Category: General

The first batch of 145 live hogs from South Cotabato that is free from African swine fever (ASF) arrived in this Negros Oriental capital last weekend amid high prices of pork in the market.

Another 140 more heads will be coming this week, according to Jaymar Vilos, designated information officer of the Provincial Veterinarian Office (PVO).

The first two shipments and forthcoming deliveries are expected to stabilize pork prices in the capital and in other parts of the province, Vilos told the Philippine News Agency on Monday.

‘The live hogs were immediately brought to the city slaughterhouse and delivered to the public market and consignees,’ he said.

Vilos said the move was part of the provincial government’s efforts to ramp up the supply of live hogs while the public continued to complain against the continuing rise in pork prices, including “lechon” or roast pig.

Dr. Alfonso Tundag, quarantine officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), confirmed the arrival of the live hogs from South Cotabato,
an ASF-free province, after having complied with the requirements.

Tundag said it was the first inbound shipment of live hogs to Negros Oriental following the lifting of the ban on the entry of pigs, pork, and by-products in February.

Netizens and residents were complaining that prices of lean meat have breached the PHP400 per kilo mark, almost double the prices from last year.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) started issuing violation notices on Monday to villages who do not observe the solid waste management protocols.

CLENRO chief Armen Cuenca said all the city’s 80 villages were reminded of the mandatory requirements under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

He said some barangays have started complying with the requirements following the city government-imposed deadline last month, but some are unresponsive.

“We reminded them that this is not just a policy of the city, but this is a national law, which we need to comply with,” he said.

One of the major roles of barangays under the law is to segregate garbage and establish a materials recovery facility, To be assisted by local government units (LGUs).

“We expect that some barangays will be served with notices of violation this week, and residents will get OVRs (ordinance violation receipts),” Cuenca said.

Meanwhile, the city government and Nestlé Philipp
ines will partner on programs and interventions on nutrition and solid waste management.

Mayor Rolando Uy said the multinational food and beverage company has been a “consistent ally” of the local government, with its biggest factory in Mindanao operating in this city.

“In driving action to protect the environment and effect positive change in the lives of Kagay-anons, we are looking forward to continuing and further strengthening this partnership with them,” Uy said in a statement Monday.

Under the partnership, local government and barangay stakeholders in charge of the city’s solid waste management initiatives will undergo a workshop at Nestlé Philippines’ “No Time To Waste” program.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental has restored the historic ‘simboryo’ or smokestack of a muscovado sugar mill in Barangay VIII as part of the initiatives to preserve its rich local heritage.

Muscovado is unrefined cane sugar with a rich brown color.

On Monday, the city government reported the completion of the clearing operation of the 20-foot smokestack, located in Hacienda Felisa I, previously ‘engulfed by overgrown vegetation that obscured its architectural beauty and historical value’.

Councilor Dino Acuña, chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Ecology, said in a statement the local community has long wanted to seek assistance from the authorities to clear the structure built during the Spanish period.

‘There is no exact date on when it was established but for sure, it was before the sugar centrals were built,’ he added.

Acuña said he brought the matter to the attention of Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez after village chief Jose Murillo posted about the de
caying state of the smokestack on the barangay’s Facebook page.

Benitez then initiated a clean-up activity and deployed workers for the clearing operation.

For two days last week, various departments joined hands to conduct the clearing operation, Acuña said.

These included the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the City Engineer’s Office, with the assistance of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative.

The removal of the invasive plants showed the intricate details and grandeur of the structure and also sparked a renewed sense of pride and unity among the residents, the city government said.

‘The smokestack is an important heritage and cultural property. It showcases the cultural and historical significance not only to the city but also to Negros Occidental as the sugar capital of the Philippines,’ Acuña said.

He noted that before refined and brown sugar were produced, sugarcane plantations produced muscovado sugar, which they transported to Panay Island for export to other countrie
s.

‘The smokestack continued to operate until sugar centrals were built in the province to produce centrifugal sugar such as refined sugar produced by Victorias Milling Company built in 1919,’ Acuña said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Binh Dinh: The upcoming Amazing Binh Dinh Festival is considered as one of the biggest events in 2024 of the central province of Binh Dinh, helping boost the local tourism growth.

The festival will run from March 22-31 with many events, particularly the UIM-ABP Aquabike international jet ski race with about 70 riders from 30 countries around the world, and the UIM F1H20 international professional motorboat race with the participation of Binh Dinh motorboat team of Vietnam to compete with about nine foreign teams.

Tran Viet Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Binh Dinh F1 Joint Stock Company, the organiser of the competition, said that preparations have been 90% completed. The provincial People’s Committee has also established sub-committees on logistics, health, culture, sports, and tourism .

The festival is expected to welcome about 35,000 visitors, both domestic and foreign.

Huynh Cao Nhat, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said that the department has instructed organisati
ons and individuals providing tourism services in the area to prepare well for the race and called on relevant localities and authorities to coordinate with the department to ensure security and safety for tourists.

In addition, the department has asked accommodation facilities to improve service quality as well as applying discounts for athletes and tourists when coming to the locality.

Binh Dinh welcomed more than 5 million tourists in 2023, earning more than 16 trillion VND (650 million USD), an increase of 25% compared to 2022. The province targets to lure 6 million visitors this year./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

More than 700 Israeli academics have called on their government to take urgent measures to prevent famine in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation.

According to Haaretz newspaper, 730 Israeli academics signed a petition demanding ‘urgent measures’ to prevent starvation in Gaza.

The signatories said they ‘cannot stand opposite to the humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes in the last few weeks in the Gaza Strip.’

They warned that mass deaths in Gaza would turn into an ‘indelible stain’ on Israel.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sun
day that hunger has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing offensive on the enclave.

‘The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls,’ UNRWA said.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Iloilo extension office is intensifying its education advocacy to help investors not fall prey to fraudulent schemes.

The campaign would also push financial literacy among would-be investors, and help them prepare annual reports and find livelihood opportunities.

‘It’s a new advocacy that we are pursuing because it is important we must inform the public about usual concerns when investing. Investor protection is also the function of the commission that’s why we have decided to conduct an investors forum,’ said SEC Iloilo Director lawyer Ma. Cristina Montelibano in an interview on Monday.

The SEC Communication Advocacy Network (SEC-CAN!) partnered with local government units, concerned government agencies and the private sector for the initiative.

In 2023, the office had nine partners in Iloilo, while this year, they opted to go out to various areas in Panay and Guimaras.

She added they have a particular topic for a specific audience, including the roadshow t
hat took place last week when they gathered 70 women from 12 barangays in Iloilo City in time for the International Women’s Day on March 8.

‘As the ones managing the budget of their respective households, women, particularly mothers, should always be creative in ensuring that their budgets are sufficient to meet the needs of each family member,” she said.

The event was conducted through the efforts of Zonta Club of Iloilo City, Inc. and the Department of Trade and Industry-Iloilo, she added.

Representatives from DTI also talked about opportunities for those who wish to start their small businesses.

In other gatherings, they also tackled requirements and the process of online registration of partnerships and corporations for new registrants and submission of contact details in line with complying with reportorial requirements for general information sheets and audited financial statements for the existing ones.

They also have an existing partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation for talks on s
cams that are very common or have happened in Visayas.

Source: Philippines News Agency