Red tide alert up in 7 areas
SEVEN AREAS in the country have tested positive for the red tide toxin, based on the latest laboratory results released by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Aug. 8. These are:
MRC Allied inks MoU with PHL firm Uni Solar
FOR THE THIRD TIME in about a month, MRC Allied, Inc. has entered in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a company involved in renewable energy projects.
August declared ASEAN month
PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte on July 31 signed Proclamation No. 282 declaring the month of August of every year as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) month. “The Philippines recognizes the need to further promote and heighten awareness of the ASEAN, and instill in the minds of the Filipino people the importance, value and meaning of the ASEAN in achieving and maintaining regional peace and sustainable development,” Mr. Duterte said. A copy of the new proclamation was released by Malacañang on Wednesday, Aug. 9, a day after foreign ministers from the 10-member regional bloc and its partners gathered in Manila for the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. The Philippines chairs this year’s meetings on ASEAN, which was founded on Aug. 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand. Manila is a founding member and has been one of the active members of the ASEAN. — Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral
Microinsurance coverage, premiums expected to increase from 2016 levels
THE Insurance Commission (IC) is bullish that over 31 million Filipinos will be covered by microinsurance by yearend, with total premium production by the sector to also increase.
NOW Corp. to expand with Pre-5G technologies
NOW Corp. said that it will expand its services by deploying its fixed wireless broadband infrastructure in Metro Manila by using Pre-5G technologies, as part of its plans to expand its broadband Internet service in the area.
Pacing players
Four and a half years ago, the Spurs were fined a whopping $250,000 for opting to hold their stars out for a contest against the Heat. Back then, resting vital cogs wasn’t yet the rage, but the seeming dichotomy between serving the best interests of the team, which head coach Gregg Popovich figured he did, and catering to the demands of the fans, which National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern figured he didn’t, was already the subject of heated debate in hoops circles. And for all the scientific studies and evidence, however anecdotal, pointing to the profits of pacing players through a long campaign, the league felt compelled to assert existing policy against the same, especially when done contrary to public good.
Quake in China’s Sichuan kills 19, injures 247
JIUZHAIGOU — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including six tourists, and injuring 247, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.
Facebook and Twitter are too big to allow fake users
By Leonid Bershidsky
THERE’S something in common between amazing story of “Nicole Mincey,” the pseudonymous Twitter user with 146,000 followers who was retweeted by President Donald Trump and then disappeared overnight along with a few other online personae, and a recent prank by a Berliner frustrated with his inability to get Twitter to remove hate speech. The common element is the obvious solution to both problems, which rarely surfaces in discussions of trolling, fake news, and cyberbullying.
PSEi ends flat on weak earnings, Trump remarks
THE local barometer was flat on Wednesday as companies reported less than stellar earnings results for the second quarter, also weighed down by negative sentiment following US President Donald J. Trump’s pronouncements about North Korea.
Meet Wim, the kitchen device that makes fro-yo in minutes
THE KITCHEN counter has become a crowded place. Alongside coffee machines, mixers, and toasters are now juicers, dehydrators, soda makers, and the darling of the home cooking set, the all-purpose Instapot.
Tax holiday for inclusive business models
Package two of the country’s tax reform initiatives will take a look at how to rationalize fiscal incentives. Certain factors that are being considered by our Finance department include the selection of industries to be promoted, the actual performance of registered entities vis-a-vis targets, and the period for availing of the incentives. It will be interesting to see how the government will continue to incentivize activities that result in positive social impact and inclusive growth. One of these activities currently qualified for fiscal incentives is the corporate Inclusive Business (IB) model.