Day: April 10, 2024

MANILA: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of dangerous heat index levels ranging from 42°C to 44°C in eight areas on Wednesday.

Based on the weather bureau’s 5 p.m. forecast on Tuesday, the following areas are:

Dagupan City, Pangasinan – 44°C

Bacnotan, La Union – 42°C

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – 42°C

Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – 43°C

Aborlan, Palawan – 43°C

Roxas City, Capiz – 42°C

Guiuan, Eastern Samar – 42°C

Cotabato City, Maguindanao – 42°C

PAGASA said heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.

The state weather bureau advised the public to limit the time spent outdoors, especially at noon, and drink plenty of water.

Use umbrellas or wear hats and sleeved clothing when venturing outdoors, PAGASA added.

Meanwhile, the whole country will continue to experience generally fair weather conditions, except in Batanes, which will experience scattered ra
in showers and thunderstorms due to a frontal system.

Moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas will be felt over the northern and western sections of Northern Luzon, while the rest of the archipelago will have light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas.

The temperature in Metro Manila will range from 22°C to 34°C; Baguio City, 18°C to 24°C; Laoag City, 23°C to 33°C; Legazpi City, 25°C to 32°C; Metro Cebu, 25°C to 32°C; and Metro Davao, 24°C to 34°C.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DUMAGUETE CITY: The Diocese of Dumaguete called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to veto Senate Bill 2507, creating the Negros Island Region (NIR) due to a lack of fair, just, and truthful consultation.

The President recently announced he will soon sign the approved bill.

The diocese, headed by Bishop Julito Cortes, released Wednesday a letter addressed to the President sent during Holy Week.

It cited several reasons for their opposition to the creation of the one-island Negros region, which will comprise Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and Siquijor.

The Diocese of Dumaguete covers the towns and cities from Basay in the south to Jimalalud in the north, and the entire island province of Siquijor.

In a letter dated March 25 and signed by the bishop and other church officials, the diocese appealed to the President to veto the bill for the NIR creation, citing the lack of information dissemination and the absence of public consultation with diverse sectors and stakeholders.

‘As custodians of democra
cy, it is the people’s inherent right to be fully informed and actively engaged in decisions of such magnitude, for they shape the trajectory of our collective destiny,’ the letter read.

It is also the church’s concern to ensure that the voice of the people be heard and duly acknowledged and accorded the justice it deserves, the diocese said.

Other reasons cited for the diocese’s objection to the creation of the NIR are the ‘disproportionate impact’ on less privileged sectors; the threat to exacerbate existing inequalities; and the unequal distribution of resource allocation and representation, noting that Negros Oriental has fewer congressional districts compared to its western neighbor.

Msgr. Julius Heruela, a member of the diocese’s Circle of Discernment, said the letter was released only after the President’s recent announcement that he would sign the bill for the creation of the new region.

The diocese has not received any communication from the Palace regarding this, he added.

Source: Philippines
News Agency

HOUSTON: The first parents ever to be charged for their child’s mass shooting were sentenced Tuesday in the US state of Michigan to a decade of prison time.

Jennifer and James Crumbley, whose son, Ethan, then 15 years old, murdered four students on Nov. 30, 2021 at Oxford High School, were sentenced 10 to 15 years, respectively, according to media outlets. They will receive credit for more than two years already served.

Both were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials weeks earlier, making them the first-ever parents to be held accountable for their child’s actions in a deadly school shooting.

Judge Cheryl Matthews said the decision should serve as a deterrent to other parents to try to stop school shootings.

“Opportunity knocked over and over again, louder and louder, and was ignored,” she said. “No one answered and these two people should have and sure didn’t.”

“These convictions confirm repeated acts or lack of acts that could have halted an oncoming runaway train,” she added.

James
Crumbley addressed the courtroom with a statement apologizing to the victims of his son’s violent rampage.

“I want to say I can’t imagine the pain and agony … for the families that have lost their children and what they are experiencing and what they are going through,” he said.

“As a parent, our biggest fear is losing our child or our children, and to lose a child is unimaginable. My heart is really broken for everybody involved,’ he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BATANGAS CITY: The provincial government of Batangas is taking full advantage of the celebration of Filipino Food Month to expand the markets of both the province’s hospitality industry and the local agricultural sector.

In an interview on Wednesday, Vanessa Tolentino, senior tourism officer at the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO), said they would hold the ‘Batangas Kulinarya Goto and Kapeng Barako Cook Fest’ as the highlight of Batangas Kulinarya here on April 25.

The event, she said, is part of the celebration of Filipino Food Month or Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino, which is observed every April under Presidential Proclamation 469, series of 2018.

It aims to advocate for food, gastronomy, and farm tourism to foster awareness, appreciation, and preservation of Filipino culinary history and heritage.

With this year’s theme, ‘Kalutong Filipino, Lakas ng Kabataang Makabago,’ Tolentino said the activity recognizes the youth’s important role in the preservation of the province’s culinary he
ritage.

‘The youth are involved (here) and in partnership with the leading culinary institution in the province, the Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas (LPU-Batangas), students from Senior High School to college students until professional chefs are part of this program,’ she said.

Tolentino said last year, the PTCAO featured ‘tamales’ from the town of Ibaan and ‘adobo sa dilaw’ from Taal.

For this year, she said, the slated ‘gotong Batangas’ and ‘kapeng barako’ cooking competition would include professional and student categories wherein top winners would be presented medals, certificates, and cash prizes.

Meanwhile, Tolentino shared that the abundance of beef in the province is a major reason for the popularity of ‘goto’ (porridge) as one of the traditional main dishes of Batangas.

The town of Padre Garcia is recognized as the ‘Cattle Trading Capital of the Philippines.’

The cattle market or “bakahan” was established in the municipality in 1952 and later flourished into the biggest livest
ock auction market in the region that was then known as Southern Tagalog.

In a separate interview, former Padre Garcia Mayor Michael Rivera said the local government continues to improve the trading facilities of the bakahan to accommodate thousands of cows, goats, and horses.

“During the pandemic, we had a bit of a hard time because there were many restrictions. Now that the pandemic is gone, we are looking to cater (to) more clients this year to further develop our local industry,” he said.

Rivera is grateful for the technical assistance from the Department of Agriculture, through training to avoid viral diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF). He said checkpoints are also put into place for animal disinfection to ensure good sanitation.

Aside from cattle trading, the town is also a popular go-to place for tourists during summer with its version of “halo-halo,” a traditional Filipino cold layered dessert consisting of shaved ice, sweet beans, coconut strips, and fruits drizzled with milk and topped
with ice cream.

The food tourism efforts of the province are part of the local government’s campaign to develop the local economy.

Source: Philippines News Agency

GENEVA: In a ruling with possible effects throughout the continent, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on Tuesday condemned Switzerland for failing to protect the climate, local media reported.

The court ruling in Strasbourg upheld the complaint against the Swiss Confederation of a group called the Climate Seniors, a Swiss non-government organization (NGO).

According to Swiss public broadcaster SRF, the court found a violation of the Convention on Human Rights. The courts also found a violation of the right to private and family life, among other things.

As reported by SRF, the court argued that states have an obligation to implement measures to combat global warming but that Switzerland has failed to do so.

This is the first time that Strasbourg has dealt with the question of whether a state’s climate policy violates human rights. The ruling could have far-reaching consequences for Europe.

The ruling could open up a legal avenue for individuals to take legal action against the climate poli
cies of the 46 members of the Council of Europe, which the court operates as part of. Its members include such states as Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Trkiye.

The NGO Climate Seniors consists of over 2,000 Swiss pensioners.

The initiative for the lawsuit originally came from the Swiss branch of environmental group Greenpeace.

The new tactic of challenging states legally to do more to protect the planet reflects the gravity of the emergency in the face of an ongoing climate crisis, say environmental activists.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Malaysia is looking forward to establishing more flights to the Philippines, especially Mindanao, as trade and tourism exchanges between the two states grow.

Malaysian Ambassador Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino said there is demand for flights to Mindanao as more Malaysians recognize the ‘vibrant’ Halal tourism sector in some of its destinations, such as Zamboanga City and Davao Region.

Malaysians, he said, are also looking at Cagayan de Oro as a gateway to Northern Mindanao, which is home to a variety of attractions from nature to sun and beach.

‘We hope to increase flights between Malaysia and the Philippines, especially to Mindanao. These include flights by AirAsia and PAL (Philippine Airlines) in the near future where we hope to have more connectivity between the two countries,’ Castelino said in an interview during an Eid’l Fitr reception at his residence in Makati.

The envoy also cited the growing trade between the two states as part of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines
East Asean Growth Area or the BIMP-EAGA.

He said the grouping has in fact decided to create a sub-committee that would jointly promote the four states’ Halal products.

‘There’s a lot of trade going on really in this area, especially cross-border trade. We hope that will also spur to have more trade in terms of tourists,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Castelino said Muslim food tourism is one area the two states could further focus on and conveyed Malaysia’s readiness to help Manila tap the multi-billion dollar Halal market, which is expected to reach USD7.7 trillion in market value by 2025.

‘You have beautiful islands and products, which I think the world needs to know and if you also add on the Halal tourism, you get a wide section of tourists from the Middle East, from the Islamic countries,’ he said.

‘That opens up huge areas of opportunity in terms of creating jobs and small and medium industries to come on board,’ he added.

At the reception, the envoy presented a number of Malaysian and Halal dishes that we
re quite similar to Filipino food such as lemang that could rival the Philippines’ sumang malagkit (steamed glutinous rice) and the chicken satay that is close to the taste of Bacolod inasal, among others.

As Malaysia and the Philippines mark 60 years of bilateral relations in May, Castelino expects more interactions and programs between the two governments, especially on business, digitalization, and people-to-people ties.

Source: Philippines News Agency