MRT-7 will be operational before the end of next year, says DOTr
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Tuesday that some portions of the Metro Rail Transit Line-7 (MRT-7) is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of next year. According to DOTr Assistant Secretary Jorjette Aquino, the first twelve stations are located in Quezon City. ADVERTISEMENT“Inaasahan po natin na magiging operational ang first 12 stations by end of 2025,” Aquino said in a press briefing. (We expect that the first 12 stations will be operational by the end of 2025.) (We expect the two other stations, Stations 13 and 14, will be operational one year later.)
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 04, 2024 19:10 UTC
Reps from mainland travel agencies impressed by HK
An executive director of a Tibet travel agency, surnamed Zhang, enjoyed the food and the view in the city. She added that the shopping experience in Hong Kong is also incredible and hoped the duty-free allowance for mainlanders could be increased from the current 5,000 yuan. A deputy general manager of a Harbin travel agency, surnamed Huang, said visitors from Harbin had to spend a night in Shenzhen before coming to Hong Kong. However, the opening of five-hour direct flights makes it more convenient and attractive for the citizens to reach Hong Kong. She said the expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme has led to a 20 percent increase in inquiries about visiting Hong Kong.
Source:The Standard
June 04, 2024 12:31 UTC
Govt mulling expanding sexual conviction record check to cover self-employed and volunteers
The government plans to expand the scope of application of the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) Scheme in three phases to cover the self-employed, volunteers, and all existing employees. He added that the volunteers, including the university orientation camp organizers, would be covered by the end of next year. When the first two phases are operating smoothly, the scheme will be extended to the existing employees and other self-employed individuals. Tang also added that there would be sufficient security measures at the fingerprint collection kiosks to ensure no foul play. The SCRC scheme enables employers of organizations or enterprises that engage persons in undertaking child-related or mentally incapacitated person-related work to request eligible employees to apply for sexual conviction record check in order to ascertain whether they have any conviction records.
Source:The Standard
June 04, 2024 10:52 UTC
DA to revive abandoned Cordillera rice terraces
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Abandoned or idle rice terraces in Ifugao province would be brought back to life under a new government strategy to sustain the granaries of the Cordillera, agriculture officials said. In other upland Cordillera towns, farmers carved out vegetable gardens by following the natural contour of the mountains. READ: Save the rice terracesThe new DA allocations would rebuild broken terraces and finance the reactivation of idle terraced farms to improve productivity, added Jennilyn Dawayan, DA Cordillera director. Outside the World Heritage Site, smaller rice terraces were converted into vegetable gardens to maintain the family businesses, Banaue Mayor Joel Bungallon had said in March. Jerry Dalipog employed chawwa to revive 341.7 hectares of idle terraces to supply a popular restaurant.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 04, 2024 08:23 UTC
What books do you read and recommend?
What books do you read and recommend? I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I don’t read investing books. I’m old, so I’ve obviously read some investing books over the course of my life, but I honestly don’t read a huge volume of investing books and curate an up-to-date ranked list of my favorites. I’ve read Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad enough to know that I didn’t want to read any more books from Kiyosaki, and I read Bo Sanchez’s My Maid Invests in the Stock Market enough to know that those books weren’t going to be of any help to me either. Mostly because I’ve never read a trading book that I’ve truly resonated with in its entirety, and certainly not enough to be able to recommend that book openly to the public.
Source:Philippine Star
June 04, 2024 02:07 UTC
India praises vote conduct with Modi tipped to win
While total numbers of voters were up, turnout appeared to be slightly reduced from the last general elections. Final voter turnout data will only be released after repolling in two stations in West Bengal state on Monday. "It shows the incredible power of voters of India," Kumar added, saying that there had been "no major incidents of violence". Analysts have partly blamed the drop in voter turnout on hotter-than-average temperatures heading into the Indian summer. At least 33 polling staff died from heatstroke on Saturday in Uttar Pradesh state alone, where temperatures hit 46.9C (116.4F), according to state election officials.
Source:The Standard
June 04, 2024 00:51 UTC
Japan issues additional requirements for multiple-entry visa of 'considerably high income' individuals
Japan is one of the world's top tourist destinations due to its gastronomical delights, bustling cityscapes, and other spectacular attractions. A multiple-entry visa allows the holder to enter Japan many times for at least 15 to 30 days per stay within a specified period. Except for retirees, housewives, and unemployed individuals, the Japanese Embassy would soon require "considerably high-income" individuals to provide the following documents for a multiple-entry visa: Original copy of the bank certificate showing the balance within the last six months. The spouses and children of "considerably high-income" individuals may also apply for a multiple-entry visa. They must provide a Philippine Statistics Authority-issued birth certificate or marriage certificate to prove the relationship.
Source:Philippine Star
June 03, 2024 22:52 UTC
Modi's alliance to win big in India election, exit polls project
Most exit polls projected the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could win a two-thirds majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where 272 is needed for a simple majority. Three of the five polls projected BJP alone could win more than the 303 it won in 2019. The opposition "INDIA" alliance led by Rahul Gandhi's Congress party was projected to win between 125 and 182 seats. In his first comments after voting ended, Modi claimed victory without referring to the exit polls. Market analysts said the exit polls had lifted uncertainty about the likely result and signaled the continuity of Modi's growth-focused economic policies.
Source:The Standard
June 03, 2024 17:48 UTC
Tap water again safe to drink, Maynilad tells customers
Tap water again safe to drink, Maynilad tells customersResidents line up their containers to collect water along Mel Lopez Boulevard in Tondo Manila on March 18, 2024. Maynilad Water Services Inc. lifted last night its advisory warning customers in its service area not to drink water from the tap. We want to understand the situation and investigate why they are not able to provide potable water,” Ty told reporters yesterday. On Saturday, Maynilad issued the advisory about the tap water, citing turbidity in water quality. Maynilad must fix the water quality problem within three days in accordance with its concession agreement, he said.
Source:Philippine Star
June 03, 2024 17:31 UTC
Women’s work
Women’s workIt still amazes me that, in 2024, there are still some people who speak of “women’s work.” Not in the simple sense of work that women just so happen to do, but as work that supposedly, by its very nature, is work that women are best suited to do – and where the idea of ‘best suited’ quickly morphs into one where women have the obligation to do such work. For instance, closing the gender gaps in employment could boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita by 20 percent across all regions. The primary cause of women being held back from full economic equality and empowerment lies in the continued prevalence of the idea of “women’s work,” of the stubborn persistence of gender-based division of labor. On average, women spend around three times more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men. It is estimated that closing existing gaps in care services and expanding decent work programmes would create almost 300 million jobs by 2035.”In 2024, it is time to stop partitioning work, and time to get to work – the essential work of improving the lives of women, to improve the lives of all.
Source:Philippine Star
June 03, 2024 17:31 UTC
The goal is to deter China, not cause friction
As reported by AP, Dong on Sunday accused Washington of causing friction with China because of its support for Taiwan and the Philippines. "Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self-destruction." Their main objective is to deter China in its expansionist claims and aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which have led to numerous incidents with vessels and troops of the Philippines and Vietnam, among others. AdvertisementIt is just possible that the deterrence strategy may have already spared Taiwan from an imminent invasion by China. Even more likely, Japan's strong response to Chinese claims to the East China Sea off its coast may have already discouraged Chinese expansionism in the area.
Source:Manila Times
June 03, 2024 16:22 UTC
Water supplies chief drinks tap water to prove its quality
The Director of Water Supplies, Roger Wong Yan-lok, sought to allay public concerns by demonstrating drinking tap water to prove its quality is among the best in the world. Wong emphasized that besides chlorination, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) conducts around 600,000 water sample tests annually, ensuring a robust safety monitoring system. He even drinks directly from the tap, proving that it is safe to consume as long as the building's internal water system is properly maintained. The chief of the water department mentioned that they monitor water quality using over 800 indicators, which is well above the 95 recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). He believes that with proper management of a building's internal water system, direct consumption of tap water is not an issue.
Source:The Standard
June 03, 2024 16:16 UTC
ImmD arrested four people for advertising illegal works on Xiaohongshu
The Immigration Department (ImmD) arrested four people after they smashed a company that arranged for mainland workers to illegally provide cleaning services in Hong Kong. The ImmD has been combating all sorts of illegal workers in different industries to safeguard the local labor market. The department recently noticed that a mainland cleaning company has been using Xiaohongshu to advertise that they can provide cleaning services in Hong Kong. Today, the ImmD officers impersonated customers and launched sting operations, asking them to provide services in Hong Kong and arresting them as they came to Hong Kong to provide their services. During the operation, one 28-year-old owner of the company and three mainland illegal workers aged 19 to 30 were arrested.
Source:The Standard
June 03, 2024 15:39 UTC
How Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo handles bullies
How Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo handles bulliesMANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Anne Manalo had a casual, light and bubbly meeting with members of the press last May 24 in Belmont Hotel in Pasay City. The new queen radiated power in a red suit by Jot Losa. Makeup: @mickeysee @angeludominguezHair: @jerrybuanjavierStylist: @perrytabora @kireilegsy02Designer: @jotlosaHeels: @jojobragaisofficial @bragaisjosejoaquinSpecial thanks to: @mau_s_deleon— Video by C. Mendez Legaspi, video editing by Anjilica Andaya
Source:Philippine Star
June 03, 2024 09:59 UTC
Rice imports up 20.3% to nearly 2 million MT
The latest report from the BPI showed that the country's rice imports from January 1 to May 23 went up by 20.3 percent to 1.97 million MT, higher compared to last year's 1.64 million MT. Thailand delivered some 300,227.24 MT of rice, Pakistan followed with 144,834.50 MT, and some 65,080 MT came from Myanmar. Last year, inbound shipments of the staple totaled 3.6 million MT, down 5.9 percent from the record high of 3.82 million MT logged in 2022. The US agency forecast the country's imports to hit a record 4.2 million MT due to continued growth in consumption. Rice inventory as of the beginning of the month was estimated at 1.64 million MT, lower than the 1.84 million MT logged in the same period of 2023.
Source:Manila Times
June 03, 2024 04:40 UTC