Sara had 433 security escorts in 2022 – COA
This translates to six out of every 10 OVP personnel. The OVP’s total personnel for 2022 comprised 174 individuals occupying plantilla positions and 509 individuals in non-plantilla and/or detailed positions. It was not specified in the audit report whether all of the 433 individuals in the VPSPG in 2022 were assigned by AFP or hired by the OVP. “After the national elections held in 2022, the Honorable Sara Z. Duterte became the Vice President. Based on the OVP reported accomplishments for 2022, which the COA incorporated in its audit report, most of its “good governance” targets for the year were achieved.
Source:Philippine Star
August 31, 2023 22:32 UTC
Peace negotiator among Ramon Magsaysay awardees
Peace negotiator among Ramon Magsaysay awardeesMANILA, Philippines — Filipina peace negotiator and professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is among the four recipients of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards, which were announced yesterday. According to Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation (RMAF) chairperson Aurelio Montinola III, Coronel-Ferrer is a woman “who champions peace in Asia and the world.”“She emphasizes the important role that women play in inclusive peace-building,” he said during the announcement ceremony. Coronel-Ferrer is a former senior mediation adviser at the United Nations and a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines. In 2020, Coronel-Ferrer co-founded the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators, a pioneering group of women engaged in convening safe spaces for dialogues and supporting mediation initiatives in countries like Myanmar and Afghanistan. In 2021, Filipino fisherman Robert Ballon was accorded the award for his work in conserving the environment and improving livelihood programs in communities.
Source:Philippine Star
August 31, 2023 22:26 UTC
Enhanced monsoon to bring more rains
(UPDATE) THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) declared a red alert on Thursday as two weather disturbances enhanced the southwest monsoon, posing threat to 85,395 families. RIVER RISING The water level in Marikina River continues to rise amid the heavy monsoon rains, prompting local authorities to warn residents of a possible evacuation. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE RIVER RISING The water level in Marikina River continues to rise amid the heavy monsoon rains, prompting local authorities to warn residents of a possible evacuation. The state weather bureau said Hannah is less likely to bring rough sea conditions throughout the forecast period. But due to the enhanced southwest monsoon, a gale warning is in effect for most seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas.
Source:Manila Times
August 31, 2023 22:13 UTC
Children 'screaming' in horror as school bus, double-decker collide
Children are consoled as their school bus is lifted by a crane following an early morning collision with a double-decker bus on north Lantau Island. SING TAO Previous NextCharlie ChunA 65-year-old school bus driver has been arrested for dangerous driving after his vehicle carrying 19 kids from an international school collided with a double-decker. The school bus crashed into trees, with its front driver's side seriously damaged and the windscreen of bus DB03 shattered. Another said everyone was screaming on the school bus and there was "blood everywhere, even though all the students were wearing their seat belts." The trapped school bus driver and two of the schoolboys were in serious condition as they were rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment.
Source:The Standard
August 31, 2023 19:12 UTC
After driest August, India could receive average rains in September
ADVERTISEMENTMonsoon rains were 36% below average in August and overall summer rains were 10% lower than normal since the season began on June 1, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department, told a virtual news conference. “Only some regions that were dry in June and July got better rains in August.”Due to a weak start, monsoon rains were 9% below average in June, with rains rebounding to 13% above average in July. After recording the weakest August, overall monsoon rains were 10% below average between June and August. The driest August has also set India up for its lowest monsoon rains in eight years. When El Nino hit monsoon rains in 2015, India faced widespread drought.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 31, 2023 19:07 UTC
Super typhoon heads towards Hong Kong, China issues highest warning
BEIJING/ HONG KONG – China issued its highest typhoon warning on Thursday as Super Typhoon Saola, packing winds of more than 200 kph (125 mph), headed towards the southeastern coastline, threatening Hong Kong and other major manufacturing hubs in nearby Guangdong province. Chinese forecasters issued a typhoon red warning at 6 a.m. (2200 GMT). ADVERTISEMENTWind speeds at noon (0400 GMT) were clocked at 209 kph (130 mph). As Saola approached, Guangdong’s Shenzhen city said it would upgrade the typhoon warning level to yellow – the second lowest – at 6 p.m. on Thursday, and suspend classes at nurseries, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. China Southern Power Grid said it is stepping up inspection of equipment and strengthening measures to prevent water leakage in basement power rooms.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 31, 2023 18:51 UTC
PH peace advocate among Ramon Magsaysay awardees
(UPDATE) A FILIPINO peace negotiator and University of the Philippines political science professor was among four recipients of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awards. The award, established in 1958, was named after the late Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, and is likened to the Nobel Peace Prize in Asia. She was described as a Filipino peace negotiator who "championed inclusivity and women's participation in nation-building." ADVOCATES FOR CHANGE (From left) Miriam Coronel-Ferrer of the Philippines, Dr. Ravi Kannan of India, Korvi Rakshand of Bangladesh and Eugenio Lemos of Timor-Leste are the four Ramon Magsaysay awardees for 2023. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation commended his "devotion to his profession's highest ideals of public service."
Source:Manila Times
August 31, 2023 15:38 UTC
WATCH: Go anywhere, virtually avatar robots
A new kind of robot allows us to have a virtual presence anywhere, whether it's for remote working or virtual tourism. We meet two avatar robots: "ugo" takes care of building security and cleaning with freely moveable arms to perform many complex actions, and an on-board AI that can learn how to execute new tasks; while newme's main purpose is to facilitate communication, going places you can't to let you talk with people there and see what they are seeing. The first avatar robot has now been launched into space, and soon people on earth will be able to view the planet through its eyes. These new robots promise a world of new experiences. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN
Source:Manila Times
August 31, 2023 14:12 UTC
Lawmakers seek probe into road rage incident involving dismissed cop
Lawmakers seek probe into road rage incident involving dismissed copRetired policeman Wilfredo Gonzales (right) and Quezon City Police District chief Brig. Photo by Michael Varcas, The Philippine STARMANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives have filed separate resolutions calling for a probe into the viral road rage incident in Quezon City involving a dismissed cop. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Pia Cayetano filed Senate Resolution No. The House resolution added that it is a "culture of impunity" that allows individuals to use their weapons as a tool for intimidation. The head of the Quezon City District Police Station has since resigned, saying he “regrets” the press conference.
Source:Philippine Star
August 30, 2023 21:40 UTC
VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Former Philstar.com editor not a CPP-NPA-NDF operative, as Badoy claims without evidence
Source: Lorraine Marie T. Badoy official Facebook account, They’re not lawmakers. FACTDe Santos, the incumbent chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, is not an “urban operative” of the CPP-NPA-NDF. “I reject the accusation that I am an urban operative of the CPP NPA NDF,” De Santos told VERA Files Fact Check in an Aug. 29 private message. De Santos, who resigned from Philstar.com in June, added that he had nothing to do with the Aug. 26 article in the Philippine Star. Fill out this reader request form or send it to VERA, the truth bot on Viber.
Source:Philippine Star
August 30, 2023 19:52 UTC
SC approves amended rules of procedure for BSKE
MANILA, Philippines –The Supreme Court (SC) has approved the revised rules for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to address changes in the procedural regulations. These revised rules, according to the SC, aim to achieve a swift, cost-effective, and fair resolution of such cases. The amended rules, which will be applied prospectively, incorporate some of the provisions of the 2019 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure. The amended rules will take effect 15 days after publication, once in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Supreme Court official website. Earlier, the SC declared as unconstitutional the law postponing Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from its initial schedule of Dec. 5, 2022, to the last Monday of October 2023.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 30, 2023 19:10 UTC
Atom Araullo’s docu wins honor at ContentAsia Awards 2023
“The whole team is elated to receive this recognition from ContentAsia. Receiving the award on behalf of the program and GMA Network was The Atom Araullo Specials Executive Producer Ian Simbulan. Earlier this year, the same documentary also gave the Philippines one of its Gold medals at the 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film (NYF) Awards, winning in the Documentary: Social Issues category. The winners at the 4th ContentAsia Awards were announced in a live awarding ceremony held last August 24 in Bangkok, Thailand, which was also broadcast via live streaming. Winners came from 12 countries and represented TV broadcast and production leaders, streamers, and online platforms.
Source:Manila Times
August 30, 2023 17:37 UTC
An English language conundrum
Before answering Niels' riddle, though, I had to make sure precisely what "conundrum" means. In Niels' conundrum, though, it wasn't crystal clear if the subject of the sentence, "more than one way," is plural or singular. Now we are ready to frontally tackle Niels' conundrum: Should we say, "There is more than one way to skin a cat" or "There are more than one way to skin a cat"? With this, we can be confident that Niels' conundrum is now resolved once and for all. Read this essay and listen to its voice recording in The Manila Times: "An English language conundrum"Next, Sept. 7, 2023: The problem with "Hello!"
Source:Manila Times
August 30, 2023 16:52 UTC
Indonesia arrests 88 Chinese nationals over love scams
A group of Chinese nationals were arrested in Indonesia during a police raid on suspicion of running an online love scam syndicate that ensnared hundreds of victims in China. (Photo: AFP/STR)Dozens of Chinese nationals were arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of running an online love scam syndicate that ensnared hundreds of victims in China, police said Wednesday. Police said the syndicate blackmailed hundreds of victims in China, many of whom were public officials. Police had previously said many scammers had moved to Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries after China cracked down on domestic networks. In 2019, police arrested 85 Chinese nationals and six Indonesians over an online scam that tricked victims out of millions of dollars.
Source:The Standard
August 30, 2023 15:13 UTC
One dead, another seriously injured after Kwun Tong health center fight
A woman died and another woman was seriously injured after the two fought each other at the Kwun Tong Community Health Center on Wednesday afternoon. The fight took place in the health center’s women’s washroom around 2.55 pm today. Officers found blood stains on the floor and one of them had fallen into a coma, with knife wounds to her face and head. Another woman was also seriously injured and was sent to the same hospital. Police have arrested Or and the case is now being handled by the Kwun Tong district crime squad.
Source:The Standard
August 30, 2023 15:13 UTC