Author: ltadmin

KIGALI: At least 58 people were killed after a boat capsized in the Central African Republic, an official said Saturday.

The accident took place on Friday afternoon on Mpoko River on the outskirts of the capital Bangui, according to Thomas Djimasse, the civil protection chief.

‘The victims were heading to the town of Mokola for a funeral. We have so far retrieved the bodies of 58 people,’ Djimasse told reporters.

Saying that the boat was overloaded, he added that the death toll could rise.

Local media said there were more than 300 people on board and dozens of volunteers were on site for rescue efforts.

Source: Philippines News Agency

KIGALI: At least 58 people were killed after a boat capsized in the Central African Republic, an official said Saturday.

The accident took place on Friday afternoon on Mpoko River on the outskirts of the capital Bangui, according to Thomas Djimasse, the civil protection chief.

‘The victims were heading to the town of Mokola for a funeral. We have so far retrieved the bodies of 58 people,’ Djimasse told reporters.

Saying that the boat was overloaded, he added that the death toll could rise.

Local media said there were more than 300 people on board and dozens of volunteers were on site for rescue efforts.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered extended construction hours and round-the-clock emergency repairs on government infrastructure projects as part of the administration’s ‘Build, Better, More’ program.

In a short video message posted on Facebook Saturday night, Marcos said his directive is meant to ensure the swift and timely completion of vital infrastructure projects.

‘Under the Build, Better, More, program, we will intensify ongoing infrastructure projects. Construction hours will be extended and emergency repairs will be conducted round-the-clock to ensure timely completion,’ the President said.

He added that projects that meet quality requirements will be prioritized as part of the government’s initiatives on climate change and to ensure that infrastructures will last longer and can withstand calamities.

‘Para hindi nape-perwisyo ang publiko sa mga substandard na imprastraktura na kailangang paulit-ulit na ayusin pagkalipas ng ilang taon lamang o pagkatapos ng bagyo (So the public won
‘t be bothered by substandard infrastructure projects that needs to be fixed repeatedly in just a few years or after a typhoon),’ he said.

The administration’s ‘Build, Better, More’ infrastructure program seeks to expand the country’s ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure’ by constructing and repairing high-impact projects such as farm-to-market roads, mass transport systems, airports, expressways, bridges, and ports among others.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered extended construction hours and round-the-clock emergency repairs on government infrastructure projects as part of the administration’s ‘Build, Better, More’ program.

In a short video message posted on Facebook Saturday night, Marcos said his directive is meant to ensure the swift and timely completion of vital infrastructure projects.

‘Under the Build, Better, More, program, we will intensify ongoing infrastructure projects. Construction hours will be extended and emergency repairs will be conducted round-the-clock to ensure timely completion,’ the President said.

He added that projects that meet quality requirements will be prioritized as part of the government’s initiatives on climate change and to ensure that infrastructures will last longer and can withstand calamities.

‘Para hindi nape-perwisyo ang publiko sa mga substandard na imprastraktura na kailangang paulit-ulit na ayusin pagkalipas ng ilang taon lamang o pagkatapos ng bagyo (So the public won
‘t be bothered by substandard infrastructure projects that needs to be fixed repeatedly in just a few years or after a typhoon),’ he said.

The administration’s ‘Build, Better, More’ infrastructure program seeks to expand the country’s ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure’ by constructing and repairing high-impact projects such as farm-to-market roads, mass transport systems, airports, expressways, bridges, and ports among others.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered all national agencies and local government units (LGUs) to actively contribute and support the government’s campaign against criminality.

In his Memorandum Circular No. 46 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on April 18, Marcos directs all national government agencies and LGUs to support the implementation of the 2024 National Crime Prevention Program (NCPP) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The 2024 NCPP provides ‘cross-cutting strategies to foster safe communities, protect the rights of Filipinos, and reduce the prevalence of criminal activities in the country, consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.’

The DILG submitted to the Office of the President the 2024 NCPP on Feb. 22, 2024.

Marcos designated the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) as the lead agency in the implementation of the 2024 NCPP.

NAPOLCOM is an attached agency to the DILG that administers and controls the Philippine National Pol
ice and advises the President on all matters involving police functions and administration.

The circular takes effect immediately.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) to further streamline administrative procedures and policies on the importation of agricultural products and remove non-tariff barriers to help ensure food security.

Under Administrative Order (AO) No. 20, Marcos emphasized that administrative constraints and non-tariff barriers continue to persist, which had caused continued increase of domestic prices of agricultural commodities despite existing measures.

Non-tariff barriers are policy measures, other than customs tariff, that restrict trade, including but not limited to quotas, import licensing systems, regulations and red tape.

‘It is imperative to further streamline administrative procedures to foster transparency and predictability of policies on the importation of agricultural products in order to help ensure food security, maintain sufficient supply of agricultural goods in the domestic market, and improve local production,’ Marcos said in his AO 20.

The order
, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on April 18, takes effect immediately.

Marcos directed the DA, in coordination either with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Department of Finance (DOF), to streamline procedures and requirements in the licensing of importers, minimize processing time of application for importation, and exempt licensed trades from submission of registration requirements.

The President also ordered the DA to facilitate importation of certain agricultural products beyond the authorized Minimum Access Volume (MAV) and reduce or remove administrative fees.

MAV is the volume of a specific agricultural product that is allowed to be imported with a lower tariff as committed by the country to the World Trade Organization.

Likewise, the DA is ordered to streamline procedures and requirements for the issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC), and take concrete steps to improve logistics, transport, distribution and storage of imported agricultural
products.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is directed to prioritize the unloading and release of imported agricultural products, subject to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and other applicable laws, rules, and regulations of the bureau.

President Marcos has also created a surveillance team through AO 20 to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the Order.

Concerned agencies are also directed to jointly submit a quarterly report on the status of the implementation of the AO to the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO).

The IAC-IMO, which was established through Executive Order No. 28 (series of 2023), is an advisory body of the Economic Development Group on measures that would keep inflation, particularly food and energy, within the government’s inflation targets.

Source: Philippines News Agency