Day: April 15, 2024

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA: The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) approved a resolution on Monday recommending the state of calamity in Antique due to the El Niño.

Antique PDRRM Officer Broderick Train said the council made the recommendation following the declaration of the state of calamity in three municipalities in the province.

‘The towns of Sibalom, Anini-y, and Laua-an have now come up with their own declarations of the state of calamity that is why the PDRRMC also had come up with a declaration for the province,’ Train said.

Sibalom declared a state of calamity on March 13, Anini-y on March 27, and Laua-an on April 12.

‘The PDRRMC will be submitting its recommendation for the provincial board to deliberate in next week’s regular session,’ Train said.

The PDRRMC allocated an initial of PHP10 million from the PHP30 million Quick Response Fund (QRF).

“We will allocate PHP10 million to assist the affected families and individuals,” Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cad
iao, who presided over the PDRRMC meeting, said.

The governor said they need to distribute family food packs and aid to individuals in crisis situations (AICS).

“We also need to procure movable water tanks and their needed accessories for barangays suffering from water shortage,” Cadiao said.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Antique will have PHP100,000 for fuel for the firetrucks to transport water to the barangays and respond to fire incidents due to drought.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will also have PHP100,000 for their fuel to back up the BFP during fire incidents.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) report said that 12,552 families with 50,292 individuals were affected by the phenomenon, either because of damaged crops or destroyed houses.

Those with houses destroyed by fire will receive PHP10,000 AICS and PHP5,000 for partially burned houses.

Antique has PHP165.6 million recorded damage on rice crops as of April 11.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Water concessionaire Maynilad and its contractors should be penalized for the huge sinkhole that appeared in Sales Road, Pasay City on Sunday, reportedly caused by a leak from a pipeline.

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who chairs the Committee on Public Works, said in a news release Monday that there must be accountability and proactive measures from service providers to prevent similar incidents.

They should also ensure regular inspection and maintenance of their projects.

‘Dapat mapanagot ang Maynilad at ang mga contractors nila dito (Maynilad and their contractors should be held accountable). The sinkhole, measuring 2 by 3 meters and 8 to 10 feet deep, poses danger to motorists and nearby residential properties and buildings, including the foundation of the NAIAX (Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway) elevated highway,’ Revilla said in a statement.

‘Ilang beses na tayo nakakatanggap ng report na may pumutok na pipe sa ganito, minsan nagdudulot pa ng baha at nakaka-abala. Dapat bago pa lang
magkaroon ng leak, na-check na. Tuloy-tuloy dapat ang inspection at maintenance (We have received several reports of a pipe exploding, that sometimes even caused flooding and inconvenience. Before a leak occurs, it should have been checked already. Inspection and maintenance should be continuous),’ Revilla said.

The Metro Manila Development Authority closed a portion of Sales Road while repairs are ongoing.

As of Monday morning, both lanes of the eastbound side of Sales Road near Villamor Air Base Gate 3 remained cordoned off, with counterflow measures in place.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: To bring government programs closer to more Filipinos, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday launched the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Basco, Batanes, a remote province located in the northernmost part of the Philippines.

‘With this and upon the request of Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco to conduct an assessment and registration of the households in the 4Ps, the DSWD looked into this possibility as it would also mean another opportunity to reach the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged sector – much more, to reach the province of Batanes despite its remoteness and geographic isolation,’ Assistant Secretary for National Household Targeting System of the 4Ps Marites Maristela said in her speech.

Maristela said Batanes has been blessed with having the lowest poverty incidence rate based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2022 data.

However, Maristela said due to pressing socio-economic challenges such as inflation, some 562 households in the provi
nce have been identified as poor based on the Listahanan 3 data.

The island-province of Batanes has 297 active beneficiaries.

‘By providing cash grants to eligible families, the program aims to alleviate their financial burdens and empower them to invest in their future, particularly in the areas of health and education,’ Maristela said.

On April 13, a total of 91 household beneficiaries from Itbayat town received their cash cards from the DSWD.

The remaining beneficiaries from the different municipalities of Batanes are set to receive their respective cash cards on April 15 and 16.

The 4Ps ceremonial launching was attended by Governor Cayco, Batanes Lone District Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr., Mayor Celso Batallones of Ivana town, Mayor German Caccam of Basco town, Mayor Pedro Poncio of Mahatao town, Mayor Jonathan Enrique Nanud Jr. of Uyugan town, Landbank of the Philippines- Basco branch manager Joseph Caliguiran, and DSWD Field Office-2 (Cagayan Valley) Director Lucia Alan.

In her message, Cayco was pleased
with this new development, expressing her gratitude to the DSWD for bringing 4Ps in her province.

‘Sa wakas, may 4Ps na sa Batanes (At last, there is now 4Ps in Batanes!),’ Cayco said as she addressed her constituents during the launching.

The 4Ps is the DSWD’s flagship program of the national government on poverty reduction and social development. The program provides cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education, particularly for children aged 0-18.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised PHP15 billion in Monday’s auction after awarding the Treasury bills (T-bills) in full.

The Auction Committee fully awarded the 91-, 182-, and 364-day T-bills after the debt papers were 2.7 times oversubscribed, with total tenders amounting to PHP39.8 billion.

About PHP24.8 billion worth of bids were rejected during this day’s auction.

‘The 91-, 182-, and 364-day T-bills fetched average rates of 5.870 percent, 5.973 percent, and 6.044 percent, respectively,’ the BTr said.

Yields for T-bills offering in Monday’s auction were higher than last week’s average rates for all tenors.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said auction results came ‘after the recent signals from BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) Governor (Eli) Remolona (Jr.) on a possible local policy rate cut in the third quarter 2024, but no RRP (reverse repurchase rate) cut by 3Q 2024.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

ISTANBUL: Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania broke the men’s 38-year discus world record, setting a new mark of 74.35 meters at the Oklahoma Throws Series competition in Ramona in the US state of Oklahoma.

The ‘stunning throw’ from the 21-year-old Lithuanian broke the world record of 74.08m set by Germany’s Jurgen Schult in 1986, the Olympics said in a statement.

Alekna showed intent with his opening throw of 72.21m, bettering his personal best of 71.39m, and his record-breaking throw of 74.35m came in his fifth attempt.

The Alekna family now has two of the three best men’s discus throwers in history, with two-time Olympic winner Virgilijus Alekna, who is Mykolas’ father, in third on the world all-time best list with his 73.88m from 2000.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LUNA: Local authorities and organizers of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) on Monday assured parents of the safely of athletes joining the five-day event that started here Monday.

“We brought the athletes here healthy. We will make sure that we bring them back home to their families safe and healthy,” Department of Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) Director Dr. Estella Cariño said during the solidarity meeting with event officials.

CARAA is a grassroots sports program of DepEd, participated in by elementary to high school students from six provinces and two cities in the region — Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and the cities of Baguio and Tabuk.

Winners will be fielded to the Cebu Palarong Pambansa in July.

Apayao Governor Elias Bulut, in a media interview, said all venues, both indoors and outdoors, have been prepared to accommodate events even during the night. Medical teams and ambulances have been assigned, too.

“It is
so hot. It was 35 degrees Celsius yesterday (Sunday). We have to make urgent decisions if games need to be suspended and moved to late afternoon. We cannot risk the safety of our children,” he said in Filipino.

Source: Philippines News Agency