MANILA: Nearly 1,500 police personnel would secure Chinese New Year celebrations, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the deployment of these police officers will be in effect until Feb. 15.

‘I am giving the directive to our police personnel to provide the appropriate security measures para hindi naman magkagulo (to prevent any untoward incident) and this will be done specifically in some areas where there a lot of Chinese, especially in Chinatown kailangan mabantayan yan (to provide security) and we have deployed a total of 1,457 on separate dates and several locations,’ Acorda told reporters.

The figure includes 92 commissioned officers and 1,365 noncommissioned officers who would be deployed to secure concerts at the Lucky Chinatown Mall and the fireworks display at the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge on Friday night, as well as the Solidarity Parade on Saturday.

These officers would also patrol areas in Binondo such as Ongpin St., where visitors are exp
ected to dine in restaurants and buy lucky charms and other items from stores.

Around 208 police officers would also be deployed to checkpoints in various parts of Manila starting Thursday.

In October last year, Malacañang declared Feb. 10, 2024 as a special non-working day throughout the country for the celebration of Chinese New Year.

Last month, it also declared Feb. 9 as an additional special non-working day to celebrate the occasion and enjoy a longer weekend.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: To ensure that former rebels will not return to armed struggle, the local government of Can-avid in Eastern Samar assured Monday to provide them with decent homes.

Mayor Vilma Germino issued the statement following the groundbreaking of the ‘Saad na Balay’ (promised houses) project to benefit former members of the New People’s Army.

Germino said at least 10 houses, each worth PHP272,642 and designed half-concrete and half-fiber boards, will be initially built for the former rebels in Can-avid, she said.

‘The goal is to provide a decent home to former rebels and encourage remaining active New People’s Army members to surrender and reintegrate into the normal community,’ she said.

The project is a collaborative effort between the provincial and municipal governments, the Philippine Army, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

As part of the project, beneficiaries will receive training from TESDA for carpentry and masonry skills, making them the primary workforce during the construction of their homes.

They will be enrolled in the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantage/Displaced Workers program of the DOLE to provide them with income during the construction phase.

Livelihood assistance and other capacity-building interventions will also be provided to them.

Before the groundbreaking ceremony, OPAPRU Area Management Unit-Eastern Visayas chief Imelda Bonifacio told stakeholders and beneficiaries that the project is beyond physical structures.

‘The focus of the ‘Saad Na Balay’ project aims to promote peace and resilience within the community. By engaging in dialogue and consultations with project beneficiaries, OPAPRU ensures a conflict-sensitive a
pproach that aligns with its mission,’ Bonifacio said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The country’s headline inflation in January this year further eased to 2.8 percent, its lowest level since October 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.

In a briefing, PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said last month’s headline inflation was also down from the 3.9 percent in December last year.

It was also down from the 8.7 percent in January 2023 and the lowest recorded since the 2.3 percent in October 2020.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food items, also decelerated to 3.8 percent from 4.4 percent in December 2023.

“The downtrend in the overall inflation in January 2024 was primarily brought about by the slower annual increment of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 3.5 percent in January 2024 from 5.4 percent in the previous month,” Mapa said.

Food inflation eased to 3.3 percent in January from 5.5 percent in December last year.

The deceleration was due to the decrease in the prices of corn (-4.3 percent from -3.5 percent
), oils and fats (-4.3 percent from -3.6 percent), meat (-0.7 percent from 0.2 percent), and sugar (-1.0 percent from 0.1 percent).

Rice inflation, however, went up to 22.6 percent in January from 19.6 percent in the previous month.

Mapa said other contributors to the downtrend in inflation was housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with a slower annual increase of 0.7 percent from 1.5 percent in December 2023.

Inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) also eased to 2.8 percent from 3.5 percent a month earlier.

For areas outside NCR, inflation went down to 2.8 percent from 4.0 percent in December 2023.

For the bottom 30 percent income households, inflation also slowed down to 3.6 percent from 5.0 percent a month prior.

Inflation outlook

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the inflation rate in January settled within its forecast range of 2.8 to 3.6 percent.

“This inflation outturn is consistent with the BSP expectations that inflation will likely moderate in Q1 20
24 due largely to negative base effects and some easing of supply constraints affecting key commodities,” the BSP said.

It noted however that inflation may exceed the target range in the second quarter of the year due to the impacts of El Niño weather conditions and positive base effects.

The BSP said the balance of risks to the inflation outlook continue to lean significantly towards the upside.

“Key upside risks are associated with potential pressures emanating from higher transport charges, increased electricity rates, higher oil prices, and higher food prices due to strong El Niño conditions,” it said.

The central bank added that the impact of a relatively weak global recovery and the government measures to mitigate the effects of El Niño could ease some price pressures.

“Looking ahead, the Monetary Board deems it necessary to keep monetary policy settings sufficiently tight until a sustained downtrend in inflation becomes evident. The BSP will consider the latest inflation and GDP (gross domestic pr
oduct) outturns for the Monetary Board’s policy meeting on 15 February 2024,” it said.

Government intervention

Meanwhile, the National Economic and Development (NEDA) said the government is continuously monitoring food supply and prices in anticipation of the El Niño phenomenon.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO) is closely monitoring the prices of rice and other goods to provide the President and the Cabinet with timely and appropriate policy recommendations and ensure stable and affordable prices of commodities.

“We introduce stop-gap measures, as necessary, such as allowing further imports on key commodities until our supply stabilizes at prices affordable to consumers while ensuring remunerative prices for local producers,” Balisacan said in a statement.

To ensure stable prices of goods, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier issued Executive Order (EO) No. 50, which extends the reduced tariff rates of pork, corn, and rice unt
il the end of the year.

He also issued EO No. 53 which reactivated the Task Force El Niño, to intensify the government’s efforts to secure sufficient water and food supply, power, health, and public safety nationwide.

The President also directed government agencies to implement the National Adaptation Plan 2023-2050 to increase communities’ resilience against extreme weather disturbances.

Balisacan said the Department of Agriculture will continuously monitor on-the-ground situations and adequately guide the government in addressing food production concerns.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will also expand its National Food Stamp program to cover 300,000 households in 2024.

Balisacan said this measure will help the government assist the most vulnerable families during the El Niño season.

Strengthening economy

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the significant deceleration of the inflation rate for January underscores the government’s collective efforts and strategic measures to stabil
ize prices, enhance economic resilience, and foster a more predictable environment for businesses and investors.

“This decline in inflation signifies a strengthening economy where businesses can thrive, investments can flourish, and the Filipino people can enjoy more affordable goods and services,” Pascual said.

“As we move forward, this milestone reinforces our commitment to sustaining economic recovery and growth. It demonstrates our country’s capacity to navigate through challenges and emerge stronger,” he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Hanoi: Hanoi authorities will organise numerous vibrant and appealing culture activities to attract visitors to the capital city during the 2024 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

This is also part of efforts to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, and utilise culture as a motivation for economic development, especially in the tourism industry.

Many activities and events will be held over an extended duration, offering opportunities for tourists to experience the traditional Tet atmosphere in the Hong (Red) River Delta region, including a painting exhibition at the Temple of Literature – the first university in Vietnam. Tet celebration and art performance programmes in the Old Quarter, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and Duong Lam Ancient Village, and the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism will round out the activities.

Notably, a drone light show expected to set a Southeast Asian record is scheduled to take place by the side of Ho Tay (West Lake) in Hanoi on the eve of the Ye
ar of the Dragon on February 9. The event is set to feature the largest number of drones for such a performance in Southeast Asia, to be accompanied with exclusively composed music and screens for live broadcasting installed around West Lake, promising a spectacular show for locals and visitors on the threshold of the Year of the Dragon.

Localities in the capital have also prepared for organising key festivals, including Huong Pagoda festival in My Duc district, Soc Temple in Soc Son district, Co Loa festival in Dong Anh district, Dong Da festival in Dong Da district, Hai Ba Trung (Trung Sisters) festival in Me Linh district, and Tan Vien Son Thanh (Tan Vien Mountain Saint) festival in Ba Vi district.

In the first lunar month, the municipal Department of Tourism will collaborate with relevant units to hold tourism promotion activities, towards stipulating tourism demand in 2024.

To better serve visitors, the municipal Department of Tourism has required tourism units, businesses and organisations specialisi
ng in tourism in Hanoi to review and improve the quality of tourism products and services and develop products meeting tourist demand./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) assured support for initiatives to strengthen river basin management and other measures to mitigate flood risks in vulnerable areas in the country.

“We cannot deny the fact that there are challenges and existing problems that need to be resolved with regard to the recurring problem of flooding in various areas of the country and these are pressing concerns,” OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement Monday night.

He added that government agencies, local government units, the private sector and companies, experts, as well as the public should work together in addressing those challenges and problems.

Nepomuceno also cited the need to strengthen interventions and implement long-term solutions to floods.

“These may include revisiting and formulation of new policies and plans that will cover all major river basins; strict implementation against human activities that aggravate the problems such as irresponsible mining practices; environmenta
l protection; improvement of flood-control projects and other engineering interventions; and permanent relocation of vulnerable communities. Clearer accountabilities must also be drawn,” he added.

Davao floods response

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno said response operations in Davao Region are in full swing following the aftermath of the shear line, northeast monsoon and trough of a low pressure area.

Davao is one of the most affected regions due to multiple weather disturbances, affecting a total of 129,466 families in the region with 17 reported landslides and 50 floods as of this writing.

‘The continuous rains in the upland areas, the heavy siltation of Tagum-Libuganon River, and the rise of water levels in several river systems due to excessive rains have caused landslides and flooding in the region. We are discussing these concerns alongside the ongoing response operations in the area,’ Nepomuceno said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center, manned by OCD officers and personne
l, is still on “blue alert”.

‘OCD is continuously coordinating and working with all relevant agencies to ensure provision of timely and appropriate support to the affected communities. President (Ferdinand R.) Marcos Jr. and NDRRMC Chair and DND (Department of National Defense) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. are also closely monitoring the situation in Davao and other affected areas,” Nepomuceno said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BACOLOD: The Negros Occidental provincial government will soon utilize solar power to energize its main office buildings as part of the initiatives to go renewable to ensure power security for Negrenses.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said in a statement on Tuesday the province will bid out the works for the utilization of solar panels, based on the result of the energy audit.

‘As a result of this energy audit, the provincial government will soon bid out the solarization of seven provincial buildings, the biggest of which is the Negros First Cyber Centre,’ he said.

Lacson said that since 2023, he initiated the energy audit for the Provincial Capitol and other key provincial buildings to ‘set an example in action, not just words.’

‘I enjoin everyone, particularly our local government units, to do the same, starting with grid tied rooftop solar systems,’ he added.

On Monday afternoon, Lacson and former governor Rafael Coscolluela, the provincial consultant on energy and environment concerns, led the launch o
f the SecuRE Negros campaign as a commitment to energy security through the support for distributed energy systems or distributed energy resource models, and the use of renewable energy sources.

Negros Occidental has a total installed renewable energy capacity of 510 megawatts produced by 16 power plants, among these are eight biomass and six solar plants and one battery energy storage system.

However, the province does not directly consume the power it produces, the study showed.

The governor acknowledged that ensuring energy security for the province is ‘not an easy, short-term endeavor,’ adding that ‘it requires careful study, strategic planning and implementation, and continuous consultation.’

‘In this, we have been proactive, strategic, and consultative,’ he said.

Lacson said the province has been proactive by anticipating future energy challenges given the periodic power outages the Negrenses have been experiencing for so long through a research-based assessment of the real power situation as a bas
is for policy-making.

The Provincial Power Sector Study Group was created in 2021 to assess the province’s current power situation and propose policy measures and other recommendations, and Negros Occidental Power Sector Assessment Study research team was subsequently formed in 2022.

‘We have been strategic by utilizing the information collected from the study and examining it against the backdrop of bigger challenges such as impending energy and climate crises,’ he said.

‘We have been and continue to be consultative because what affects us all must involve us all. We are for a just transition that is fair and inclusive, too, not just any transition,’ he added.

Lacson said that this year, the province will conduct power summits to consult all stakeholders to develop the Negros Occidental Energy Development Road Map, hold a Renewable Energy Week, and ask the Provincial Board to pass a Renewable Energy Ordinance.

‘These are only for 2024. We will have more to work on together after we have jointly develope
d the Negros Occidental Energy Development Road Map,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency