VP Leni's raids riling rivals trailing in polls
The move seemed suspicious, given that the breakaway group included characters with ties to the Liberal Party that supports the vice president. But if people in Miss Robredo's camp were hoping for Mr. Domagoso's supporters to also join her en masse, they may be disappointed. Unfortunately for the vice president, Senators Lacson and Sotto are pushing ahead together, despite their sagging poll numbers. But Miss Robredo is not seeing the mass defections that she hopes for because her rivals decline to join forces with her. In focusing mainly on Mr. Marcos, the vice president also risks neglecting the other candidates for president — Mayor Domagoso, Senator Lacson and six others.
Source:Manila Times
April 17, 2022 00:04 UTC
4 family members killed after van falls into ravine in Kalinga
BAGUIO CITY—Four members of a family were killed on the spot after their van fell into a deep ravine along the Chico River on Black Saturday morning (April 16) in Tabuk City in Kalinga province. ADVERTISEMENTWhen their vehicle reached Sitio (sub-village) Gonogon in Barangay Bagumbayan, police said Marcelo, who was driving the van, miscalculated a sharp curve. Marcelo lost control and their van fell off a 100-meter ravine into the Chico River. The time of the incident was not specified in the police report. Kalinga rescuers and villagers retrieved the bodies of the victims and brought them to a funeral parlor in Tabuk City.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 16, 2022 22:31 UTC
Big threats we face in the election and beyond
Thanks be to God, Delta subsided in subsequent months and the country looked headed toward Alert Level 1. Besides honest, orderly and peaceful elections, our prayer and hope is for a credible canvassing despite issues that keep arising from the Smartmatic automated election system (AES). President Rodrigo Duterte rightly wanted that system replaced, but Commission on Elections (Comelec) insiders were able to again keep using Smartmatic. We pray that the nation continues to maintain basic health protocols, especially masks, which the President rightly kept until he steps down. We pray that the big powers find a way to ease their confrontation now fueling global inflation and exacerbating the pains and troubles of developing nations.
Source:Manila Times
April 16, 2022 18:04 UTC
New OTT smartphone video platform
CANADA-BASED firm Firstlight Media recently signed a partnership with Smart Communications to deliver improved video experience for the telco's customers. Firstlight Media's fifth-generation, cloud-native platform is expected to provide a seamless, cross-platform video infrastructure for the PLDT group's mobile and home over-the-top (OTT) video applications. This would enable differentiated video experiences and a suite of new cutting-edge capabilities without the complexity of maintaining separate applications for the group's various brands. Video is among the key drivers of data usage in the Philippines. In 2021, mobile data traffic on Smart's network grew to 3,337 petabytes, up by 16 percent compared to 2020.
Source:Manila Times
April 16, 2022 08:51 UTC
‘Agaton’ agricultural damage hits P703.3 M — DA
MANILA, Philippines — Damage to the agriculture sector left behind by Tropical Storm Agaton has reached P703.3 million, so far, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). Based on the latest update from DA issued 3 p.m. Thursday, the tropical storm has affected 11,666 farmers, with a volume of production loss at 40,850 metric tons and 17,530 hectares of agricultural areas. ADVERTISEMENTDamage was reported in Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga regions. Additional damage and losses are expected in areas affected by ‘Agaton,’” the DA said. The agency, through its regional field offices, is conducting assessment of damage and losses brought by the tropical cyclone in the agri-fisheries.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 16, 2022 06:02 UTC
Nepali climber dies on Mount Everest
Kathmandu, Nepal — A Nepali climber who summited Mount Everest several times has died on the peak, expedition organizers said Friday, the first fatality on the world’s highest mountain this climbing season. About a third of deaths on Everest are Nepali guides and porters, underscoring the risk they take for the dreams of hundreds of paying climbers aiming to reach the top of the world’s highest peak. Nepal, home to eight of the world’s highest peaks, sees hundreds of adventurers during the spring climbing season, when temperatures are warm and winds are typically calm. But with coronavirus cases receding, expedition operators in Nepal are hopeful of a busier climbing season this year. RELATED STORIESTwo foreign climbers die on Everest—expedition agencyCanadian climber dies on Nepal’s Mount ManasluSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 16, 2022 01:11 UTC
Girls' education ban bares rifts within Taliban
The Taliban prohibition on girls’ education shows the movement’s ultra-conservatives retain tight control of the Islamist group, and exposes a power struggle that puts at risk crucial aid for Afghanistan’s desperate population, experts say. "The order was devastating," a senior Taliban member told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Officials have never justified the ban, apart from saying the education of girls must be according to "Islamic principles." A senior Taliban member said the hardliners were trying to appease thousands of fighters who hail from the deeply conservative countryside. Even some senior Taliban officials agree.
Source:Manila Times
April 16, 2022 00:40 UTC
Saso, Ardina, Pagdanganan struggle at Lotte Championship
Yuka Saso, Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan barely made the cut after struggling in the second round of the 2022 Lotte Championship in Oahu, Hawaii Friday. Yuka Saso (AFP File Photo)Saso limped home with a two-over-par 74, Ardina stumbled with a 75 and Pagdanganan shot a 77 to make the final cut after posting a two-round total of 147 for a share of 62nd place. She earlier had three birdies against a bogey on the par-4 fifth hole. She had an earlier round of 72. Saso tees off with Haru Nomura and Jenny Coleman in Saturday’s third round at 7:33 a.m., while Ardina and Pagdanganan resume their bids at 7:22 a.m. and 7:11 a.m.
Source:Manila Times
April 16, 2022 00:14 UTC
Four million in HK have Covid antibodies, says health expert
A health expert said on Friday that the risk of relaxing Hong Kong’s Covid curbs is relatively low as he estimated some 4 million people in Hong Kong have Covid antibodies, with the city’s vaccination rate having gone up further recently. Meanwhile, he agreed that bars and pubs should be reopened in the later phases of the city’s roadmap to normalcy. The trade had earlier criticized the city’s “discriminative” Covid rules, with the industry being left out in the latest easing of social distancing measures. Separately, the health expert expected the city’s daily Covid tally to fall to three digits by the end of April. However, he noted there is still a possible risk of a rebound in Covid cases after the Easter holidays.
Source:The Standard
April 15, 2022 17:29 UTC
Union Bank of the Philippines enters the Metaverse with the Ark of Dreams
UnionBank is the first local bank to enter the Metaverse. CONTRIBUTED PHOTORECOGNIZING the explosive growth of blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrency globally, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the country's digital innovation pioneer, has embarked on a journey to become the first Philippine bank in the Metaverse, in partnership with Filipino Blockchain startup Ark of Dreams. Today, UnionBank blazes the innovation trail anew by being the first local bank to enter the Metaverse. "This collaboration with Ark of Dreams gives us yet another opportunity to forge forward in our pursuit of tech-ing up the Philippines and reinforcing our commitment to deliver superior customer experience across channels; and now, even the Metaverse! The founder of Ark of Dreams, Jason de la Rosa, says that "Ark of Dreams is a unique metaverse project."
Source:Manila Times
April 15, 2022 16:45 UTC
Tobacco industry sticks to game plan amid pandemic
That is how one tobacco control advocate described how congressmen regarded the inputs from the health sector, choosing instead to cling to the tobacco industry. An outspoken critic of novel tobacco products, Gonzalez felt threatened after that incident. In the Philippines, this is best seen in how legislators pushed for the trade department to regulate the novel tobacco products. According to a July 2017 report by global news agency Reuters, Philip Morris targets the WHO-FCTC conferences where new tobacco control measures are negotiated, and also intervenes at the country level where treaty delegates are picked and tobacco control rules are enacted. "The reason the tobacco control community has been so successful in the past is we spoke with a united voice.
Source:Manila Times
April 15, 2022 16:01 UTC
Hong Kong daily Covid tally drops to three digits for first time in two months
The number of Covid cases dropped to three digits for the first time in almost two months, with health officials reporting 946 infections on Friday. The Centre for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan reported the official caseload of the fifth wave now stands at 1,183,653. Chuang also noted that 15 Covid-hit elderly homes and care centers for the disabled reported new cases, including 20 residents and two workers. According to Lee, 36 deaths were logged by public hospitals yesterday, involving 19 men and 17 women aged between 59 and 97. The other 31 deaths were reported late due to a delay in results, including 15 men and 16 women aged between 62 and 103.
Source:The Standard
April 15, 2022 15:37 UTC
Beware of unity based on money, political power — Archbishop Soc Villegas
MANILA, Philippines — Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded the faithful to be wary of “unity” that is based on money, political power as well as crime, sins, and defects, saying the virtuous unity must be based on humility. Unity that is based on political power, will be destroyed by political power itself. Villegas said Jesus’ removal of his outer garments symbolizes humility. “It was not for practical reasons… The removal of garments was also symbolic, the outer garments symbolizes power, the outer garment symbolizes prestige. “The Lord asks us to remove our outer garments and the removal of outer garments is a symbol of humility,” the Bishop added.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 15, 2022 15:34 UTC
Pfizer eyes Covid shot for all variants
The Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant is shown in Portage, Mich. AP PHOTORead this in The Manila Times digital edition. A COVID-19 vaccine effective against multiple variants is possible before the end of 2022, the head of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said Wednesday. The World Health Organization is aware of 153 Covid-19 vaccines that have been in clinical development — tested on humans — and 196 in pre-clinical development. The IFPMA briefing condemned suggestions that intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines should be temporarily lifted during the pandemic, in a bid to increase production. With more than a billion vaccine doses being produced every month, Eli Lilly chairman David Ricks called it "a solution looking for a problem," while Bourla branded the idea "insane."
Source:Manila Times
April 15, 2022 04:14 UTC
Marcos alerts supporters to cheating
PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. called on his supporters to be vigilant against possible cheating in the May elections following reports of irregularities in the absentee voting abroad. There were reports of pre-shaded ballots in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, voting outside of precincts in Singapore, and the exit poll in Hong Kong. Marcos said his camp has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to look into the reports to ensure the integrity of the elections. Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., lost the vice presidential race to Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo in 2016 by 263,473 votes. His running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, also backed calls for an investigation into the reported pre-shaded ballots in Singapore and Dubai.
Source:Manila Times
April 15, 2022 04:14 UTC