Digitalization and financial inclusion
Philippine financial inclusion. The third paper on Financial Inclusion by Margarita Debuque-Gonzales is a path-breaking study on Philippine financial inclusion. Broadly, “financial inclusion” means individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs. Financial inclusion is “more inclusive” as more and more of the country’s poor are able to participate in financial activities. (3) Financial inclusion being multi-dimensional, to construct a measure that can help answer important empirical facts and policy questions?
Source:Philippine Star
November 02, 2021 16:54 UTC
Jon Bon Jovi tests positive for Covid-19, cancels concert
Jon Bon Jovi AP PHOTOMIAMI: Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for Covid-19 during a rapid test just before he was set to perform a concert in Miami Beach. An announcer took to the stage to give the crowd the bad news before the concert at Loews South Beach was set to begin. The band took rapid tests just before the concert and Bon Jovi tested positive. "Jon feels great," the announcer told the crowd, adding that the "Livin' On a Prayer" singer was going to bed. He also had been scheduled to participate in a Q&A session and a photo op.
Source:Manila Times
November 02, 2021 15:44 UTC
Drug suspect nabbed in Naga City buy-bust
LEGAZPI CITY––Police arrested a suspected drug pusher and seized P17,680 worth of shabu (crystal meth) in a buy-bust operation Monday in Naga City in Camarines Sur province, a report said Tuesday. Master Sergeant Tobias Bongon, Naga City police spokesperson, said Glen Aspe, 29, was arrested in Barangay Sta. Cruz at 11:57 p.m.ADVERTISEMENTThe police recovered 2.60 grams of shabu from Aspe, who was on the illegal drugs watch list. He will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.lzbSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy PolicyRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 02, 2021 06:33 UTC
Intimations of mortality
Intimations of mortality"At the moment you embrace death as inevitable and the end of your life’s journey, that’s the moment you start to savor the sweetness of life.”I can’t recall now who said that line – or words to that effect – but all of us with no exception have had intimations of mortality, especially in these dire times. For, according to these people, death is just an end to this journey and a beginning of a new experience. “The main point (of this book) is to demonstrate that it is not an experience to fear. I had a morbid fear of the end of life’s journey – called death – until I read those books one after the other. As Ernest Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms said: “Cowards die a thousand deaths; the brave only die once.”So, enjoy this journey called life.
Source:Philippine Star
November 02, 2021 05:28 UTC
Philippines orders Netflix to pull out spy drama episodes showing China's illegal 9-dash line
Philippines orders Netflix to pull out spy drama episodes showing China's illegal 9-dash lineMANILA, Philippines — Netflix has pulled out two episodes of an Australian political drama after a complaint lodged by the Philippine government for its depiction of China's illegal claims in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. #DFAStatement on the Political Drama “Pine Gap” Ordered by MTRCB to Immediately Pull Out Episodes with China’s Illegal Nine-Dash Line: https://t.co/BrDTxMZ7RW@teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/PTe7AQy2jd — DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) November 1, 2021Following the decision, the MTRCB ordered Netflix to immediately pull out relevant episodes. As of Tuesday morning, two episodes of Pine Gap are no longer available in the Philippines. Screengrab from Netflix Pine Gap, an Australian television series on Netflix, revolves around an eponymous top-secret U.S.-Australian joint defense facility. Quoting the MTRCB decision, the DFA pointed out that the Austalian show's portrayal of China's illegal nine-dash line was "no accident as it was consciously designed and calculated to specifically convey a message that China's nine-dash line legitimately exists."
Source:Philippine Star
November 02, 2021 05:24 UTC
Quarantine privileges of many scrapped
"It will add to anti-epidemic efforts to create more favorable conditions for border reopening," he said. A spokesman cited four imported cases involving consular officers, including a cluster of three children of a Saudi Arabian officer in July. They were supposed to observe home quarantine in Taikoo Shing but were found to have sneaked out to go around Hong Kong. A United States consulate spokeswoman told The Standard it hopes for "greater dialogue and transparency regarding testing and quarantine measures that affect Hong Kong as a place to live and do business." The number of categories will be cut to three, from 12, in the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation.
Source:The Standard
November 02, 2021 05:23 UTC
Internet archive of ‘subversive’ publications launched
MANILA, Philippines — An “alliance,” as they call themselves, of teachers, researchers, and other professionals in the education sector has launched a website archiving progressive publications and documents deemed “subversive” by the military as it conducts an ongoing purge in various school libraries nationwide. ADVERTISEMENTThe website contains digital copies of books and articles classified under five main folders: Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Classics, Philippine Radical Thought, Martial Law Literature, Marxist Literature, and National Democratic Front Books and Writings. Another section contains a history of censorship in other countries, targeting books which cover such topics as racism and Nazism. “UP Diliman categorically protests and condemns the military purge of what they call subversive books, documents, and materials from state universities. This is a violation of academic freedom to teach, research and expand knowledge freely and without prior restraint,” Nemenzo said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 02, 2021 05:18 UTC
BBM: Medical research needs bigger budget
Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.Read this in The Manila Times digital edition. PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday pressed for a bigger budget for medical research during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer in a statement said the budget, particularly for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), must be increased. The RITM was the only laboratory in the country that can test the Covid-19 in the early months of the pandemic. Because its budget was low, it "caused many missed opportunities" to plan and implement research programs, he said.
Source:Manila Times
November 02, 2021 04:19 UTC
After 5M Covid deaths, what's next?
The Economist magazine looked at excess mortality and concluded around 17 million have died from Covid. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has left more than 36 million people dead over 40 years. Nonetheless, Covid has "caused a lot of deaths in a short period," said Jean-Claude Manuguerra, a virologist at the French institute. First, "an explosive epidemic phase" when the virus spreads through a population, which had never been in contact with it before. Global immunity will be built layer upon layer, he stressed, with vaccines adding to immunity from natural infections.
Source:Manila Times
November 02, 2021 04:03 UTC
DOT rolls out free swab tests for some local tourists
DOT rolls out free swab tests for some local touristsA health worker at Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital prepares to take a swab of a resident of Batasan Hills in Quezon City on July 13, 2020. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism on Monday announced that it will start subsidizing free RT-PCR tests for local travelers. DOT said those who wish to avail of free testing at PCMC may visit this link to view application procedures and requirements: https://www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel/. The agency's partnership with PCMC was first rolled out in December 2020, covering 50% of the hospital’s swab testing cost. This is now amended to cover the full P1,500 cost of RT-PCR tests with a cap of 350 approved applicants per day.
Source:Philippine Star
November 02, 2021 03:45 UTC
Panasonic donates cutting-edge nanoe generators and air purifiers to Makati vaccination site
Panasonic donates cutting-edge nanoe generators and air purifiers to Makati vaccination sitePanasonic Air-Conditioning Philippines CEO Masaru Toyota, Life Solutions Group Country Head Yosuke Tanaka, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay and Head of Makati Incident Command Post Dr. Roland Unson were present during the site visit during the turnover of donations. Panasonic Air-Conditioning Philippines CEO Masaru Toyota, Life Solutions Group Country Head Yosuke Tanaka, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay and ?the Head of Makati Incident Command Post Dr. Roland Unson, were present during the site visit. It has always been the intention of Panasonic to provide cleaner and fresher air to improve the quality of life for everyone with the introduction of the nanoeTM in 1997 and nanoeTM X in 2016. Main releases on verification casesMay 12, 2009?Positive effects of charged water particles on viruses, bacteria and agricultural chemicals have been verified. February 20, 2012?Suppression effect of charged water particles on pet-related allergens, bacteria, fungi and viruses have been verified.
Source:Philippine Star
November 02, 2021 03:44 UTC
Thai capital welcomes first tourists for quarantine-free holiday
BANGKOK — More than a thousand foreign tourists arrived in Bangkok on Monday, the first wave of travelers to the Thai capital in 18 months, as part of a quarantine waiver for visitors vaccinated against COVID-19. There were 1,534 foreign arrivals and 890 Thais on 40 international flights on the opening day on Monday, senior health official Kiattiphum Wongraijit said. More than 3 million Thai tourism-dependent jobs and an estimated $50 billion a year in revenue have been lost. Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of Thai GDP, with one survey ranking Bangkok as the world’s most visited city. Under the new national program, visitors must await a negative COVID-19 test on arrival then can travel freely the following day.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 02, 2021 01:16 UTC
Don't make zero-case policy a sacred thing
It is legitimate to express concern over the government's disputable decision to classify as non-local a recent Covid case involving a Hong Kong resident who tested positive after arriving in Singapore. They are all monitoring the situation and will make their own judgment regardless of what the SAR government would like to show. Undoubtedly, Hong Kong is among the world's best in containing the Covid spread. What can be uncertain is that, should there be a second or third incident as such, common sense would guide others to view Hong Kong's responses with suspicion. Meanwhile, it was alarming to learn yesterday that there are only 1.7 million BioNTech jabs left in the SAR.
Source:The Standard
November 02, 2021 01:12 UTC
Australia reopens international borders for first time in pandemic
MELBOURNE/SYDNEY – Australia eased its international border restrictions on Monday for the first time in the pandemic, allowing some of its vaccinated public to travel freely and many families to reunite, sparking emotional embraces at Sydney’s airport. International travellers also arrived in Sydney via Singapore Airlines early on Monday. Television and social media footage showed tearful family reunions, with strict travel rules previously prohibiting many people from attending significant events, including weddings and funerals. ADVERTISEMENTThe change in travel rules, however, is not uniform across Australia, as the country’s states and territories have differing vaccination rates and health policies. But as it switched a COVID-zero pandemic management strategy towards living with the virus through extensive vaccinations, borders are gradually reopening.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 01, 2021 03:08 UTC