Most Taiwanese believe China unlikely to invade in coming five years — poll

October 9, 2024 | 7:47 pm

TAIPEI — Most Taiwanese believe China is unlikely to invade in the coming five years but do see Beijing as a serious threat to the democratic island, a poll by Taiwan’s top military think tank showed on Wednesday.

Over the past five years or so, China’s military has significantly ramped up its activities around Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory over the strong objections of the government in Taipei, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

The survey of around 1,200 people conducted last month by the Institute for National Defence and Security Research showed 61% of people think it was “unlikely or very unlikely” that China would attack Taiwan in the coming five years.

“Most people do not think China’s territorial ambitions will manifest themselves in the form of attacking Taiwan,” said Christina Chen, an INDSR researcher.

Taiwan’s people are also concerned about other Chinese threats, including military drills and propaganda campaigns, she said.

“Most people see China’s territorial ambitions as a serious threat,” Ms. Chen said.

The poll presents a contrast to a warning by the head of US Central Intelligence Agency, who said last year that Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered his military to be ready to conduct an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

“That means Taiwanese people are aware of the threat but remain calm and rational with the expectations of an imminent war,” the INDSR said.

More than 67% of respondents to the poll said they would fight back if China attacked, but were split almost evenly on whether Taiwan’s armed forces were capable of defending the island, half expressing confidence and half no confidence.

Lee Kuan-chen, another INDSR researcher, said Taiwan’s military should continue to boost its defense capacity to build public trust.

The poll also showed a split in opinion on whether the United States would help defend Taiwan.

While some 74% believed the US government was likely to “indirectly” help Taiwan by providing food, medical supplies and weapons, only 52% thought the US military would dispatch its armed forces to intervene, the poll showed.

Lee said Taiwan’s government should be more transparent about Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation.

“That way, people will not have expectations that are too high or too low on U.S. assistance,” Lee said.

U.S. President Joe Biden has upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held U.S. position of “strategic ambiguity”. — Reuters

North Korea’s Army says to completely cut road and rail links to South Korea

October 9, 2024 | 7:46 pm

SEOUL — North Korea’s Army said it will completely cut off roads and railways connected to South Korea starting from Wednesday, and fortify the areas on its side of the border, state media KCNA reported.

The announcement heralds a further escalation in activity close to the demarcation line separating the two Koreas, which had been rare in recent years until this year.

North Korea had already been installing landmines and barriers and creating wasteland along the heavily militarized border for months this year despite accidents, South Korea’s military said in July.

The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army said in a statement carried by KCNA that this was a response to war exercises that have been held in South Korea, which it called “the primary hostile state and invariable principal enemy,” as well as frequent visits by US strategic nuclear assets in the region.

South Korea’s defense ministry said in a statement that the United Nations Command (UNC) has been notified of the matter, but declined to give specifics.

South Korea is in close communication and cooperation with UNC concerning North Korea’s announcement, the ministry added.

The US-led UNC is a multinational military force and oversees affairs in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war. — Reuters

Australia, New Zealand brace for looming bird flu threat

October 9, 2024 | 7:46 pm

CANBERRA/WELLINGTON – Australia and New Zealand are bracing for the arrival of a destructive bird flu strain by tightening biosecurity at farms, testing shore birds for disease, vaccinating vulnerable species and war-gaming response plans.

Oceania is the last region of the world free of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza that has killed hundreds of millions of birds and tens of thousands of mammals since appearing in Asia, Europe and Africa in 2020, littering beaches with corpses and upending the agricultural industry.

While the region is somewhat protected by its geography – it is off the migration routes of big birds such as geese that spread infection – the virus is close, having reached Indonesia in 2022 and Antarctica last year.

Scientists and officials say there is a higher risk, particularly in Australia, of it arriving with smaller migratory shore birds during the Southern Hemisphere springtime months from September to November.

“It is clearly a threat to our country’s ecosystems,” said Fiona Fraser, Threatened Species Commissioner at Australia’s environment ministry.

“Many of our species are found nowhere else in the world,” she said. “Vulnerable species may face long-term population setbacks and heightened risk of extinction.”

Officials fear mass deaths from the avian flu and even the near-extinctions of species including endangered sea lions, black swans and many types of seabird, and the loss of millions of farmed poultry.

Over 100 million chickens and turkeys have died or been culled in the United States alone from this H5N1 strain, causing economic losses of up to $3 billion by the end of last year, according to the Council of Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank.

The virus killed around 50,000 seals and sea lions and more than half a million wild birds as it moved through South America beginning in 2022.

It has also infected cattle in the United States and, in rare cases, people. Health officials say the risk to humans is low.

New Zealand is also unlikely to avoid the virus long-term, said Mary van Andel, chief veterinary officer for the country’s Ministry of Primary Industries.

“Geographic isolation has protected us from HPAI (high pathogenicity avian influenza) in the past, but we can’t rely on it forever,” she said.

‘WARTIME’
Both countries have intensified preparation.

Australia created a task force across government departments and stress-tested its preparedness in August and September with a series of exercises simulating an H5N1 outbreak in wildlife.

New Zealand has trialled a vaccine on five endangered native birds and said it could be rolled out to more species.

“We’re super paranoid about those five species, because the risk to them of losing the breeding population is that we could lose the species,” said Kate McInnes, science advisor at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.

Australia is also developing options for vaccinating threatened wild birds held in captivity, officials said. The two vaccination schemes are among the only ones for non-farmed animals in the world.

Farms are boosting biosecurity measures including limiting contact between poultry and wild birds, monitoring employees’ movement, sterilising water and equipment and installing automated systems that detect wild birds and scare them away, industry officials from both countries said.

While Australia has had numerous outbreaks of highly pathogenic bird flu strains in poultry flocks, including earlier this year, they were less-virulent strains that did not spread through wild birds.

New Zealand has never faced high pathogenicity bird flu. Its poultry industry association has organised trips to both Australia and Britain to learn from farms there.

“We’ve been at peacetime,” said Poultry Industry Association New Zealand Executive Director Michael Brooks. “Frankly, now we’re potentially heading to wartime.”

Oceania has had longer than other regions to prepare for the arrival of H5N1, but while the poultry industry can lock down, wild populations cannot be contained.

“We’ve learned a lot from the way the disease has spread across the world. We’ve stepped up our preparedness as best we can,” said Brant Smith, an official at Australia’s agriculture ministry overseeing the country’s response.

“But every single continent has seen huge mortality events in wildlife. We are likely to see this occur here too.” — Reuters

DLSU eyes payback against UE as Adamson collides with FEU

October 9, 2024 | 7:16 pm

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY GREEN ARCHERS — UAAP/JOAQUI FLORES

Crucial second round of UAAP 87 at Big Dome

Games on Saturday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
10 a.m. – AdU vs FEU (women)
12 p.m. – DLSU vs UE (women)
4 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (men)
6 p.m. – DLSU vs UE

REIGNING CHAMPION and No. 1 seed De La Salle University (DLSU) gets a chance for payback against the rampaging University of the East (UE), while Adamson University and Far Eastern University (FEU) collide to start the crucial second round of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball this Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The UAAP took a momentary break on Wednesday to give teams a much-needed time to recharge after the explosive first round capped by La Salle’s 68-56 win over erstwhile unbeaten and host University of the Philippines in the rematch between last year’s finalists.

Using that as a stepping stone, the Green Archers are determined to sustain the drive and exact vengeance on the Warriors, who dealt their lone loss so far at 6-1.

UE, for its part, has all the confidence to repeat on La Salle after a 75-71 win in the first round that ignited its five-game winning run — the longest active streak in the league — to own the solo No. 3 at 5-2.

Meanwhile, fifth-running Adamson (3-4) and No. 7 FEU (1-6) also battle on Saturday according to the full second-round schedule released by the league Wednesday.

Capping the start of the second-round action is a Sunday twin bill featuring UP (6-1) against University of Santo Tomas (4-3) and Ateneo de Manila University (1-6) versus National University (2-5).

Other notable duels include La Salle-Ateneo on Oct. 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena and Round 2 action between La Salle and UP on Nov. 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Albeit La Salle and UP pace the race with the vastly-improved UE and Santo Tomas not far behind, struggling teams below are expected to push for one last hurrah as teams start to jockey for Final Four position here in the second phase. — John Bryan Ulanday

Napheesa Collier, Lynx top Sun in rubber match, advance to WNBA Finals

October 9, 2024 | 7:15 pm

NAPHEESA COLLIER recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and the Minnesota Lynx clinched a spot in the WNBA Finals with a solid 88-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun in the decisive fifth game of a semifinal series on Tuesday at Minneapolis.

Courtney Williams added 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the second-seeded Lynx, who led for most of the victory that wrapped up a best-of-five series. Kayla McBride had 19 points for Minnesota.

DiJonai Carrington scored all 17 of her points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Sun. Brionna Jones added 16 points and 10 rebounds, DeWanna Bonner had 14 points and eight boards and Tyasha Harris scored 12 points for Connecticut.

Minnesota will visit the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday.

Collier, the runner-up for regular-season MVP honors, is the first player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three straight playoff games.

Asked what she is most proud of, Collier replied, “Just getting (to the Finals). Just doing whatever it takes to win the game. Connecticut is a great team. Credit to them. Just went out there to rely on my team and doing whatever is needed to get the win.”

Minnesota shot 49.3% from the field, including a 10-of-26 showing (38.5%) from 3-point range.

The Sun connected on 38.5% of their shots overall and were 8-for-23 (34.8%) from behind the arc.

Sun coach Stephanie White said, “Hats off to Minnesota. They’ve got a great team, they’ve been really good the second half of the season. They came out and knocked us in the mouth. I’m proud of our team for continuing to fight and continuing to battle.”

Connecticut made a late charge on two 3-pointers by Bonner to cut its deficit to 78-65 with 3:40 remaining. McBride responded with a key trey one minute later to help hold off the comeback bid.

Connecticut trailed by 21 late in the first half before scoring the final two points of the second quarter and the first seven of the third to move within 53-41 with 7:37 left.

Minnesota answered with a 12-0 burst. Alanna Smith connected on a 3-pointer and Williams followed with a runner. Collier then scored seven straight points on two conventional baskets and a trey to push the lead to 65-41 with 2:21 left in the third quarter.

The Sun scored the next seven points to trail 65-48 entering the final stanza.

Collier’s three-point play pushed the Lynx’s lead back to 20 with 8:13 left in the contest.

“You’re not going to stop a great player like Phee,” White said. “You just have to try to make things difficult. She did a great job of adjusting to the way she was being played.”

In the first half, Williams scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, McBride added 14 points and Collier had 13 points and seven rebounds as Minnesota held a 53-34 lead at the break.

McBride drained two treys in 24 seconds to cap a 23-7 run and give the Lynx an 11-point lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Minnesota took a 31-18 advantage into the second.

Minnesota heads to the Finals having beaten New York in three of the teams’ four meetings this season, including a victory in the Commissioner’s Cup final.

“I think regular season doesn’t mean anything,” Collier said. “They’re an amazing team and won the league. But we’re 2, we’re right behind them. I think it is going to be a great series and great basketball with two amazing teams.” — Reuters

Six-run inning lifts Padres, sends Dodgers to brink

October 9, 2024 | 7:14 pm

SAN DIEGO — David Peralta hit a two-run double and Fernando Tatis, Jr. added a two-run home run in a six-run second inning as the San Diego Padres held on for a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

Four relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings, with Robert Suarez picking up a four-out save, as the Padres took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. San Diego moved one victory away from its second visit to the National League Championship Series in three seasons.

Game 4 is set for Wednesday at San Diego.

The Padres sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning to overcome an early Dodgers lead and set up a similar scenario to the 2022 NLDS, when they lost the opening game at Los Angeles then won the next three.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a grand slam for the Dodgers, and Mookie Betts homered to end an 0-for-22 stretch in the postseason. Los Angeles starter Walker Buehler (0-1) gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings without a strikeout. Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4.

After Padres starter Michael King (2-0) gave up five runs on five hits over five innings, Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam each pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Tanner Scott recorded two outs in the eighth before Suarez earned his second save of the postseason.

Betts nearly had a home run taken away in the first inning for the second consecutive game by Jurickson Profar, but this time the ball clipped the glove of the Padres left fielder and cleared the wall as Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead.

In the Padres’ six-run second inning, Dodgers infielders Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas were unable to turn potential double plays off ground balls.

Manny Machado scored to tie the game 1-1 on the botched double-play attempt by shortstop Rojas. Peralta’s two-run double down the right field line gave San Diego a 3-1 lead before Kyle Higashioka brought home a run on a sacrifice fly.

With two outs, Tatis socked a two-run home run to left-center for a 6-1 lead. It was Tatis’ fourth of the postseason and third in two games.

The Dodgers got back in the game after opening the third inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases, the first from Rojas, who left the game with a groin injury after reaching third base. Hernandez delivered his grand slam to center field, pulling the Dodgers within 6-5. — Reuters

Sean Manaea subdues Phillies as Mets take 2-1 series lead

October 9, 2024 | 7:14 pm

NEW YORK — Sean Manaea carried a shutout into the eighth inning and benefited from strong defense behind him by the New York Mets, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3 of a National League Division Series (NLDS) on Tuesday.

Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker homered, Starling Marte and Jose Iglesias each had a two-run single and Francisco Lindor added an RBI double for the Mets, who lead the best-of-five series 2-1. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, when host New York will aim to reach the NL Championship Series (NLCS) for the first time since 2015.

“Obviously it would be special,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of moving on. “But we’ve got to come back tomorrow and we’ve got to win a baseball game.”

The Phillies reached the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in 2023, and manager Rob Thomson believes that his team can stave off elimination this time around.

“I told them it’s the most resilient club I’ve ever been around,” Thomson said. “That’s what they’re about. They’re all about toughness and fighting and playing together. That’s what we need to do and just focus on one game.”

Manaea (1-0), who entered Tuesday with a 10.66 ERA in four career playoff appearances, gave up one run on three hits while striking out six, walking two and plunking two over seven-plus innings. He exited to a standing ovation following Edmundo Sosa’s leadoff single in the eighth and blew a kiss toward the sky in honor of his Aunt Mabel, who died earlier Tuesday.

“That game was for her,” Manaea said.

The most well-struck hit off Manaea was Alec Bohm’s one-out single off the right-center-field wall in the fourth, but center fielder Tyrone Taylor barehanded the carom and fired to shortstop Lindor, who made a swipe tag at the sliding Bohm.

“I just turned and threw it, so just hoping that it went to where I thought I was going to throw it,” Taylor said.

Manaea got out of a jam in the sixth, when he walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to open the inning. The 32-year-old southpaw then struck out Bryce Harper on three pitches and got Nick Castellanos to line out to second, where Iglesias tossed the ball to Lindor to double up Schwarber.

Alonso continued his run of dramatic moments by homering on the first pitch he saw from Phillies starter Aaron Nola (0-1) in the second inning. It was the third homer in the past four games for Alonso, an impending free agent who extended the Mets’ season by hitting a three-run, ninth-inning homer last Thursday in New York’s 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of an NL wild-card series.

“He’s already changed games with one swing,” Winker said of Alonso. “He did it again tonight. He got us the momentum early.”

Winker homered deep into the second deck in right in the fourth. Marte and Iglesias added their insurance singles in the sixth and seventh, respectively. The Phillies ended the shutout bid in the eighth, when Harper and Castellanos had back-to-back two-out RBI singles before Bohm flied out.

Lindor delivered his double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Nola gave up four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight over five-plus innings. — Reuters

Argentina skipper Messi ready to play Venezuela

October 9, 2024 | 7:13 pm

ARGENTINA captain Lionel Messi is ready to return to their lineup when they play Venezuela in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, but midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’s availability is in doubt, manager Lionel Scaloni said.

Argentina were boosted by the return of Messi for their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia after the 37-year-old recovered from a right ankle injury, which he picked up during the Copa America final against Colombia in July.

Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, had missed their qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

“Messi is fine. He played several games for his team in recent weeks, after not being in the last call-up, which was what we had agreed because he needed to recover and get more minutes,” Scaloni told reporters on Tuesday.

“Leo is training with the squad and is ready to be part of the team to play against Venezuela, who will be a great rival.”

Liverpool’s Mac Allister was replaced at half time during the club’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend.

“He (Mac Allister) is training separately. We’ll see if he makes it to the first game,” Scaloni said.

“For now, he hasn’t been able to join us, and, well, we’ll make the decision if he’s part of the squad or on the bench or if he plays on Thursday. But it’s difficult for him to make it today.

“I think we have to take care of him. He’s a guy who has a lot of games under his belt and that’s the situation today. We hope we don’t lose any more players because the situation can change later.”

Argentina are set to face Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium of Maturin on Thursday, and with the team training at Inter Miami’s training centre in Florida, Scaloni said his side was worried about Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida’s battered Gulf Coast as an enormous Category 5 storm on Tuesday, triggering massive traffic jams and fuel shortages as officials ordered more than one million people to flee before it slams into the Tampa Bay area. — Reuters

Bookmakers favor Liberty to capture WNBA crown

October 9, 2024 | 7:13 pm

THE New York Liberty, the best team throughout the season, are the betting favorites to emerge with the WNBA championship, too.

The best-of-five WNBA Finals tip off Thursday in New York when the top-seeded Liberty oppose the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

The Liberty are a -260 favorite at FanDuel to capture the title, while they are listed at -285 at Caesars Sportsbook and -290 at ESPN Bet. The Lynx are +215 at FanDuel, +235 at Caesars Sportsbook and +240 at ESPN Bet.

New York earned its spot in the Finals by beating the two-time defending champion Aces in a four-game semifinal series, capped by a 76-62 win in Game 4 at Las Vegas on Sunday. Sabrina Ionescu (20.7 points per game in the postseason) and Breanna Stewart (20.0) are leading the way for the Liberty.

Minnesota squeezed past the Connecticut Sun in five games, prevailing 88-77 in the decisive contest at Minneapolis on Tuesday. WNBA regular-season MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, who scored 27 points in Game 5, is averaging 27.1 points through seven playoff games.

The two high-scoring Liberty stars are the favorites to win Finals MVP, as FanDuel has Stewart at +110 and Ionescu at +200. Collier is at +270, with New York’s Jonquel Jones next at +3100.

As for Game 1 on Thursday, the Liberty are a six-point favorite at FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook, with the total set at 159.5 points.

The Liberty, who began play in 1997, are looking for their first league title.

The Lynx started play in 1999, and they earned WNBA titles in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

The teams met four times previously this season, and Minnesota won three of those contests, including a victory in the Commissioner’s Cup final on June 25. — Reuters

Filipino HR practitioners starting to embrace AI

October 9, 2024 | 5:49 pm

AI-Artficial intelligence — STOCK PHOTO | Image by DC Studio from Freepik/THIS RESOURCE WAS GENERATED WITH AI

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has gained acceptance in the human resources (HR) hiring process, according to practitioners in the Philippines.

Using AI for recruitment has transformed how companies approach hiring, they said.

“It helps streamline candidate sourcing, screening, and selection by automating repetitive tasks like resume scanning and initial assessments,” said Darwin B. Rivers, founder and president of the Philippines HR Group (PHILHRG Inc.), in an October 8 email.

“This allows HR professionals to focus on more strategic aspects of recruitment, such as interviewing and cultural fit evaluation,” he added.

Bossjob and Jobstreet are among the recruitment sites that have integrated AI in their features.

Bossjob announced on October 7 the launch of its AI photo generator for job seekers. Users can update their profile by selecting a template tailored to gender, skin tone, and background, and then generate their photo by uploading an image or taking a front-facing selfie.

Jobstreet, on the other hand, updated its platform in November 2023 and now uses its parent company SEEK’s AI technology to provide job matches and insights for both hirers and would-be hires.

Job applicants should be honest when presenting themselves to potential employers, advised Tina Khoe Ang, a certified compensation and benefits professional at the International HR Institute.

“Using AI-generated photos is acceptable, as long as the image accurately reflects your appearance,” she said in an October 7 message on Facebook.

“Like a profile photo on a dating app, the key is to avoid over-exaggeration—your photo should closely resemble your real self,” she told BusinessWorld.

Authenticity matters, she added.

“Ensure your photo represents you accurately, so your future employer won’t be caught off guard upon meeting you in person,” Ms. Ang said.

About half (45%) of job seekers use AI to improve their resumes, according to a study fielded by Sago, a quantitative research firm, for Canva, a graphic design company.

The study, published in January 2024, also found that 90% of hiring managers find AI use in applications acceptable, with 71% being text-only resumes will be obsolete in five years.

Companies need to balance the efficiency of AI with the human touch, Mr. Rivers said.

“This ensures that the recruitment process remains personalized, particularly in a culture like us in the Philippines that values relationships and face-to-face interactions,” he said.

He added that compliance with data privacy laws – such as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 – is likewise necessary.

“HR professionals must ensure ethical use, transparency, and continuous improvement to fully harness its potential and be mindful of the candidate’s total experience,” Mr. Rivers said.

The Philippine unemployment rate eased to 4% in August 2024 from 4.4% in August 2023, the PSA reported. The total number of employed Filipinos rose to 49.2 million as of August, up from the 48.1 million in August 2023. – Patricia B. Mirasol

Maritime enforcers seize approximately 1.42 million assets and 17 illegal fishers

October 9, 2024 | 5:41 pm

coast-guard-fishermen-illegal — source: Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog | https://www.facebook.com/HCGDSTL

Joint maritime law enforcement operations in Balesin Island, Polillo, Quezon led to the apprehension of 17 illegal fishers and assets with an estimated market value of P1.42 million.

According to Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog (CGDSTL), the apprehended banca was spotted engaging in illegal fishing using a modified Danish seine [Buli-Buli].

The Department of Agriculture (DOA) defined a modified Danish seine as an active fishing gear that consists of “a conical net with a pair of wings” with its end connected to a rope with buri, plastic strips, sinkers, or any similar materials to serve as a scaring or herding device hauled through a mechanical winch or hand.

Rendon Ebuenga Mendoza headed the seized fishing boat homeported in Mauban Quezon with Joel Samson Caballera as the engineman, Edwin Dela Cruz as the master fisherman, and 14 other crew members.

The illegal vessel and other fishing paraphernalia were estimated to cost P1,120,000 and P300,000 for the confiscated 800 kilograms of assorted fish.

The CGDSTL added that the caught fishermen violated Sections 86 (Unauthorized Fishing) and 97 in relation to Fishing Administrative Order 246-1 of Republic Act (RA) 8550, as amended by RA 10654, known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

As stated in the Fisheries Administrative Order 246 section 3, the operator, boat captain, master fisherman, and recruiter or organizer that violates the order could face imprisonment from two to ten years and a fine not less than P100,000 to P500,000 at the discretion of the court.

The operator and other people involved in the confiscated boat were brought to the PNP Maritime Group Polillo for further investigation, and will face appropriate charges. – Almira Louise S. Martinez

Gogolook Country Head recognized in 2024 Asia CEO Awards

October 9, 2024 | 5:15 pm

Gogolook Philippines Country Head and Women in Security Alliance Philippines (WiSAP) Founder and President Mel Migriño was recognized as one of the Circle of Excellence Awardees for the Woman of the Year in the 2024 Asia CEO Awards.

Known for her groundbreaking work in cybersecurity and her unwavering commitment to empowering women in technology, Ms. Migriño expressed deep gratitude for receiving this recognition alongside other influential and powerful female business leaders.

“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of countless individuals who have supported my journey,” Ms. Migriño stated. “From my mentors and colleagues to the businesses and organizations I’ve had the privilege of serving, I am truly humbled with this honor.”

Ms. Migriño is currently the Country Head of Gogolook in the Philippines where they introduced Whoscall, the anti-scam application in the country.

“From empowering both women and men to make them better digital risk leaders, from delivering quality work to businesses thru the years, from rolling out initiatives to make this society inclusive to support government programs for digital safety, from rallying the fight against scams and fraud to helping the less privileged in the society, to assimilate in the business arena while keeping me grounded with technology and cybersecurity,” Ms. Migriño said.

Ms. Migriño’s impact extends far beyond her professional achievements. As a passionate advocate for women in cybersecurity, she has played a pivotal role in creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for female professionals in the field. Through WiSAP, she has empowered countless women to pursue careers in security and technology. She has also pivoted from being a cybersecurity leader to a business leader looking at the different aspects of the business and focusing on growing the markets thru strategic partnerships and programs to provide digital safety protection for all that is easy to use and free.

In addition to her leadership in WiSAP, Ms. Migriño serves as an Executive Committee member of the ASEAN CIO Association for Women in Technology Chapter and as the Chairperson of the Board and President of the Philippines Chief Information Officer Association (PCIOA). Her dedication to fostering inclusivity in the technology industry is evident in her role as a chapter leader for Women and Youth in Technology in the Philippines.

Ms. Migriño’s accolades are a testament to her exceptional contributions to cybersecurity and technology. The Cybersecurity Awards in London have recognized her as the Cyber Woman of the Year and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Year, as well as the Transformative Chief Information Officer (CIO) by ETCIO South East Asia (SEA) among others.

Beyond her technical expertise, Ms. Migriño is a visionary leader who inspires others to strive for excellence. Her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world has earned her a reputation as a global influencer in cybersecurity and technology.

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