Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 11953

DILG mulls show-cause orders vs mayors missing during Ompong

FACEBOOK.COM/DILG.PHILIPPINESMORE THAN 10 municipal mayors in the Cagayan Valley Region and Cordillera Administrative Region may face show-cause orders for being physically absent during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
In a related matter regarding assistance to victims of the super-typhoon, Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares proposed that slots in the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program be reserved for victims of disasters that hit Northern Luzon.
‘ABSENTEE MAYORS’
In a press conference on Tuesday, as also quoted in a statement that day, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo C. Florece, Jr. said, “We were surprised with the reports received at the Central Office of absentee mayors whose local government units (LGUs) are part of the critical areas in the Typhoon Ompong track.”
The DILG said in its statement that, based on the DILG’s Operation Listo protocols, Local Chief Executives (LCEs) whose LGUs fall under the Alpha (low risk areas), Bravo (medium-risk areas), and Charlie (high-risk areas) during typhoon are mandated to undertake necessary critical preparedness actions as part of disaster preparations.
Mr. Florece said the Department is investigating field reports. “For cases filed within the DILG, the biggest sanction that LCEs will face can be suspension but for cases filed under the Ombudsman, the erring mayors could face dismissal,” he said.
For his part, DILG Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Jonathan E. Malaya said the names of the mayors concerned could not yet be disclosed as the Department is still reviewing their performances vis-à-vis the Operation Listo protocols. “The Department doesn’t want trial by publicity so the actual names of erring mayors will be released after the investigation is complete,” he said.
He said the mayors who would be proven negligent or remiss in their duty, especially as chairpersons of their respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils, will be required to submit a written explanation within a prescribed period as to why no disciplinary action should be taken against them.
“As mandated by the Local Government Code, the presence and support of mayors in their respective areas of jurisdictions is imperative for them to carry out measures to protect their constituents from the harmful effects of disasters and calamities,” Mr. Malaya said.
BENEFICIARIES
Senator Poe, in her statement on Tuesday, said at least 5% of the funded number of CCT beneficiaries yearly should be earmarked for victims of natural calamities. “That means for every one million CCT enrollees, we are keeping 50,000 in reserve for those who will be displaced in the future… Instead of giving them groceries from time to time, why don’t we…provide aid that is regular, organized, and has a fixed time-frame?”
Ms. Poe said. The poverty requirement in selecting beneficiaries should be followed in choose disaster recipients as well, the senator also pointed out. As to the duration of the cash transfer, Ms. Poe said this would depend on the actual needs and assessment of government officials assigned to evaluate. “It should be clear that this is for a limited period—whether they will be given in the coming year. At least this will reduce their concerns and second, it should be the mandate of the government that the money in the program should be distributed at once,” she said.
Under the proposed 2019 national budget, about P88 billion is allocated for the cash transfer program. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), there are about 4.4 million household beneficiaries of the program. — with a report by Camille A. Aguinaldo

Police to monitor hoarding, profiteering in typhoon Ompong areas; death toll up to at least 63

THE POLICE will monitor and take action against those who will be caught violating fair trade rules in the aftermath of typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) as part of its post-disaster functions.
Philippine National Police Director General Oscar D. Albayalde, in a statement released late Monday, said while special teams will continue to assist in search, rescue and recovery operations, there will also be a shift of focus “to more of law and order functions.”
“Part of our post disaster law and order functions include enforcement of regulations on fair trade imposed by the Department of Trade and Industry against hoarding, profiteering and illegal trade practices to ensure availability of consumer goods in the market,” Mr. Albayalde said.
Under the law, a price freeze for basic commodities takes effect in areas declared under a state of calamity.
Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA) said that it has distributed more than 32,000 bags of rice for the typhoon victims in Regions 1 to 4, and Metro Manila as of Tuesday.
“With the damage being so severe, particularly among farmers in the northern part of Luzon, more relief operations are expected in the coming days. NFA Operations Centers in the affected regions are still monitoring the situation and always ready to provide quick response to any rice needs for typhoon victims,” the agency said in a statement.
NFA also said that its offices are now directly selling rice to consumers in provinces heavily affected by Ompong such as Cagayan, Isabela, and Kalinga.
Prices are at P27 and P32 per kilo.
On Monday, the Agriculture department reported a total damage of P14.27 billion in farms in Regions 1 to 4. Of this, 62.82% or P8.97 billion cover rice lands, which translates to a production loss of 435,997 metric tons, equivalent to 8.64 days of rice consumption in the Philippines.
Total number of hectares damaged in the whole agricultural sector was 553,704 hectares with an estimated production loss of 731,294 metric tons.
High value crops losses amounted to P788.13 million, affecting 7,913 hectares in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and in Rizal, Cagayan, and Isabela.
Livestock losses reported in CAR were 20,316 animal heads amounting to P5.51 million, while damages in irrigation facilities amount to P15.72 million.
Farmers from Bukidnon in Mindanao, particularly the towns of Impasugong, Talakag, Sumilao and Lantapan (IMTASULA), have already agreed to ship vegetables to Metro Manila to cover the shortage from the damage of the typhoon in northern Luzon.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on Tuesday that a P270 million loan window has been opened to farmers of IMTASULA to expand their farms and produce more vegetables.
DEATH TOLL
The death toll in CAR, mainly due to landslides, has gone up to 63 as of Sept. 18 midnight, according to Malacañang.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Tuesday morning, Sept. 18, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. also said 42 have been reported injured and 49 are still missing.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing and Itogon Mayor Victorio R. Palangdan said, ”The rescue effort will continue until the president orders us to stop.”
“While I said there is a 99% chance that all of them are dead, there is still that 1% chance,” he told AFP.
Citing data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as of 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, Mr. Roque said 218,492 families composed of 893,844 persons have been affected by the typhoon in Region 1-3, CAR, CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), MIMAROPA (Minondoro-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan), and the National Capital Region.
Of these, 43,603 families or 162,399 individuals are still in 1,780 evacuation centers.
Mr. Roque thanked all those who have been extending assistance, particularly the government agencies involved in relief operations and non-government organizations. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio, Arjay L. Balinbin, and AFP

Trillanes says his house under surveillance

SENATOR ANTONIO F. Trillanes IV on Tuesday said his residence was being surveilled by “suspicious” cars following the presidential proclamation voiding his 2011 amnesty. His office released to media CCTV footages dated Sept. 11 of a vehicle stopping in front of his house for a brief period before speeding up again. “The behavior is highly suspicious and there are hallmarks of casing activity. This is not merely harassment or intimidation because they were not meant to be seen… Maybe they are calculating whether they will enter or whatever they want to do,” he told reporters outside his office. Mr. Trillanes previously said motorcycles trailed his vehicle last week after he planned to leave the Senate premises. He has been holed up in his office while his case remains pending before the Supreme Court and the regional trial courts. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Kalanggaman Island tourism income jumps to P18.5 Million


TOURISM INCOME from Kalanggaman Island jumped to P18.5 million in 2017 from only P2 million the previous year, the Leyte provincial office reported. The six-hectare sandbar, though small and regulated by the Palompon municipal government, attracted 101,312 visitors last year. Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla, in an interview with The Freeman, said Kalanggaman Island is now considered as Leyte province’s main island tourist destination. It is accessible through a 45-minute boat ride from the town proper of Palompon. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Palompon officials are currently working out issues raised over permits and the authority of the local government to run and manage tourism facilities on the island. — The Freeman

Davao council sets Oct. 8 for probe on ‘high’ airfare costs to and from the city

THE DAVAO City council will hold a public hearing on Oct. 8 to look into the cost of domestic flights to and from the city. “This raising of prices for Davao flights have been a recent phenomenon. As such, I would like this matter to be investigated,” Councilor Al Ryan S. Alejandre, who pushed for the inquiry, said in an interview with BusinessWorld. “We have already sent letters to the airlines and hope they could come,” he added. Mr. Alejandre, chair of the committee on tourism, said the “high airfare” rates are counterproductive to the city’s efforts in promoting tourism. He cited that Manila-Davao flights by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific come out higher than Hong Kong-Manila flights. “A travel abroad costs lower than that of a Davao-Manila flight… This deeply concerns me, because it would seem that the effort that we had in the promotion of the city would be futile, if the airfare cost would be significantly high,” he said, adding that this also affects business travellers. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Marawi’s Mapandi Bridge reopens after a month of explosives check

JTF RANAO

THE 1.4-KILOMETER route to and from Marawi City via the Mapandi Bridge was reopened yesterday after a month of closure, the Joint Task Force (JTF) Ranao announced. The bridge, a major access point, was closed last Aug. 5 after teams from the military’s Engineers and Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) discovered three possible Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) entry points along the route. Teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, led by engineers, excavated each of the three sites by up to six meters to ensure that there are no UXO buried before declaring these safe. The route will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and will still have checkpoints. Valid government identification cards are required for presentation.

Cotabato’s Kumbira: A simple, shared meal for a cause after Kalivungan Festival’s revelry


MORE THAN 20,000 people, mainly locals, gathered for the Kumbira 2018 — a simple, shared meal for a cause that caps Cotabato province’s Kalivungan Festival held end-August. “This aims to gather the people (of Cotabato), including the tri-people (Christians, indigenous peoples, and Muslims) for a fellowship lunch,” said Jimmy Sta. Cruz, provincial information officer. Each Kumbira participant pays P10 for a packed lunch of rice, a viand and a bottle of water, and everyone eats together at the Provincial Capitol grounds in Kidapawan City. The proceeds go to an organization or a community that needs funding assistance, as determined by a special committee. “The amount is minimal, but it’s a filling meal. (And) the income from Kumbira will go to the needy,” Mr. Sta. Cruz said. — Maya M. Padillo

Nation at a Glance — (09/19/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Why should human rights advocates be building on the Blockchain?

Blockchain may not be a panacea to the all the world’s problems. But there are many areas where it shows potential. Perhaps the most pressing of these is in the protection of fundamental human rights.
An Amnesty report published this year revealed that many supposedly “free” countries are failing to comply with basic human rights. The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is one of the worst in the country’s history. The ongoing state of war in Yemen shatters all basic human rights to food and shelter. Turkey’s continued clampdown on journalists and political activists and Russia’s curtailing of freedom of speech are all in direct conflict with the human rights agreement.

We often associate human rights violations with developing countries and oppressive regimes. But the US, EU, and Australia all earned a place among the worst human rights violators on Amnesty’s list.  

The EU and Australia were called out for their “callous” treatment of refugees, and Trump’s controversial travel ban borderline violates the human right to freedom of movement while discriminating on religious grounds.

Blockchain and Human Rights

With blockchain technology, we could track human rights issues more easily, bringing transparency and accountability to both developing and developed countries. Very often, though, speaking about blockchain involves hypothetical use cases for some faraway date in the future. Yet there are many practical use cases of blockchain and human rights right now. Let’s look at a few examples.

The Right to Adequate Living Standard

From Zimbabwe to Venezuela, Yemen to Syria, people all around the world are unable to access their right to an adequate living standard. This means having food to eat, water to drink and not being forced to live in a conflict zone or in fear of persecution.

In countries where hyperinflation is wiping out people’s life savings, blockchain and human rights are starting to team up. Cryptocurrency is beginning to make a dent in the deepening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

With a national currency devaluing by 95 percent from one day to the next, more and more Venezuelans are turning to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dash as a solution. In fact, there are now over 900 merchants that accept payment in Dash across the country. The founder of Dash Venezuela told Coin Central:

“Venezuelans have been using cryptocurrency for years now to protect their capital from inflation. But now with Dash, it has opened a new window as a means of payment. It is an easy way to receive something that is stronger than the Bolivar and is within the law.”

Cryptocurrency further allows for micro trade and microlending. Since you can assign a value to the most minute quantity, the size of trade that is economically viable becomes smaller. Blockchain and human rights make a more compelling case as people around the world can finally access the banking system, start their own business, and buy and sell smaller amounts.

The Right to Participate in Government and Free Elections

Included in the United Nations’ International Bill of Human Rights is the right to participate in government and free elections. Yet this is willfully denied to many people. Electoral fraud is common around the world. Even in countries like the United States, self-proclaimed as ‘the land of the free’, significant aspersions were cast over the 2016 presidential elections.

The Kenyan elections of 2017 thrust bloodshed, controversy, and chaos front and center. There was a widespread sentiment that the election was rigged, and many Kenyans were unable to take part due to voter intimidation.

So loud was the clamor of voices crying out against the election that it led to a second one. But that was boycotted by the main opponent and the incumbent won by a surreal landslide with 98 percent of the vote.

But rigged elections and voter fraud aren’t by any means limited to Africa. They’re widespread around the world and even common in private companies and public corporations. Blockchain and human rights projects in this area are showing positive results.

People can vote from the privacy of their own homes, free from intimidation. And all votes are tamper-proof on the immutable ledger, akin to anonymous voting in a ballot box.

There are still some issues to be ironed out when it comes to blockchain voting. Verifying voter identity and making sure the same people don’t vote twice, for example. But countries like Estonia are already proving that it is possible. In fact, all Estonians have their own ID cards they can use to vote on the blockchain securely and quickly.

The Right to Freedom of Opinion and Information

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in December of 2017, a record high number of journalists were imprisoned around the world. The largest concentrations being in China, Turkey, and Egypt. Freedom of opinion and information is a luxury to many in these parts of the world. If a government doesn’t like a certain website, they can shut it down or monitor it. Wikipedia, for example, is censored or banned in many countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Turkey, and even France.

The very fact that blockchain provides us with a decentralized technology that is global and uncensored means that no one centralized entity or government can shut it down.

Privacy-focused messaging app Mainframe, and mesh networking startups Open Garden and RightMesh are working to provide censorship-resistant platforms to ensure continued, unbroken connectivity. Blockchain and human rights show endless possibilities when it comes to freedom of information.

Closing Thoughts

More and more blockchain and human rights use cases will develop over time. Of the 30 articles on the UN’s human rights list, blockchain technology has the potential to help with many.

With its correct use in identity management, we may be able to eradicate illicit slavery and human trafficking. And the ownership of land deeds recorded on a transparent ledger could put an end to the illegal seizure of land.

There are certainly many human rights problems to tackle. And it will be interesting to see how many cases blockchain technology is instrumental in.

A version of this story by Christina Comben originally appeared on CoinCentral.com.

DENR orders review on all Minahang Bayan applications

FOLLOWING the fatal landslide in Itogon, Benguet caused by Typhoon Ompong, DENR has ordered a full review of all small-scale mining sites identified under its Minahang Bayan program. — PHILSTAR

By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to review all small-scale mining areas identified under Minahang Bayan for geological hazards.
Minahang Bayan is a program under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aimed at regulating small-scale mining operations nationwide.
“We will be stricter in approving Minahang Bayan sites, and affirm whether they conform to standards that are safe especially for the miners,” Mr. Cimatu  said in a statement on Tuesday.
This comes after cancelling all temporary permits of small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region yesterday as a response to the fatal landslide caused by Typhoon Ompong in Itogon, Benguet.
The MGB was also tasked to ensure that the shelters these small-scale miners were currently residing in are safe as well.
“Their (small-scale miners) residences should be far enough from identified geohazard areas,” Mr. Cimatu said.
The review will also revisit and compare geohazard maps against known mining sites to avoid a repeat of the Itogon tragedy.

NFA doles out 32,000 bags of rice to Ompong victims

rice NFA
“With the damage being so severe, particularly among farmers in the northern part of Luzon, more relief operations are expected in the coming days,” the NFA said. — PHILSTAR

By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
THE National Food Authority (NFA) has released 32,391 bags of rice as of today (Sept. 18) to Typhoon Ompong victims.
The rice was distributed through relief agencies and local government units (LGU) in Regions I to V and the National Capital Region (NCR).
The state grains agency has supplied the main office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development with 15,030 bags. 753 bags were released to LGUs, while some 250 bags were released to relief agencies.
Region I received 8,158 bags of rice while 2,594 bags were doled out to Region II. NFA-NCR had previously allocated 6,000 bags of rice for the capital region, well before Typhoon Ompong entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
Some 1,644 bags were released in Region III, the bulk of these going to Pampanga. Region IV and V received 2,605 bags and 1,357 bags, respectively.
“With the damage being so severe, particularly among farmers in the northern part of Luzon, more relief operations are expected in the coming days,” the agency said.
“NFA Operations Centers in the affected regions are still monitoring the situation and always ready to provide quick response to any rice needs for typhoon victims.”
NFA also said that they will continue with its rice distribution program “Tagpuan Rice Response Delivery”, which is in partnership with accredited operators and LGUs, once road access to each calamity area is restored.

Rice prices rise, just shy of P23 per kilo — PSA

PRICES of the staple grain first broke all-time high records in May when it reached P21 per kg levels. It has since risen to new all-time highs in August and September. — PHILSTAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
AVERAGE farmgate prices for palay, or unhusked rice, nearly reached P23 per kilogram (kg), rising 17.36% year on year in the first week of September, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
Week on week, palay prices posted a 1.32% increase to P22.98 per kg. Prices of the staple grain first broke all-time high records in May when it reached P21 per kg levels.
It has since risen to P22 per kg in August, and again to just shy of P23 at the start of September.
Wholesale and retail prices of both well-milled and regular-milled rice similarly rose as lean season reaches its end.
Well-milled rice
• Average wholesale price of well-milled rice rose 15.80% year on year to P45.51 per kg. Week on week, this presents a 1.38% increase.
• Average retail price of well-milled rice grew 14.58% year on year and 1.94% week on week to P48.40 per kg.
Regular milled
• Average wholesale price of regular-milled rice, on the other hand, accelerated faster by 19.74% year on year to P42.59 per kg. This is also a 1.72% increase from the previous week.
• The average retail price of regular milled rice likewise jumped to P45.27 per kg, higher by 19.04% year on year and 2.44% week on week.

1...11,95211,95311,954...14,238Page 11,953 of 14,238
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube