Category: General

BACOLOD CITY: The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Operations Center went on blue alert on Wednesday to ensure preparedness and prompt response during the observance of the Holy Week.

In a memorandum, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the heightened alert status takes effect 8 a.m. on March 27 until 8 a.m. on April 1.

‘In connection with this, all PDRRM Council members/agencies and city, municipal and barangay DRRMCs are hereby advised to raise the alert status in respective operations center(s) to blue alert,’ he added.

‘Blue alert’ requires 50 percent of concerned personnel to be in their posts at any time.

Lacson directed all DRRM units to heighten road safety measures and deploy responders to different areas of convergence with mass gatherings such as places of worship, beaches, resorts and rivers.

‘Close monitoring, consolidation and reporting of all related incidents and ensuring prompt coordination with concerned agencies and offices are highly encouraged
,’ he said.

The governor also instructed all the DRRM units to submit preparedness measures, respective response action plans, and reports of any untoward incidents monitored from March 27 to April 1.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station in Northern Negros Occidental is also on heightened alert in all ports under its area of responsibility until April 2.

‘We ensure the safety and security of the passengers. We conduct vessel safety enforcement inspection. Even before the Holy Week, we have deployed personnel to cater to travelers arriving and leaving Bacolod City,’ Commander Paterno Belarmino Jr. said in an interview.

In an advisory, the PCG Auxiliary 618th Squadron, Negros Occidental reminded passengers to arrive at the port early, at least two to three hours before the scheduled departure, to allow time for check-in procedures and boarding.

Passengers are also urged to follow safety instructions and familiarize oneself with emergency procedures when aboard a vessel.

‘Practice patience.
During peak travel times such as Holy Week, expect longer lines and potential delays. Stay calm and patient, and remember that everyone is trying to reach their destination safely,’ the advisory added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

TAIPEI: Industry leaders in information and communications technology (ICT) are pushing for international partnerships to further expand the establishment of smart cities worldwide.

The stakeholders said partnerships with ICT companies and governments across the world will promote investments that will improve internet connectivity and address the demands of attaining a smart city.

‘Public-private partnerships are important in attaining the demands for a smart city,’ Dr. Non Arkaraprasetkul, Senior Expert in Smart City Promotion of Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency, said in a press briefing on the sidelines of the 2024 Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) held on March 21 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

A smart city is an urban area which utilizes a network of sensors and devices to gather data on various concerns such as traffic flow, waste management, energy use, among others, to improve its operations and ensure a good standard of living for its residents.

Among the benefits of a smart
city are improved services like public transportation, waste collection, or public safety through smart solutions and the promotion of environment-friendly practices such as renewable energy sources or reduced reliance on cars.

Dr. Non disclosed that 60 mayors from Thailand were part of the delegation in the SCSE who were able to visit the exhibits featuring various solutions by Taiwanese enterprises utilizing AI and 5G technologies, particularly the modern buses.

‘The mayors that I brought with me were all excited about everything that they saw. I think the opportunity to showcase some of the best technologies, best practices as well as the networks could lead to partnerships that will result in projects,’ according to Non.

He hopes that through the SCSE, Taiwan will provide grants to ICT enterprises in Thailand as well as provide opportunities for more international visits by foreign enterprises to Thailand.

For his part, Intelligent Community Forum Executive Director Matt Owen stressed the importance o
f providing internet access and connectivity in rural areas.

‘One of the unfortunate things about tech is how quickly it is changing and constantly evolving. There is potential for some people to be left behind. Initiatives that can focus on going to rural communities and making sure their connectivity because if they don’t have connectivity, they can’t use any smart devices. We need to make sure they have access to devices and the knowledge of how to use it,’ Owen said.

For instance, he cited that internet access in rural areas is important to enable various applications such as sensors in fields to monitor water levels and crops that can be accessed by farmers through mobile devices.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association President Lam Nguyen Hai Long said there is no uniform formula on setting up smart cities across various countries because of their differences in cultural contexts.

He urged enterprises that are interested in investing in smart cities to familiarize themselves with the cultu
re and legal frameworks of each country worldwide.

‘Everybody needs to get involved in city enterprises and understand the local area of your business operations,’ Lam stated.

Ho Chi Minh City is focusing on digital transformation to develop itself into a smart urban area by 2030.

The southern Vietnamese city has earned high rankings in digital transformation in various aspects like digital institutions and infrastructure.

It has been implementing initiatives like smart traffic management through sensors and data analytics; smart parking; smart grid technologies for energy efficiency, and waste management.

The 2024 Smart City and Expo, held from March 19 to 22 in Taipei, presented Taiwan’s diverse range of smart city and net-zero city initiatives as it transforms into a tech island.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has boosted its anti-overloading response as part of heightened alert to ensure maritime passenger safety during the Holy Week.

In an interview over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Wednesday, PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo said each PCG station has been instructed to perform manual checks on every passenger ship and boat to prevent overloading.

‘Kung meron making sobra, dapat pababain at kung magpilit ang mga barko o bangka, dapat hindi paalisin at i-detain (If there are excess passengers, they will be asked to leave, and if the vessel refuses to comply, they will not be allowed to travel and will be detained),’ Balilo said.

The PCG, he said, is working with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to coordinate their security measures, and has deployed more personnel to address the expected influx of passengers in these maritime gateways.

‘Meron tayong mga dinagdag na tauhan, mga K9 units at meron din tayong sea marshals
na sumasama sa lahat ng barkong umaalis sa buong Pilipinas para mag-monitor sa kanilang biyahe at makarating ng safe sa kanilang paroroonan (We have added more personnel, K9 units, and we have sea marshals that will travel on every vessel that depart within the country to monitor their journey and ensure they reach their destination),’ he added.

To date, Balilo said the number of maritime passengers in the country’s ports has been increasing but is less than their expectations so far.

‘Ine-expect natin na ito’y dadami pa ngayong hapon sapagkat alam naman po natin na wala ng pasok ngayong alas dose (We expect this to increase this afternoon because of the work suspension for government workers at 12 p.m.),’ he said.

From 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, the PCG monitored a total of 64,179 outbound passengers and 55,719 inbound passengers in all ports nationwide.

A total of 3,395 frontline personnel have been deployed in 15 PCG districts and have inspected 639 vessels and 1,077 motor bancas.

Source: Philip
pines News Agency

MANILA: Automotive vehicle sales went up by 23.2 percent in February this year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) reported Tuesday.

The CAMPI and TMA joint report released late Tuesday showed that vehicle sales rose to 38,072 units last month from 30,905 units in February last year.

Sales of passenger cars went up by 34 percent while commercial vehicle sales also grew by 19.8 percent.

For the first two months of the year, total vehicle sales reached 72,132 units, up by 19.4 percent from the 60,404 units sold in the same period in 2023.

Both passenger car and commercial vehicle segments recorded double-digit growth compared to the 2023 level.

CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said early marketing campaigns and improved inventories supported by stable interest rates continue to boost customer confidence.

‘We hope to keep this momentum and achieve a strong first quarter finish, which will set the outlook for 2024,” Gutierrez sa
id.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation continues to lead automotive sales with 45.9 percent market share, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation with 18.4 percent, Ford Group Philippines with 7.2 percent, Nissan Philippines, Inc. with 7.1 percent, and Suzuki Philippines, Inc. with 4.1 percent.

Gutierrez earlier said that the industry targets sales of 468,300 units this year, 9 percent higher than last year’s sales of 429,807 units.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it found compelling evidence to indict two members of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) responsible for collecting revolutionary funds and financing terrorism.

Following information gathered by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), accused Leonor Taguinod Dumlao and Valentin Cruz Tolentino will be charged with violation of Section 8 of R.A. No. 10168, known as “The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.”

The charges will be filed before the Batangas City regional trial court, the DOJ said in a statement.

The two were originally arrested under Oplan Paglalansag in Mindoro Oriental and Rizal in August 2023.

According to reports, the two accused possessed firearms and ammunition with no definite source of income or apparent purpose, prompting authorities to initiate background checks and collaborate with intelligence counterparts from the National Bur
eau of Investigation (NBI) and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) to ask the court’s issuance of search warrants against the two.

Authorities discovered firearms, ammunition, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), IED components, and a significant sum of money.

Dumlao and Tolentino, the DOJ said, are alleged members of the National Finance Commission (NFC) of the CPP/NPA which had direct involvement in demanding money from construction firms, telecommunication companies, bus companies, mining companies, and businessmen in the guise of “revolutionary taxes.”

The two were also allegedly responsible for the creation of the National Economic Striking Force (NESF) of the CPP/NPA, which serves as security of the ‘Rebolusyonaryong Buwis sa Kaaway na Uri’ or the RBKU.

‘We will never let even an inch of terrorism’s tyranny sow fear among our citizens, much more let the cowards behind this menace run free. This is a time when we Filipinos should fortify our resolve and show our resili
ence in fighting this evil,’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

‘If proven guilty, we will not let them go unpunished.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

PALO: The Archdiocese of Palo and the local government here are expecting at least 60,000 devotees to witness the live street play of Senakulo, the staged re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s passion and death, on Good Friday.

Nariza Marasigan, the town tourism office head, said that now that social distancing is no longer enforced, the agency is expecting to surpass the more than 60,000 pilgrims and tourists visiting the municipality pre-pandemic Holy Week.

These visitors are expected to also visit Guinhangdan Hill for the Station of the Cross and various churches in the town for the Visita Iglesia.

Archdiocese of Palo Vicar General Rev. Msgr. Gilbert Urbina said that although Holy Week activities are more church-related, the local government may also come in because tourism at this time is both of ‘devotion and curiosity.’

‘For the church, this is something solemn; that is why it is important to have devotion because it supplies experience, understanding, and reflection,’ Urbina said Wednesday.

Mabel Moron-S
evilla, director of the re-enactment locally known as Tanggal, said they did their grand rehearsal on March 25 and are ready to present the one-hour community theater performed by volunteer artists.

Palo town, the home of the Roman Catholic faith in Eastern Visayas, has been staging Tanggal since 1974.

The diocese has 1.2 million Roman Catholic residents, 63 parishes, 1 chaplaincy, and 13 mission stations, divided into two districts: the Eastern District for Waray-speaking people and the Western District for Cebuano-speaking residents.

The Tanggal will be played on major streets of this town from noon until 1 p.m. and will be followed by the Siete Palabras, or the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ.

The Palo Traffic Auxiliary Office, for its part, will implement a traffic re-routing scheme.

Source: Philippines News Agency