Day: March 6, 2024

Hanoi: Vietnam boasts a lot of advantages to develop sports tourism and is taking measures to promote this type of tourism – one of the fastest growing segments in the industry, with an estimated value of about 800 billion USD globally.

Recently, more and more sports clubs have been established, and tournaments organised, attracting a large number of both domestic and foreign sports lovers.

Prominent among them are VnExpress Amazing Marathon, Ha Long Heritage Marathon, Da Lat Ultra Trail, Hoi An International Marathon, and paragliding festival ‘Fly over the golden season’.

These sports activities have created a special “catalyst” that helps enhance the image recognition and competitiveness of local tourism.

Nguyen Cong Hoan, General Director of Flamingo Redtours which has successfully organised many sports tours taking tourists to watch major football tournaments such as Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, said that currently, travel companies are exploiting three popul
ar forms of sports tours: those for tourists to cheer and watch tournaments such as football and tennis; those for participants in sports activities such as golf, marathon and trekking; and those with sports activities for organisations, agencies and businesses.

According to experts, to turn sports tourism into a key product, it is important to have thorough research and long-term orientations to build and upgrade infrastructure, and improve the transport system and specific technical facilities in a more professional and modern direction so as to meet requirements of different forms of sports tourism.

It is also necessary to have an early and methodical promotion strategy as well as dynamism to increase opportunities to host international events.

Nowadays, tourists in general and sports tourists in particular appreciate different experiences when participating in tours. Therefore, Director of Vietfoot Travel Pham Duy Nghia said that in addition to providing quality services and ensuring safety, sports tou
rism products also need to bring new experiences to visitors./

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: Magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan eyes 2024 as another banner year for Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), reflecting the firm’s business confidence for the year.

In a press conference at MPIC’s headquarters in Pasig City Wednesday, Pangilinan said the company targets for another double-digit growth this year.

MPIC executive vice president and chief finance, risk and sustainability officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla said the company recorded a 90-percent growth in consolidated net income in 2023 at PHP19.9 billion, a record-high for the firm.

In 2022, MPIC’s consolidated net income was at PHP10.5 billion.

‘All of our core business segments performed consistently well in 2023. Meralco’s power generation business is becoming a steady contributor to its growth with promising expansion opportunities in the pipeline. Traffic on our toll roads under MPTC (Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.) is rising by double digits and Maynilad is benefiting from the catch-up of delayed tariff increases,’ said Pangilinan, MPIC chai
rman, president, and chief executive officer.

For this year, he expected the core businesses to remain as growth drivers for MPIC.

‘We are working hard to make 2024 another banner year for MPIC and our operating companies on the expectation that greater private sector participation in infrastructure development will help propel our nation to higher growth in the near term and further ahead,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Cabal-Revilla said MPIC set a capital expenditure of PHP140 billion this year-PHP40 billion for Meralco, PHP31.4 billion for Maynilad, and PHP28 billion for MPTC.

Aside from the three core operating companies, MPIC is also in healthcare, fuel storage, waste management, real estate and agribusiness. It is also the private operator of the LRT-1.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DUMAGUETE: Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Negros Oriental have arrested three persons and dismantled an alleged drug den during an operation in Sibulan town north of this capital Tuesday night.

PDEA agents conducted a buy-bust operation around 8:31 p.m. Tuesday at Sitio Campaclan, Barangay Poblacion in Sibulan, which resulted in the discovery and subsequent dismantling of the alleged drug den, a PDEA-7 report said Wednesday.

Apprehended were Rubennie N. Furton, 33, an auto electric technician, subject of the operation and who reportedly maintained the drug den; and his two ‘visitors’, Michael Frank V. Renacia, 33, and Rey D. Velez, 46.

Operatives seized 11 packs of suspected shabu weighing around 10 grams with an estimated street value of PHP68,000, buy-bust money, a cellular phone, and other drug paraphernalia.

Cases for violation of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act will be filed against the suspects.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. designated Wednesday former Assistant Administrator for Finance and Administration Piolito Santos as the new officer-in-charge of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Laurel announced the designation of Santos during the NFA council meeting.

This came two days after the implementation of the preventive suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman against 139 NFA officials and employees nationwide amid the probe into the alleged improper sale of the rice buffer stock.

Laurel said the operations of the NFA must continue despite the ongoing investigation.

‘The NFA is a very important government agency, especially during calamities and other disasters as well as in the lives of millions of poor Filipinos,” he said in a Zoom meeting with NFA employees.

“We cannot lose heart during this challenging time for the NFA and DA family,’ he added.

Responsible leadership

Santos, meanwhile, vowed to ensure order under his watch.

‘This will be a fair and very
responsible leadership of the National Food Authority,” he said.

“Babaguhin natin ang pamamaraan ng pagbebenta ng bigas sa ating mga outlets para iyong nangyari ng nakaraan mga problema na nangyari ay hindi na maulit pa (We will improve our way of rice selling to our outlets to ensure that the previous problem will not happen again),” he added.

The NFA will also prioritize the sale of rice to government agencies including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units, among others, he said.

He added warehouse operations must resume amid the peak harvest season.

All other positions, meanwhile, have been filled up, granting authority to individuals not involved in the ongoing probe.

“Mayroon na kaming special orders kahapon pa na lahat ng mga nagkaroon ng preventive suspension ay mayroon nang nakatagalaga na mga OIC sa bawat regions, sa bawat branches nationwide (We had special orders yesterday that all [positions] that were subjected to preventive suspension shoul
d have designated OICs in each region, in all branches nationwide),’ he said.

Santos, meanwhile, is set to retire in May following his four decades of service in the NFA.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business major in Agriculture Economics from Isabela State University, as well as a master’s degree in business administration and a doctorate in Organization Development and Planning from Northeastern College.

The DA is conducting a parallel investigation with the Office of the Ombudsman following the alleged improper sale of rice buffer stock to select traders without bidding.

The DA’s investigating panel is set to look on the NFA’s transactions since 2019.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed petitions challenging the authority of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to implement regulatory measures on Philippine offshore gaming operators (RR-POGO) approved in 2016.

In its 15-page en banc decision uploaded online on March 4, the SC, on technical grounds, junked consolidated petitions by groups and individuals questioning the legality of these measures that provide for the process for licensing, accreditation and registration of offshore gaming operators, agents, and related service providers.

The Court said the petitioners led by the Union for National Development and Good Governance Philippines (Unilad), Anti-Trapo Movement of the Philippines Inc., and lawyer Jovencio Evangelista – ignored the hierarchy of courts, as well as failed to substantiate the significance of the issues raised to merit the court’s review.

The tribunal also said the petitioners failed to show any direct and personal interest in the enforcement of the RR-PO
GO.

“The alleged transcendental importance of the questions raised was not adequately substantiated,” the SC ruled.

The petitioners argued the unconstitutionality of the RR-POGO, contending that PAGCOR lacks authority to oversee online or offshore gaming operations.

They urged the SC to annul the RR-POGO and permanently halt PAGCOR from implementing its provisions.

Source: Philippines News Agency

PRINCESA: City authorities here said there is no reason to impose price controls on pork despite a reported surge in retail prices because there is no crisis in the commodity’s supply.

This was a reaction to a sudden increase in pork prices from PHP280 to PHP350 per kilo in less than one week.

During a hearing of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council) on Tuesday, city legal officer Norman Yap said there is no basis for the local government to impose arbitrary price controls on pork because such a move is only permissible if supply is severely compromised, such as during an outbreak of animal disease.

Investigations conducted by the city government revealed that the problem stems from the preference of hog raisers to sell their products to buyers outside of Palawan, where the pigs are being purchased at more lucrative rates.

‘We cannot impose a price control absent any emergency or crisis. The law is quite clear on that. We have to establish whether there is an emergency or crisis before we can seek mea
sures such as price control,’ Yap explained to the city councilors.

The hearing was called in reaction to a request by vendors that the city government control sales outside the city to ensure a steady pork supply, and a price ceiling be imposed on hog raisers.

For his part, Councilor Elgin Damasco, who chairs the Sanggunian’s Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, reported during the same hearing that hog raisers, traders and vendors, all confirmed that there is no shortage in the supply of pork.

‘If buyers are not able to compete with the offer, it is not proper for the local government to force or command the seller to sell to a buyer who is not willing to meet their price,’ the councilor said after hearing Yap’s testimony.

Damasco said the government can only intervene if the price is being manipulated, such as through hoarding, cartel activity and profiteering.

He added only the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) has the power to determine selling prices and must seek approval from the Off
ice of the President.

Damasco said the rising cost of feeds and other piggery inputs also plays a significant role in the surge in pork retail prices.

Source: Philippines News Agency