Day: March 27, 2024

MANILA: More senators on Wednesday expressed their ‘disgust’ over the recent aggression by the Chinese Coast Guard to Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva described the latest incident, as well as previous aggressions of China against Filipinos, as “totally inhumane, illegal, and barbaric.”

Villanueva said he is set to file and sponsor a resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take ‘all necessary actions’ to stop these incidents and update senators on the actions taken by the government.

“As one nation, let us set aside our differences and stand together in fighting these bullies. Encroaching our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and at the same time putting the lives of our kababayan (countrymen) in danger is simply unacceptable. We salute our Philippine Navy and the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) for their gallantry, and the nation thanks them for their bravery in protecting our seas,” Villanueva said in his statement.

Another senator
‘enraged’ by the incident is Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who expressed her support for DFA’s lodging of a strong protest against the recent harassment.

She also urged the agency to expedite the filing of a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly that will call on China to stop its blatant violence in the Philippine waters.

“I also hope the DFA can gather our neighbors in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam and Malaysia, to stand with the Philippines as we face common security threats and assaults by China,” Hontiveros said in a separate statement.

She said China should also ‘pay for the damages and injuries’ caused by its water cannons against Philippine vessels and crew members, as well as the natural resources that were destroyed in WPS.

Source: Philippines News Agency

CEBU CITY: The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project management will tap a university here, as it complies with the archeological impact assessment as required by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), the project management head said Wednesday.

Engr. Norvin Imbong, Cebu BRT project manager, said the University of San Carlos (USC) here can conduct the assessment as required by Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 and the Environmental Management Bureau Memorandum Circular No. 005 series of 2014.

Section 30 paragraph (d) of the law provides that ‘any government or nongovernment infrastructure project or architectural site development shall include anthropological, archaeological and historical and heritage site conservation concerns in their Environmental Impact Assessment System.’

Imbong’s statement came after the commission asked the Department of Transportation to stop excavation works for the BRT bus station in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol building.

The
provincial and the city governments are locking horns over the BRT project as it affects the capitol, a known Cebu landmark.

NCAA also required the BRT management to submit development plans showing mitigation efforts to protect the sightline of the Capitol building and the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda.

NCAA’s letter came after Governor Gwencolyn Garcia ordered the private contractor to cease doing any work for the BRT station that will impede the vista of Cebu’s landmark.

‘Actually, we have already submitted documents to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines but we are yet to get a clearance. We are now working closely with NHCP and NCCA,’ Imbong told the Philippine News Agency.

While there is a stoppage of work near the capitol area, construction works in other packages such as the BRT stations at the Cebu South Bus Terminal, Cebu Normal University and the east side of the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda continue, Imbong added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday said the use and development of satellite-based technologies should be encouraged and promoted to help propel internet connectivity in the country.

Gatchalian made this remark as the country is set to commemorate March 29, 1994 as the day the Philippines was first connected to the internet.

After 30 years, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) data based on the 2022 Women and ICT Development Index (WIDI) Survey and the 2019 National ICT Household Survey (NICTHS) showed that there has been a significant rise in household internet access from 17.7 percent in 2019 to 76.90 percent in 2022.

‘Without a doubt, the internet is the most game-changing technology that continues to reshape the way we live our lives. It is unfortunate that even after 30 years of internet presence in the country, a sizable portion of our population continues to miss out on its benefits,’ Gatchalian said in a news release.

He said the internet has become a nec
essity in the area of education, research and development, business promotion and innovation, communication, and financial management, among others.

‘To realize inclusive economic development, particularly in poorer areas of the country, the government needs to double down on its program to provide internet access to all,’ he added.

Gatchalian has filed Senate Bill (SB) 814 or the Satellite-based Technologies for Internet Connectivity Act.

SB 814 aims to ensure universal access to the internet, especially in critical areas such as e-government and the delivery of basic services, education, health, trade, finance, disaster preparedness, and public safety.

Gatchalian said satellite-based internet technology uses a satellite to get an internet signal from the internet service provider (ISP) to the user.

‘The ISP sends a fiber internet signal to a satellite in space. The satellite dish is connected to the modem of the user, which then connects the user to the internet,’ he said.

The DICT recently bared plan
s to double the number of free Wi-Fi sites in the country with the aim of bridging the digital divide.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 on Wednesday experienced a three-hour and 16-minute period of limited power supply due to a series of power fluctuations.

According to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the power fluctuations affected the air handling units at the departure area.

‘Following an evaluation by the terminal engineering team, it was determined that the terminal circuit breaker kept tripping due to high power loads caused by the elevated heat index outside the terminal,’ the MIAA said in a news release.

It added the engineering team recalibrated the circuit breakers and received instructions from MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines to investigate other potential causes for the breaker tripping.

Despite this disruption, the MIAA said normal operations continued at check-in counters, passenger boarding bridges, baggage handling systems, and security screening facilities.

‘No flight delays or cancellations were reported as a result of the incident,’
it said.

‘To alleviate the discomfort caused by the heat inside the terminal, industrial fans were strategically positioned throughout the area to provide relief to passengers and airline staff. Additionally, bottled water was also provided to the passengers,’ it added.

Ines expressed his sincere apologies to the riding public for the inconvenience caused by the incident and reassured them that comprehensive maintenance efforts would be undertaken to proactively prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday cautioned the public against the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), an organization formed in 2001 by the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the late Jose Maria Sison.

‘The ILPS, a CPP-initiated organization camouflaged by its self-proclaimed advocacy for social justice and democratic struggles, poses a serious threat to the nation’s stability and independence,’ NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement.

According to Torres, the group has a membership from over 40 different countries and currently chaired by Len Cooper of Australia.

“From what can be observed, their activities are quite fervent. Even within the UN (United Nations), they are attempting to sway opinions and submit reports that are irrational and, in some cases, not factual, to member countries of the ILPS,” he said.

‘The ILPS employs a sophisticated strategy aimed at und
ermining the government through a protracted people’s war. They leverage their platform to circulate revolutionary narratives about the Philippines, intending to tarnish the nation’s international reputation. By sowing discord and exploiting vulnerabilities, the ILPS seeks to gradually seize control and remodel the government to fit their ideology,’ Torres said.

He added that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is ‘unmasking the motives of questionable foreign organizations and ensuring that foreign aid channels are directed towards legitimate organizations within the Philippines.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has partnered with the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) to bolster women’s leadership in climate change and disaster resilience through Sustainable Leadership Learning for Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction (SLL-CDRR).

Through the collaboration of CCC, Office of Senator Legarda and AIM, scholarships will be provided through the Executive Masters in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) program to 18 individuals, with at least half of the slots allotted for women.

Recognizing the indispensable role of women in environmental stewardship and community resilience, the SLL-CDRR program promotes an inclusive approach to addressing climate challenges.

The impact of disasters is felt disproportionately, with women bearing most of the brunt.

In 2021, Typhoon Odette affected approximately four million women and girls of reproductive age in 13 provinces, prompting the United Nations Population Fund Phi
lippines to call for urgent donations for the affected women and young girls.

Among them, an estimated 162,000 are pregnant, with 24,000 likely to experience complications. Furthermore, an estimated 470,000 women in affected areas lacked access to family planning information and services, exacerbating existing challenges such as gender-based violence.

‘Women in fragile areas often bear the brunt of climate change impacts. Their unique perspectives and experiences are indispensable in addressing these dimensions and ensuring equitable solutions,’ Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda said in a news release on Wednesday.

While prioritizing women, the program welcomes a diverse range of qualified individuals, including:

–National government personnel focused on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM)

–DRRM officers in local government units

–Leaders from indigenous groups

–Sustainability and inclusivity champions

‘The SLL-CDRR program is
a strategic investment in human capital, enabling the shift from fragility to agility and changing the climate change narrative from victim to victor. Through this, women, in particular, will no longer be seen as vulnerable; instead, they will be part of the story, actively contributing to the solutions to climate change,’ CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje said.

The SLL-CDRR Program will enable recipients to pursue specialization in CCAM and DRRM, aligning their scholastic outputs with the policy priorities of the CCC, including the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and the draft National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

Successful candidates will be awarded a full scholarship covering program and tuition fees, with additional support for participation in required in-person campus activities.

‘With each scholar receiving this scholarship, we believe very firmly, we’re taking one step closer to the solution we’re seeking in terms of a future defined by resilience, sustainability,
and resolve,’ Professor Jikyeong Kang, AIM President said.

Source: Philippines News Agency