per cent checks to safeguard Singapore's borders "against the entry of smuggled, illegal or undesirable persons and goods, and especially security sensitive items".

 

This is a key priority for the authority, it said. "A more balanced approach has therefore been adopted," said ICA. 

 

Explaining its current approach, ICA said it conducts regular and random operations on departing conveyances on a day-to-day basis.

 

The checks include car boots, the luggage and engine compartments of buses, as well as the cabin and container compartments of lorries.

 

Targeted and thorough checks may also be conducted on departing traffic based on risk-profiling and information received, it said.

 

This week the UN brokered a deal with Russia and Ukraine to start shipping wheat from the region again.

Apart from the logistical problems of avoiding mines around the Black Sea ports will this initiative last.

 

The UN and Turkey are trying to broker an agreement to allow Ukrainian exports to resume, which would require Russia to lift the blockade and Ukraine to remove mines from its ports.

 

 

Ukrainian officials say they can't trust Russia not to use the agreement to gain a military advantage.

 

The Russian bombing of the ports reported over the weekend does not help the situation.

 

Meanwhile, Ukraine has 30 million tons of grain sitting in silos. That accounts for more than half of the available storage space even before the new harvest begins this summer.

 

Meanwhile, how will this embargo lifting affect us living in SE Asia?

 

Some countries were far more reliant on Ukraine for those products prior to the blockade.

 

Those include some of the world's most populous countries: at least 25% of wheat exports in Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, and Pakistan came from Ukraine.

 

Ukraine-Philippines in 2020, Ukraine exported $172M to Philippines.

 

The main products that Ukraine exported to the Philippines were Wheat and meslin ($119M), Iron or non-alloy steel; semi-finished products thereof ($17.6M), and Cigars, cheroots, cigarillos, and cigarettes; of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes ($9.29M).

 

In 2020 Russia also exported over $120million worth of cereals to the Philippines and with the country’s favorable relations with Moscow one assumes wheat from Russia will continue to be delivered too.

 

So hopefully the Philippines will start to see Wheat from Ukraine arriving at its ports in the next few months.

 

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People shop at a CD/DVD fair in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Thanh

 

Online video piracy is worsening in Vietnam with the number of users watching or listening to pirated stuff estimated at 15.5 million, the third highest in the Southeast Asia reports VN Express.

 

This was disclosed in a report by Media Partners Asia at a seminar on online piracy in Vietnam and its prevention held earlier this week in Hanoi.

 

Neil Gane, consultant at the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, the largest content coalition in the world representing over 30 major global entertainment companies and film studios, said Vietnam ranks only behind Indonesia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia in terms of users of pirated contents.

 

But on a per capita basis, Vietnam ranks first in accessing and sharing them, he said.

 

This causes the digital content industry losses of US$348 million, or 18 percent of its revenues.

 

"In Vietnam, only about 4 percent of users subscribe to legal content."

 

If it is not addressed, the number of users could reach 19.5 million by 2027, resulting in losses of $456 million, he claimed.

 

On the other hand, if piracy is controlled, it would create 4,870 new jobs, he claimed further.

 

Le Quang Tu Do, deputy director of the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information, said a large number of complaints have been received recently against piracy of copyrighted content, primarily football, movies, game shows, and music.

 

The piracy is highly sophisticated and constantly changing, always concealing information, and offering content from overseas, he said.

 

Pham Hoang Hai, director of the department’s Vietnam Digital Content Copyright Center, said the most common acts of piracy are live streaming, reposting broadcasted content on different social networks or websites and cropping, editing, and illegally reposting them online.

 

Pirated content is illegally used on a variety of platforms, including licensed OTT websites and applications, websites that register domain names and set up servers in other countries, pirated OTT apps shared on the Internet or installed via Android TV box devices, popular social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch, he said.

 

Do said it takes a lot of effort and time to manage this because pirated content has many ways to circumvent legal provisions, even bypassing AI, making it difficult to detect.

 

The center has coordinated with various authorities to prevent users from accessing over 500 pirated websites, he said.

 

According to German market and consumer data company Statista, the number of mobile Internet users in Vietnam last year was an estimated 71.5 million and the number is expected to rise to 82.2 million by 2025.

 

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Predatory loan sharks are harassing HCMC-based employers of workers who've defaulted on payments, threatening destructive action against their business as well as relatives reports VN Express.

 

For a while now, the hotline at logistics firm Long Rich Vietnam Co. Ltd has been ringing almost all day.

 

The callers are loan sharks demanding that the company cooperates and "hands over" workers who have borrowed money from them.

 

The usurers threaten that if the company, which is based in Linh Trung 2 Export Processing Zone in HCMC's Thu Duc City, fails to cooperate, they will publicize harmful information about the company on social media or send gangbangers over to damage its factory.

 

The constant calling, starting early in the morning and going on until late in the night, makes it impossible for the company to receive calls from their customers or partners.

 

And this is not all. The loan sharks also call company officials, including union heads and those working in its administrative office on their cell phones, making the same demands and threats.

 

A man stops by a gate of a factory in Thu Duc City where advertisements of loan sharks are plastered all over the place, July 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tuyet

 

Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, chairperson of Long Rich's labor union, said almost 30 percent of the 5,000 or so workers that the factory has hired have borrowed money from loan sharks via mobile apps.

 

There are cases in which workers had borrowed just VND10 million but after just a few months, the loan and interest climbed to VND100 million, said Van.

 

After a while, when the workers were no longer able to service the usurious loans, they changed their phone numbers and tried every way they could hide from the loan sharks.

 

Van said that the loan sharks have already smeared the company by spreading photoshopped images of its senior staff on social media and accusing them of swindling.

 

Hurt your family 'one by one'

 

Bich Hien, an HR staff at footwear maker Pouyuen Vietnam Co. Ltd in HCMC’s Binh Tan District, said the factory has been receiving almost 70 calls from loan sharks per day, with some being made at 1-2 a.m., apart from dozens of emails defaming the company.

 

Hien said the loan sharks do not just have her mobile number, but also that of her husband, the names of her family members and the addresses of her children's schools.

 

They told her that if she does not cooperate and make the workers’ pay, her family will be hurt "one by one."

 

According to Pouyuen Vietnam's labor union, around 400-500 workers have borrowed from loan sharks and are unable to pay the money back.

 

Many of them have changed their mobile numbers or even quit working at Pouyuen.

 

"The company's operations have been badly affected," said Hien.

 

Long Rich Vietnam and Pouyuen Vietnam have not been able to hire new employees because their recruitment hotlines have also been disrupted by the loan sharks.

 

Pham The Toan, HR director at Cholimex Food JSC at Vinh Loc Industrial Park in HCMC’s Binh Chanh District, said the factory needs 500 workers, but he does not dare to pick up his phone these days if it is a strange number because he's afraid it could be a loan shark calling.

 

Toan's photos have already been posted on social media with content slandering him for shielding "fraudulent" workers.

 

"There have been days when I could not make or receive any phone calls because of the loan sharks."

Workers at Cholimex Food JSC at Vinh Loc Industrial Park in HCMC’s Binh Chanh District, July 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tuyet

 

No protection

 

Despite being harassed and threatened, companies and their factories have not received any protection.

 

Kieu Ngoc Hoa, HR director of Samsung HCMC CE Complex Co. Ltd at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc City, said police have said that it is difficult to track the loan sharks because they use unregistered SIM cards and fake social media accounts.

 

Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, chairperson of HCMC’s Labor Confederation, said they were aware of the situation and have received many reports from factories.

 

The city has a Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor (CEP), which offers loans at "very low" interest to workers.

 

However, the demand is "huge,” and the CEP has very limited resources.

 

So, the workers go to loan sharks who can be found very easily and lend the money with quick and simple procedures, Hoa said.

 

At a June meeting with workers nationwide that was broadcast live, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the central bank to come up with measures that make available bank capital easily accessible to people in need towards preventing them from falling prey to loan sharks.

 

He also asked the Ministry of Public Security to act quickly against those who violate regulations and prevent consequences affecting the economy and workers.

 

It was said at the meeting that over the last three years, the ministry had overseen more than 2,700 cases involving nearly 5,000 people and prosecuted nearly 2,000 cases with 4,000 defendants. Workers were the victims in more than 1,000 cases.

 

Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, Deputy Public Security Minister, said loan sharks were committing very "sophisticated" crimes under the guise of businesses offering financial support services.

 

"There are cases in which the interest rate is 90-100 percent a month and even up to 700-1,000 percent a month; and loan sharks usually threaten, terrorize and appropriate assets when the borrowers fail to make payments on the due dates," he said.

 

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(PNA file photo)

 

MANILA – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sunday urged the public to take advantage of the Department of Education (DepEd)’s cyber safety modules which has three courses teaching students how to stay safe online.

 

The human rights body stressed the need to warn the public against the use of virtual platforms as exploitation venues for children and women.

 

CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia, in a statement, said the Commission has noted an increasing number of "online sexual exploitation and abuse of children" (OSAEC), which has consistently called for greater government action for the protection of children against online abuse.

 

“Protection of the young from all forms of abuse and exploitation remains to be one of the most important duties of the State,” she said.

 

The CHR said the shift to digital and online learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic has brought more children to virtual platforms, increasing their vulnerabilities to “online exploitation and cyberbullying.”

 

Because of this, the DepEd created cyber safety modules to help children learn the basics of internet safety, De Guia said, adding this “is a long overdue but laudable initiative.”

 

The courses on cyber safety can be found under the “Spotlight” tab of DepEd Commons, the department’s e-learning platform.

 

De Guia said enhancing educational safety nets for children against the dangers of improper internet usage, bullying, and malicious online content sharing is crucial to protecting the right to life.

 

“We are hopeful that knowledge learned from these modules would translate to more children avoiding harmful internet interactions and a decrease in OSAEC cases,” she said.

 

The CHR also renewed its call for greater legislative action against OSAEC.

 

“CHR yet again reiterates our call for the passage of House Bill (HB) No. 10703 or the Anti-Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children,” de Guia said.

 

The measure seeks to strengthen the protection of children against OSAEC-related crimes -- by requiring internet intermediaries and other internet or payment service providers to take down or remove websites that stream illegal content of abuse of minors.

 

De Guia also said by increasing penalties for those found guilty, the legislative measure could deter individuals from committing cybercrimes.

 

She said passage of the proposed bill “shall demonstrate” the commitment of the current administration “to stamp out child abuse and make the online network a safe space” for children.

 

“As the country’s Gender and Children’s Ombud charged to monitor government actions upholding gender and children’s rights, the Commission calls for urgent executive action for the passage of this bill into law as the plight of children in our country deserves more attention for the protection of the young against abuse,” she added. (PNA)

 

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DOH OIC Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire (File photo)

 

MANILA – Refusing to be caught flat-footed, the Department of Health (DOH) and its partners have been preparing for the monkeypox virus ever since an uptick in cases was reported in other countries in May 2022.

 

This, as World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

 

Following the declaration, WHO also issued temporary recommendations (TRs) to guide the response of countries around the world that might be affected by the virus.

 

For countries like the Philippines with no history of monkeypox in humans, some of the guidelines include the following: activate multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms for readiness and response, to stop human-to-human transmission; avoid stigmatization and discrimination against any individual or population group that may be affected, to help prevent further undetected transmission.

 

The world health body also recommends intensified epidemiology and disease surveillance as well as raising awareness and training of health workers about virus transmission, related prevention and protective measures, and symptoms and signs among communities that are currently affected as well as among other population groups that may be at risk, among others.

 

For her part, DOH OIC Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire has assured the public that there is no reported case in the Philippines yet and they are doing everything to prevent it from entering the country.

 

“Up to now, there has been no finding in the Philippines that fits the definition of a suspect monkeypox case. The clinical presentation is often explained by other diseases that look like monkeypox, but is not the same,” she said.

 

“The DOH will keep the Filipino public updated with factual information,” Vergeire added.

 

She also reported that their preparations were all aligned with WHO’s list of temporary recommendations which include aggressive information, communication, and educational campaign about the disease in coordination with other relevant government offices and private partners.

 

“Consistent with WHO recommendations, the DOH has been carefully communicating the risk of monkeypox transmission along with other pertinent facts about its causative agent and clinical presentation. DOH emphasizes across all its guidelines and advisories that any individual can get monkeypox,” Vergeire said.

 

She also reported that they have been holding online town halls and meetings with health care workers, DOH regional offices, and local health officials in the past weeks to educate and help them detect and stop the virus from spreading.

 

“The DOH is currently working with local civil society organizations, community-based groups, social hygiene clinics and advocates to properly communicate the risk of monkeypox transmission among certain population groups without stigma,” she pointed out.

 

“This is consistent with the evidence that anyone can get monkeypox, and we must all work together to prevent not just the disease but also stigma that may cause undetected transmission,” Vergeire stressed. (OPS)

 

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