Category: General

A low pressure area (LPA) is forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Sunday night and likely to become tropical depression after six days. In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was spotted 1,285 kilometers east of Mindanao at 3 a.m. Sunday. Benison Estareja of PAGASA said once inside PAR, the LPA is forecast to remain at the Philippine Sea before slowly crossing eastern of Visayas and Mindanao by Thursday. ‘So, the crucial part is Thursday or Friday where there is a likely chance for this LPA, or worst case scenario, this tropical depression will cross Bicol region or central and northern Luzon,’ he said. Though still outside PAR, the trough of LPA will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands, the weather bureau said. Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region will experience cloudy skies with rains due to northeasterly surface windflow. Ilocos Region and Central Luzon will have cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains also due to northeasterly surface windflow. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to trough of LPA and localized thunderstorms. Luzon and eastern section of Visayas will experience moderate to rough coastal waters due to northeast moderate to strong winds. The rest of the country will have light to moderate winds blowing northeast to northwest and slight to moderate seas. The temperate ranges between 24.6 °C to 34.3 °C

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Easter Sunday remains on heightened alert as millions head back home after the Lenten break. Police officers are deployed in bus terminals, airports and seaports, and major roads leading to the National Capital Region as early as Sunday morning, according to PNP Public Information chief Col. Redrico Maranan. There are also policemen in areas of convergence such as major thoroughfares, transportation hubs, terminals, commercial areas, and places of worship. ‘As instructed by our Chief PNP, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., our commanders were instructed to continue the security measures from roads to places of convergence until the end of the Holy Week,’ Maranan said. Part of the security measures, according to Maranan, are Assistance Hubs and Police Assistance Desks to assist the public and promptly address complaints. The PNP’s “Ligtas Sumvac (Summer Vacation) 2023″ also covers the month of Ramadan that will culminate on April 22. More than 74,114 police officers are tasked to secure both Christian and Muslim religious celebrations. So far, Maranan said they have not monitored serious security-related incidents except for reports of drowning incidents. Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo urged the public to follow safety measures provided by the PNP to ensure a smooth journey. ‘Ang paghahanda ng NCRPO ay hanggang sa buwan ng May. We are ready din sa pagbabalik ng mga vacationers nitong summer. Police visibility will continue. ‘Yung mga deployment sa mga PADs (police assistance desks) will continue as the time na makabalik na lahat sa safety ‘yung mga residents sa kanya kanyang mga bahay (The NCRPO’s preparations would extend until May. We are also ready for the return of vacationers from their summer break. Police visibility will continue, the deployment to the police assistance desks will continue until everyone returns to the safety of their homes),’ Okubo said. 35 volunteer divers commended Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. commended 35 volunteer divers for joining him in the successful underwater search and rescue operation for the Ati chieftain who went missing on April 5 after his fishing boat collided with a resort-operated speed boat off the Malay and Boracay channel. ‘More than 30 Boracay dive shop operators with local and foreign divers participated in the search with just a short notice last night (April 7). Maraming, maraming salamat po sa mabilis ninyong pagtugon sa aming panawagan, sa inyong tulong at pagmamalasakit (Thank you very much for your immediate response to our call, and to your assistance and compassion),” Abalos said in a statement on Saturday. The body of Coching, 64, was found shortly before noon. His companion, Ricky Valencia, 37, was rescued right after the accident and is recuperating

Source: Philippines News Agency

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is hopeful that the celebration of Easter Sunday would give Filipino Christians around the world a chance for ‘renewal and recovery’. ‘May this day be an opportunity for us to pause and give thanks for the opportunity for renewal and recovery as we push through our quest for genuine unity and progress for all,’ Marcos said in his Easter Sunday message. ‘Indeed, Easter teaches us that as long as we live our life in Christ, love and hope will remain ever so boundless and will be the cornerstones for the positive transformation of our society,’ he said. Marcos said the resurrection of Jesus Christ not only affirms Filipino Christians’ deepest faith ‘but also signifies a new birth for all the faithful to walk in the new way of life and be granted eternal salvation.’ ‘Indeed, His selfless and unconditional love empowered us to conquer both sin and death, allowing us to deepen our relationship with God and become worthy Christians in this earthly journey,’ he added. He said the triumph of the resurrection of Jesus Christ inspires Filipino Christians to be ‘stewards of faith and compassion no matter the circumstances.’ Marcos likewise enjoined Filipino Christians to look forward to ‘better days.’ ‘As we celebrate the magnificent glory of our risen Savior, let us all take into heart this Christian foundation as we work for and welcome better days for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors as well,’ he said. ‘I wish everyone a meaningful and solemn observance.’ ‘Love and serve’ In an interview with reporters last month, Marcos said he will go on a retreat during the Holy Week and he will spend Easter Sunday with his family. In a separate message, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman expressed hope that the Easter celebration would not only remind Filipinos to hold on to the Lord’s promise of everlasting life but also inspire everyone to follow His example to love and serve one another. ‘May we always remember that no matter who we are, no matter which part of the globe we are in, despite our differences in beliefs, religion or leaning, God is always with us. In suffering and celebration, He never leaves us. He is our hope and our salvation,’ Pangandaman, who belongs to the Muslim community, said. ‘May we use this time of renewal as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to showing God’s love and mercy by praying and extending our hands to the least of our brothers and sisters,’ she added. Pangandaman is the first Muslim DBM secretary and the only Muslim in the Marcos Cabinet. ‘Beacons of hope’ Department of National Defense (DND) chief Carlito Galvez Jr. expressed hope that the miracle of Jesus Christ’s resurrection inspires us to continue persevering over adversities. “As we celebrate Easter Sunday, I wish everyone peace, happiness and thousandfold blessings. May the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ inspire us to triumph over adversities and become beacons of hope in our communities,” he said in a separate message. Galvez also said he and the “One Defense Team” are joining “brothers and sisters in the Christian faith” in the observance of Easter Sunday. “During the Lenten Season, as in life, the auspicious and joyful day of Easter Sunday emanates from overcoming uncertainties and hardships, as symbolized by the Passion of Jesus,” he added. Galvez also expressed hope that this solemn period allows us to rejuvenate our faith, manifest temperance, and rekindle love in our hearts. “As we celebrate Easter Sunday, I wish everyone peace, happiness and thousandfold blessings. May the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ inspire us to triumph over adversities and become beacons of hope in our communities. A blessed and meaningful Easter Sunday to all!” he stressed. ‘Better and brighter tomorrow’ As this developed, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) joined members of the Christian community across the globe in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “May this occasion serve as an inspiration to all of us that despite the trials that come our way which test our resolve, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and the promise of a better and brighter tomorrow,” OPAPRU acting chief Secretary Isidro L. Purisima said in a statement. And as the nation moves towards the peace process, he also expressed hope that Christ’s resurrection may give us the strength to overcome challenges to this endeavor. “As we continue to move forward the nation’s peace process, ensure security and stability as well as economic development, may the risen Christ give us the strength of mind, body and spirit to overcome them, and bring us together in the spirit of peace, mutual understanding and solidarity,” Purisima noted. House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez likewise called for rest and reflection. It is a time of great joy and jubilation, for our Lord Jesus rose from the dead after dying to redeem us from our sins. It is also a time of hope, for in our Lord’s Resurrection we find that the promise of eternal life holds true for all of Christianity,’ Romualdez said. He said we should thank God for ‘our health, our safety, and the blessings and bounty of nature,’ and for the ‘opportunity to physically celebrate with our friends, family, and colleagues, which the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have prevented us from doing so in the past years.’ Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after he was crucified and died on the cross on Calvary. In the Philippines, most commercial establishments either operate on shorter hours or remain closed until Easter Sunday. The observance of Holy Week this year is from April 2, Palm Sunday, until April 9, Easter Sunday

Source: Philippines News Agency

Moroccan News Agency (MAP) Director General Khalil Hachimi Idrissi died Saturday morning at the age of 67 following a long illness. The late Khalil Hachimi will be buried Sunday after the prayer of Addohr in the cemetery Achouhada in Rabat. Born on Aug. 14, 1956 in Casablanca, Khalil Hachimi was involved very early in developing media and was one of the actors of the creation and development of intercultural and community communication in France where he worked in several radio stations. A graduate of the Institute of Geography at the University of Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne, he was a columnist, reporter and then Editor-in-Chief for many years of the weekly newspaper “Maroc Hebdo international” before creating “Aujourd’hui Le Maroc”, a generalist French-speaking daily, in 2000. In 2007, he was President of the Jury of the Grand National Press Prize before being elected in 2008 President of the FMEJ (Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers), a position to which he was re-elected in 2011. Khalil Hachimi Idrissi has to his credit several publications including “Billets Bleus” Moroccan chronicles 1994-2000. In 2011, he was appointed Director General of MAP by HM King Mohammed VI. During the era of Khalil Hachimi, the Moroccan News Agency has experienced a great expansion by becoming a public news pole. ‘We commiserate and are saddened with the passing of a great man well loved by his colleagues and the officers and personnel of our esteemed partner agency MAP,’ said Luis A. Morente, deputy executive editor of the Philippine News Agency.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The US Navy said Saturday it had deployed a nuclear-powered submarine equipped with missiles to the Middle East region. In a statement, US Navy spokesman Timothy Hawkins said submarine Florida entered the area on Thursday and began crossing the Suez Canal. ‘It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles,’ Hawkins said. The submarine is ‘deployed to US Fifth Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,’ the statement said. Bahrain is the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, whose operations include the Gulf region, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It is stationed in the Juffair area, east of the Bahraini capital, Manama. Securing the Gulf region, through whose waters nearly half of the world’s oil supplies pass, is one of the tasks of the US Fifth Fleet.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Policies are needed to boost the number of domestic enterprises participating in the supply chain of multinational companies, and a boost is necessary in the localisation rate of the processing and manufacturing industry, which now remain modest, insiders said.

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), local industry led in attracting foreign investment last year, with a combined registered capital exceeding 14.96 billion USD and accounting for 59.5% of Vietnam’s total FDI. So far, 107 countries and territories have invested in the industrial sector.

Deputy head of the MoIT’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Le Hoang Tai called processing and manufacturing a magnet to foreign investors, including multinational conglomerates like Samsung, Toyota, Honda, and LG. The sector’s key units, such as telecommunications, electronics-IT, steel and cement production, and garment-textiles, are the most attractive, he noted.

However, just over 300 Vietnamese enterprises have been able to participate in the supply chains of these multinational corporations.

Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Supporting Industries (VASI) Truong Thi Chi Binh said connecting with multinational companies is the shortest way for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the global supply chain, but not many of them succeed. According to a VASI study, support activities have only successfully linked about 3.2 enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and 2.7 in Hanoi to foreign businesses on an annual basis.

The reason behind the assessment is the small scale of Vietnamese firms, as well as low competitiveness, and shortage of financial resources. These shortcomings conspire to cause Vietnamese firms to be unable to meet requirements of giant partners. Vietnam currently houses approximately 500 companies capable of supplying foreign groups.

Binh said the key for Vietnamese supporting enterprises to develop and participate more deeply in the chain of super-manufacturers is to cut production costs.

They need better access to credit, land, production premises, and factory building procedures, she said, adding that it is also necessary to increase their size and form clusters of enterprises and ecosystems serving the production of complete assemblies.

The official also recommended promoting localisation by preferential policies on tax, labour, and research and development (R&D)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency