Surigao del Sur co-op bags marketing deal
MEMBERS of the Esperanza Farmers Marketing Cooperative (EFMC) are thankful that the Department of Agrarian Reform in Surigao del Sur (DAR-SDS) assisted them in securing a marketing agreement with the Carmen local government unit (LGU). "The agreement was signed on June 14, and we are assured of marketing our rice products to the employees of the Carmen LGU," said Crispin Dales, the manager of EFMC. With the agreement under PAHP, we can expand our market and ensure good income for the cooperative," Dales said. In a separate interview, Yolanda Diaz, the municipal agrarian reform officer, said that EFMC received a P300,000 project package to boost farm productivity and marketing operations. Aside from PAHP, the EFMC is also a beneficiary of DAR's Climate Resilient and Farm Productivity Support Program when the group received farm machines and equipment last year.
Source:Manila Times
June 20, 2024 04:02 UTC
Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool closed over collapsed ceiling
Lawmaker urges an investigation after it was announced on Tuesday that the Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool will be closed for renovation due to a collapsed ceiling, despite its recent opening. The LCSD announced yesterday (June 18) that the Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool located in Tai Po will be temporarily closed starting July 2 for renovation work, which is expected to be completed by the end of October. During the closure period, members of the public can use the swimming facilities at Tai Po Swimming Pool and Tai Po Long Mei Beach in the same district. According to information, the Tung Cheong Street Recreation and Sports Building was put into service on August 15, 2022, and the Tung Cheong Street Swimming Pool on the first floor of the building was put into service on August 22. Facilities include a 25-by-25 meter training pool, a 25-by-10 meter swimming pool, and a *whirlpool *.
Source:The Standard
June 19, 2024 22:31 UTC
Hot new fiction from Penguin SEA
SINCE fiction is a hot topic these days, please allow me to introduce the new Philippine books of fiction forthcoming or recently published by Penguin Random House, the world's biggest trade publisher. Hotshot journalist and novelist Marga Ortigas returns with "God's Ashes: Apocrypha," following her successful novel, "The House on Calle Sombra." This anthology is a collection of unpredictable stories of various genres — fantasy, science fiction, crime, horror and the supernatural. Hidden within a network of intimate relationships, Jaime, Jun, Ria and Maya try to forge an extraordinary family as they discover that secrets also have their own joys. These Filipino-written books of fiction are now available or are forthcoming from the website of Acre Philippines, the distributor of Penguin SEA books in the Philippines.
Source:Manila Times
June 19, 2024 22:09 UTC
Willie Mays, Giants' electrifying 'Say Hey Kid,' has died at 93
Willie Mays, the electrifying "Say Hey Kid" whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball's greatest and most beloved players, has died. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. AdvertisementNew York Giants' Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. AP PHOTO New York Giants' Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. "Willie Mays wasn't just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power," Obama said Tuesday on X.
Source:Manila Times
June 19, 2024 19:31 UTC
July 17 to 23 is now the Philippines' National Disability Rights Week
July 17 to 23 is now the Philippines' National Disability Rights WeekFile photo shows a PWD in crutches. MANILA, Philippines — July 17 to 23 is now officially declared as the "National Disability Rights Week" in the Philippines. The Presidential Communications Office on Wednesday announced that July 17-23 will be commemorated every year as the national disability rights week as part of the government's commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCPRD). The proclamation calls on all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations, state universities, and colleges, to observe National Disability Rights Week. Local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector are also encouraged to participate.
Source:Philippine Star
June 19, 2024 17:32 UTC
To Kwa Wan worker hospitalized after hand gets caught in meat grinder
A female worker of a To Kwa Wan restaurant was hospitalized on Wednesday morning with a meat grinder after having her hand caught in the machine. The Fire Services Department responded to the emergency by sending firefighters with rescue cutters after receiving a call regarding the accident at around 9 am. The firefighters were unable to dismantle the meat grinder on site after several attempts, with the woman required to be sent to hospital with the machine still attached to her. Sources said the woman, in her 50s, was cleaning the machine this morning at Hon Po Restaurant. It is believed that the machine was yet to be switched off during the process, leading to the accident.
Source:The Standard
June 19, 2024 16:26 UTC
Most Asian markets advance after latest Wall St record
Most Asian markets advance after latest Wall St recordPedestrians walk past an electronic board displaying the numbers of the Tokyo Stock Exchange share price in Tokyo on June 17, 2024. Tokyo stocks opened lower on June 17 as a higher yen and falls in two of the three main US indexes weighed on the market. And one analyst predicted it could even hit $5 trillion in the coming year, according to Bloomberg News. The rally on Wall Street spilled over into Asia, with tech firms among the big winners. "The data clearly reflects a shift in US consumer behaviour, which is becoming more conservative, feeling the pinch from higher interest rates, curbing wage increases and a depletion of savings," said Rodrigo Catril of National Australia Bank.
Source:Philippine Star
June 19, 2024 08:08 UTC
Mixed signals on rice
Mixed signals on riceBBM’s administration is giving mixed signals on rice policy, a gut issue of importance to the masa. Perez, a lawyer rather than an agriculturist or economist, said the DA was consulted regarding the rice tariff reduction before the NEDA Board approval. A cabal of rice traders who provide logistics and financing to farmers, use farmers for political cover to protect their interests. That will lead to a significant decline in world rice prices. The government should also keep the rice traders guessing, something a variable tariff system makes possible.
Source:Philippine Star
June 19, 2024 07:32 UTC
US, other nations condemn China’s ‘aggressive actions’ in WPS
US, other nations condemn China’s ‘aggressive actions’ in WPSA China Coast Guard ship (R) sailing past a Philippine fishing boat with volunteers from the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition on board, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. On Monday, the National Security Council said that China’s coast guard and maritime militia engaged in “dangerous maneuvers” which included “ramming and towing.”It also said that China's actions put at risk the lives of the personnel and damage the PCG's boats. The U.S. State Department also called China’s actions "escalatory" and emphasized that the 72-year-old mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines includes "armed attacks" on its Coast Guard "anywhere in the South China Sea." In a separate statement, France, Japan, Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands denounced China’s actions and called for the recognition of the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “The EU opposes coercion and intimidation in the South China Sea, or anywhere.
Source:Philippine Star
June 18, 2024 14:10 UTC
Senator bares papers suggesting Alice Guo was born in China
Senator bares papers suggesting Alice Guo was born in ChinaIn this May 7, 2024 Facebook post shows Mayor Alice Guo of Tarlac, Bamban. MANILA, Philippines — New documents obtained by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian indicate that suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo first entered the Philippines when she was already a teen, contrary to her claim and her birth certificate that she was born in Tarlac. The documents Gatchalian sent to reporters came from the Board of Investments from the Guo family's application for Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV) and the Bureau of Immigration. For Gatchalian, these new documents could strengthen the filing of a quo warranto case against the Bamban mayor. Guo also said in the letter that her shortcomings are due to a "lack of knowledge" and not intentional wrongdoing.
Source:Philippine Star
June 18, 2024 14:05 UTC
Tragedy as trains collide in India's tourist haven
A cargo train rammed into a passenger train in India's eastern state of West Bengal yesterday, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens. Doctors and ambulances rushed to the accident site in the Darjeeling, a tourist spot nestled in the Himalayan foothills, soon after the collision. Three of the nine dead were railway personnel, said Northeast Frontier Railway spokesman Sabyasachi De. The cargo train's driver, who was among the dead, disregarded a signal and caused the collision, he said. Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train derailed due to the impact, he said, adding that most of the cars were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach.
Source:The Standard
June 18, 2024 02:53 UTC
Train crash leaves 8 dead in eastern India
KOLKATA, India — At least eight people were killed in eastern India on Monday when the driver of a train carrying goods missed a signal and slammed into an express passenger train from behind, police and railway officials said. MORBID FASCINATION People gather at the scene of a collision between an express passenger train and a train containing goods in Nirmaljote, near Rangapani station in West Bengal state, eastern India, on June 17, 2024. The dead included the driver and his co-driver, who missed the signal, as well as a train guard and five passengers, she added. 'Tragic'The crash took place in the Phansidewa area of the state's Darjeeling district, when the Kanchenjunga Express train was hit by the goods-carrying train. In that crash, a packed passenger train was mistakenly diverted onto a loop line and slammed into a stationary train loaded with iron ore.Three railway employees were later charged with culpable homicide and destruction of evidence.
Source:Manila Times
June 17, 2024 22:13 UTC
Probe sought on harm caused by US' secret anti-vax campaign in the Philippines
Probe sought on harm caused by US' secret anti-vax campaign in the PhilippinesThis June 22, 2021 photo shows individuals lining up at a mall in Manila to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. "It is imperative that we ascertain the extent of the damage caused by this secret campaign and hold those responsible accountable," the House deputy minority leader said. Sinovac vaccines were the first COVID-19 jabs made available in the Philippines. Reuters also noted that the Pentagon launched the influence operation against China "as payback for Beijing's efforts to blame Washington for the pandemic." Advocacy group Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS) has called on the Philippine government to summon the US ambassador to explain the secret campaign by the Pentagon.
Source:Philippine Star
June 17, 2024 17:12 UTC
OFW remittances up 3.1% in April
OVERSEAS Filipino worker (OFW) remittances hit $2.86 billion in April, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed on Monday, 3.1 percent higher compared to the year-earlier $2.77 billion. AdvertisementThe US accounted for the biggest share (41.1 percent) of personal remittances, followed by Singapore (7.0 percent), Saudi Arabia (6.0 percent), and Japan (5.1 percent). "For the coming months, single-digit/modest growth in OFW remittances could still continue as OFW families/dependents still need to cope up with relatively higher prices/inflation locally," he added. Cash remittances accounted for $33.5 billion, 2.9 percent more than the year-earlier $32.54 billion and hitting the BSP's target for the year. The central bank is targeting 3.0 percent growth in cash remittances this year.
Source:Manila Times
June 17, 2024 16:59 UTC
Facebook, other traditional socmed platforms wane as news sources in PH — Digital News Report 2024
Adult Filipinos are relying less on Facebook and other legacy social media platforms for news, increasingly turning to video-centric TikTok amid changing news consumption habits. The trend mirrors the global decline in traditional social media usage for news as detailed in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR) released on June 17. Facebook has been the dominant social media platform in the Philippine digital space with a 94.6% monthly login rate among active social media users, according to Meltwater, an online media monitoring company. DNR 2024 also found Filipinos shifting away from other traditional social media platforms for news: YouTube down to 45% (-10 points), Facebook Messenger to 26% (-7 points) and X, formerly Twitter, to 9% (-7 points). The reduction is higher for social media alone, with the share of news users falling 7 points over the past year to 63%.
Source:Philippine Star
June 17, 2024 16:25 UTC