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Labor department focused on raising job quality as unemployment eases

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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Tuesday said its efforts are currently focused on improving job quality, and pledged not to be complacent in the face of easing unemployment.

Preliminary results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Labor Force Survey for October show an 18-year low jobless rate of 4.2%.

“We are not complacent… The challenge to provide higher-quality jobs remains,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma told reporters in a briefing.

The underemployment rate — a measure of job quality — was at 11.7% in October, up from 10.7% in September. A year earlier the underemployment rate was 14.2%.

Mr. Laguesma said enhancing job quality involves ensuring fair wages and job tenure. “When we say ‘quality job,’ it includes more remunerative compensation and long-lasting employment,” he said.

He added that by making compensation and tenure more competitive, fewer workers would be compelled to seek employment overseas, reducing the social cost to workers who have had to leave their families behind.

At the same briefing, Assistant Secretary Paul Vincent W. Añover said that the department is looking at working with the industry and education sectors to enhance job quality and training.

“The numbers are good, but we will continue to emphasize the government-industry-education linkage and partnership to ensure the quality of training,” he said.

Mr. Laguesma said that updated training schemes for the workforce will help in mitigating the displacement resulting from emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“When there are changes in technological processes, there is a corresponding work displacement,” he said. “There are ongoing training initiatives so that those affected by the inevitable entry of AI can be equipped with new skills.”

Mr. Añover noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s recent overseas visits resulted in pledges for 305,000 “quality jobs.” He added that the IT-business process management (IT-BPM) industry continues to grow with 150,000 current job vacancies.

Apart from IT-BPM, the construction, health and wellness, and tourism industries are expected to provide additional employment opportunities, he said.

Mr. Laguesma noted that out of 16 regions, 14 have announced regional wage hikes. Eleven boards have also ordered adjustments in the monthly pay of domestic workers, he added. — Jomel R. Paguian

Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples

SAINT PETER’S BASILICA is silhouetted in this photo taken at the Vatican, Dec. 16, 2023. — REUTERS

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said on Monday in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.

A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office, which effectively reversed a declaration the same body had issued in 2021, said such blessings would not legitimize irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.

It should in no way be confused with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage, it added.

It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and “should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing.”

The pope hinted that an official change was in the works in October in response to questions put forward by five conservative cardinals at the start of a synod of bishops at the Vatican.

While the response in October was more nuanced, Monday’s eight-page document, whose subtitle is “On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” spelled out specific situations. An 11-point section was titled “Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same sex.”

The Church teaches that same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are. Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has tried to make the more than 1.35-billion-member Church more welcoming to LGBT people without changing moral doctrine.

Father James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who ministers to the LGBT community, called the document “a major step forward in the church’s ministry” to them.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Martin said the document “recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships,” adding that “along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions.”

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a group that advocates for LGBT rights in the Church, said the document’s importance “cannot be overstated.” He praised the document’s wording that people seeking blessings should not be subjected to “an exhaustive moral analysis.”

Martin Hardwick and Andrew Gibb of Manchester, England, who are married and have been together 41 years, said the move was long overdue.

“You know if Jesus said love was love, then love is love, isn’t it?” Mr. Hardwick said.

“It’s about time,” Mr. Gibb added.

‘AN INVITATION TO SCHISM’
Monday’s ruling is bound to be opposed by conservatives, who already criticised the pope when he made his initial comments on the subject in October.

Ulrich L. Lehner, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, said the new guidance from the doctrinal office “invites misunderstanding and will sow confusion.”

Voicing concern that some bishops would use it as a pretext to do what is explicitly forbidden, the professor added, “it is, and I hate to say it, an invitation to schism.”

The document, whose Latin title is Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), said the form of the blessing “should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage.”

It said it can be applied to those who “do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

“Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” it said, adding that it “must be nurtured, not hindered.”

The document said the blessing should not be linked to or timed with a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the “clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.”

Places for such blessings, it said, might be “in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage.”

The ruling was signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the head of the head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the pope in a private audience with Cardinal Fernandez and another doctrinal office official on Monday. — Reuters

Iceland volcano erupts near town after weeks of intense quake activity

A VOLCANO spews lava and smoke as it erupts in Grindavik, Iceland, Dec. 18, 2023. — CIVIL PROTECTION OF ICELAND/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

OSLO — A volcano erupted late on Monday in southwest Iceland, spewing lava and smoke across a wide area after weeks of intense earthquake activity, the country’s Meteorological Office said, threatening a nearby town.

Fearing a significant eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities last month evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

“Warning: Eruption has started north of Grindavik by Hagafell,” the Met Office said on its website, noting that the eruption began only a few kilometers from the town and cracks in the ground stretched toward the village located about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik.

Reykjavik’s nearby Keflavik International Airport remained open, albeit with numerous delays listed for both arrivals and departures.

Images and livestreams of the eruption shown by Reuters and others showed molten rock spewing spectacularly from fissures in the ground, their bright-yellow and orange colors set in sharp contrast against the dark night sky.

“Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik,” the Met Office said.

The crack in the earth’s surface was around 3.5 km long and had grown rapidly, it added.

Some 100 to 200 cubic meters (3,530 to 7,060 cubic feet) of lava emerged per second, several times more than in previous eruptions in the area, the Met Office said.

Local police said they had raised their alert level as a result of the outbreak and the country’s civil defense warned the public not to approach the area while emergency personnel assessed the situation.

Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions.

But eruptions are still hard to predict. In mid-November, Grindavik inhabitants were whisked from their homes in the middle of the night as the ground shook, roads cracked and buildings suffered structural damage.

Seismologists believed at the time an eruption was imminent, but the geological activity later eased.

The Reykjanes peninsula in recent years saw several eruptions in unpopulated areas.

In March 2021, lava fountains erupted from a fissure in the ground measuring between 500 to 750 meters (1,640 to 2,460 feet) long in the region’s Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.

Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months that year, prompting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to visit the scene. In August 2022, a three-week eruption happened in the same area, followed by another in July of this year. — Reuters

US-led Red Sea patrol force to respond to Houthi rebels’ attacks

GAZA/MANAMA/JERUSALEM — Several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who say they are supporting Palestinians under siege by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a visit to Bahrain, identified several countries taking part in an international force. It was unclear whether those countries are willing to do what US warships have done in recent days — shoot down Houthi missiles and drones and rush to the aid of commercial ships under attack.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative,” Mr. Austin said in a statement on Tuesday.

It identified participating nations led by the United States as including among others Bahrain, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

The Iran-backed Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict by attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and even firing drones and missiles at Israel, more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

Houthis attacked two commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea on Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The chemical/oil tanker motor vessel Swan Atlantic was attacked by a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile, it said. At about the same time in a separate incident, the bulk cargo ship MSC Clara reported an explosion in the water near its location, CENTCOM said.

There were no injuries reported by either vessel.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea on Monday identified the same vessels as being attacked and said drones were used because the crews failed to respond to calls from the group.

The Houthis have threatened to target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, told Al Jazeera on Monday his group would be able to confront any US-led coalition that could deploy to the Red Sea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday, condemned the Houthi’s attacks on commercial vessels, the State Department said.

Meanwhile, Israel’s assault continued in Gaza where it has vowed to annihilate Hamas, the Islamist movement that like the Houthis is aligned with Iran.

A World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Monday that the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza that Israeli troops raided last week is no longer functioning and patients including babies have been evacuated.

“We cannot afford to lose any hospitals,” said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for Gaza.

Peeperkorn also said about 4,000 displaced people taking refuge in the grounds of the Nasser medical complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis were at risk as Israel pursues military operations there.

Early on Tuesday residents in areas of Khan Younis reported fierce gun battles between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces. Israeli tanks and planes bombed areas near the city centre, residents said.

The Gaza health ministry said on Monday that 19,453 Palestinians had been killed and 52,286 wounded in the Israeli assault on the Hamas-ruled enclave in more than two months of warfare.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to achieve total victory over Hamas, whose fighters killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages in a surprise Oct. 7 raid into Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s intensifying retaliation against Hamas has increased concern among governments and international organizations over the Gaza civilian death toll, hunger and homelessness.

Father-of-four Raed, 45, who has moved his family twice, said Gazans were exhausted trying to stay alive.

“Money has lost its value, most of the items are not available. We rose from our beds after surviving a night of bombardment to tour the streets searching for food, we got tired,” he said in the Rafah area. “We want peace, truce, ceasefire, whatever they call it, but please stop the war.”

While in Israel on Monday, US defense secretary Mr. Austin said Washington’s support for Israel was “unshakable” but he urged its ally to do more to protect civilians.

HAMAS RELEASES HOSTAGE VIDEO
Three elderly Israeli hostages, identified by Israel as 79-year-old Chaim Peri, 80-year-old Yoram Metzger and 84-year-old Amiram Cooper, were seen in a video released by Hamas on Monday.

The three men, all with beards, are seen sitting next to each other in the video, which Hamas posted to Telegram.

Sitting in the middle, Mr. Peri speaks to the camera, saying he and other elderly hostages who have health issues are “suffering greatly in very harsh conditions.”

He pleaded for Israel to secure their unconditional release.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a week-long ceasefire at the end of November, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, that included the release of more than 100 hostages in Gaza in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers from Israeli jails.

The heads of the US CIA and Israel’s Mossad and Qatar’s prime minister were expected to meet and discuss the possible release of more hostages, US officials said on Monday. — Reuters

Greece to give migrants 3-year permits to tackle labor shortage in key sectors

ATHENS — Greek lawmakers prepared to vote late on Monday on a bill allowing migrants to obtain a three-year residency and work permit, a step to tackle labor shortages in key sectors of an economy recovering from a debt crisis.

Greece has been a gateway to the European Union for thousands of migrants and asylum seekers from the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. Many of them have ended up working illegally, in sectors such as construction, farming and tourism.

After emerging from three international bailouts in 2018, Greece, like other European peers, was also hit by an exodus of workers from the labor force during the 2020-21 COVID pandemic, many of whom have never returned.

The conservative government, which was re-elected in June and has toughened Greece’s policy to curb migration by hiring more border guards and increasing patrols, estimates that roughly 300,000 undocumented migrants now live in the country.

“We don’t want invisible people,” State Minister Akis Skertsos told ANT1 television on Monday, adding that the permit would help attract workers for jobs that unemployed Greeks have appeared unwilling to do and safeguard public order.

According to the conservative government’s bill, migrants and asylum-seekers who have been living in the country for at least three years, have no criminal record and have been offered a job, can apply by December 2024 for the new residency permit.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis party controls 158 seats in the 300-seat parliament and therefore the bill, which also creates the post of national coordinator on migrant returns, was expected to be approved on Monday evening.

An estimated 30,000 people — many of them from Albania, Georgia, Pakistan and Philippines — are likely to apply for the new type of permit, migration ministry officials have said. — Reuters

Iran petrol stations hit by cyberattack, oil minister says

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

DUBAI — Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji on Monday confirmed that a nationwide disruption to petrol stations was caused by a cyberattack.

A hacking group that Iran accuses of having links to Israel claimed it carried out the attack which disrupted services at petrol stations across the country on Monday, Iranian state TV and Israeli local media reported.

Owji had earlier told Iranian state TV that services had been disrupted at about 70% of Iran’s petrol stations and that outside interference was a possible cause. He later said 1,650 petrol stations were operational. The ministry supervises 3,800 petrol stations.

Iran’s state TV news said a group called Gonjeshke Darande or “Predatory Sparrow” had claimed it was behind the disruption. Israeli local media outlets also reported the claim.

“This cyberattack was carried out in a controlled manner to avoid potential damage to emergency services,” the group said in a statement on Telegram.

The digital strike was “in response to the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region”, it added.

Asked about the cyber attacks, Israeli government spokesperson Tal Heinrich told a press briefing on Monday: “We have nothing to say about Iran’s claims.”

Iran’s civil defense agency, which is responsible for cybersecurity, said it was still considering all possible causes for the disruptions as it investigated.

Iranian state media added that the hacker group had in the past claimed cyberattacks against Iranian petrol stations, rail networks and steel factories.

Last year, Predatory Sparrow posted video showing an explosion inside one of those steel factories which it said was caused by a hack.

In an interview with Reuters five days after the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, a representative of the group said they targeted Iran for its support of Hamas, adding they were preparing for future attacks and “keeping some ‘buttons’ on hold.”

They added “in the event that we detect any kind offensive action in any realm from any proxy against our country we will attack and cause permanent and unimaginable damage to any target we see fit via Air, Sea, Land and Cyber,” the group said at the time. “When we will start, the gates of hell will open.”

A major cyberattack in Iran in 2021 also disrupted the sale of fuel, causing long queues at stations across the country where pump prices are heavily subsidized. Iran had said Israel and the United States were the likely culprits behind those attacks.

Monday’s disruption began early and was especially acute in Tehran, forcing many petrol stations to operate manually, Iranian media reported.

Reza Navar, a spokesperson for Iran’s petrol stations association told the semi-official Fars news agency that there was no fuel supply shortage but called on drivers to not go to petrol stations.

“A software problem with the fuel system has been confirmed in some stations across the country and experts are currently fixing the issue,” Navar said.

The oil ministry earlier told state TV that the disruption was not linked to plans to increase the price of fuel, a policy that caused widespread protests in 2019 and led to violent repression.

State TV said petrol stations were seeking to provide fuel manually adding that over 50% of the stations were providing services and trials to get more back online were underway.

Israel’s Cyber Unit on Monday said Iran and Hezbollah were behind an attempted cyberattack on a hospital in northern Israel about three weeks ago. It said the attack was thwarted but hackers were able to retrieve “some of the sensitive information stored in the hospital’s information systems”. — Reuters

IMF governors approve 50% increase in lending resources with no shareholding changes

A participant stands near a logo of the International Monetary Fund at the annual meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Oct. 12, 2018. — REUTERS/JOHANNES P. CHRISTO/FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund’s governing body has approved a 50% increase in quota resources to be contributed by member countries in proportion to their current IMF shareholding, bringing total quotas to $960 billion, the IMF said on Monday.

Governors representing nearly 93% of the total voting power of the fund voted for the 50% increase the IMF’s executive board recommended last month, exceeding the 85% required. The voting deadline ended on Friday.

The quota increase, which follows years of extensive discussions among members, will become effective by Nov. 15, 2024 once member countries agree to their respective quota changes, which requires legislative approval in many cases.

The decision largely follows a U.S.-backed plan that would enhance IMF lending resources but delay any IMF shareholding increases for China, India, Brazil and other fast-growing emerging market economies.

But the governors asked the IMF to develop possible approaches for a new quota formula by June 2025, in line with the executive board’s recommendation.

The 50% increase in quota funding — equivalent to about $320 billion at current exchange rates — will not increase the fund’s overall lending firepower of about $1 trillion, but would shift the composition to about 70% more permanent resources while reducing reliance on borrowed resources, the IMF said.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva called the decision “a strong vote of confidence for the work of the Fund. It will reduce the reliance of the Fund on borrowed resources, restore the primary role of quotas in our lending capacity and reinforce the role of the IMF at the center of the Global Financial Safety Net,” she said.

Georgieva said the move would strengthen the IMF’s capacity to help “safeguard global financial stability and respond to members’ potential needs in an uncertain and shock-prone world.”

Currently, the IMF relies on bilateral borrowing arrangements and pledges to a crisis lending fund called the New Arrangements to Borrow. 

The executive board will discuss proposals for reducing the crisis lending fund in early 2024. Zuzana Murgasova, deputy director of the IMF’s finance department, told Reuters that work on the guidance for a further quota realignment would begin very soon, but declined to provide further details since the discussions were confidential.

“What is really important is that the membership has recognized that this is an urgent priority, and the work will start very soon,” she said.

Murgasova said the governors’ votes were also confidential, and declined to say which country or countries did not approve the quota increase. — Reuters

US court approves order for Binance to pay $2.7 billion to CFTC

REUTERS

WASHINGTON — A United States court entered an order against crypto exchange Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, approving billions of dollars in fines for money laundering following a case brought by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the agency said on Monday.

Zhao will pay $150 million and Binance will pay $2.7 billion to the CFTC as a result, the agency said in a statement.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois approved the previously announced settlement and entered a consent order of permanent injunction, civil monetary penalty, and equitable relief against Zhao and Binance, the CFTC said in its statement. The settlement was reached in late November.

The court imposed a $150 million civil monetary penalty personally against Zhao, and required Binance to disgorge $1.35 billion of ill-gotten transaction fees and pay a $1.35 billion penalty to the CFTC, according to the agency.

In November, Zhao stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money laundering laws as part of a settlement resolving a years-long probe into the world’s largest crypto exchange.

At the time, Binance said the resolutions acknowledged the company’s responsibility “for historical, criminal compliance violations, and allow our company to turn the page.”

Binance broke U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and failed to report more than 100,000 suspicious transactions with organizations the U.S. described as terrorist groups, authorities have said.

The exchange also failed to report transactions with websites devoted to selling child sexual abuse material and was one of the largest recipients of ransomware proceeds, they added. — Reuters

Zarah Juan’s empowering collection ‘The Tarp Project’ unveiled at SM Aura

“The Tarp Project” launch was marked with an unboxing by (from right): SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, SPARK! Philippines Executive Director Mikaela Luisa Teves, bag designer Zarah Juan, and Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap

In a remarkable collaboration of fashion, sustainability, and social impact, SM Supermalls, in partnership with women’s rights organization SPARK! Philippines, the Tagbilaran City Government, renowned fashion brand Zarah Juan, and the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, recently launched “The Tarp Project” at the Outside the Box pop-up shop at SM Aura.

“The Tarp Project” is a pioneering initiative aimed at economically empowering women and addressing environmental challenges associated with tarpaulin production. The project involves upcycling used tarps sourced from landfills in the province of Bohol and Shell gasoline stations. Bag designer Zarah Juan transforms these discarded materials into beautifully designed and meticulously crafted bags together with the women in Tagbilaran City who earn from the sale of these bags.

Fashion with a purpose. Zarah Juan and the women of Tagbilaran transform used tarpaulins – what could have been discarded waste in landfills – into these fashionable tarp tote bags.

During the launch, Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap said, “What I’d like people to take away from this partnership is how it’s not just about upcycling used tarpaulins into material for the tote bags – it’s also about engaging with a local Tagbilaran community of women to put the bags together, it represents livelihood opportunity as well”.

(From left) Bag designer Zarah Juan, Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap, SM Supermalls President Steven Tan and SPARK Philippines Executive Director Mikaela Luisa Teves display the tote bags from The Tarp Project collection.

SM Supermalls becomes a key partner in this endeavor by providing a physical space to showcase the bags in SM Aura and making them more widely available for purchase through its online shopping app, SM Malls Online. The partnership underscores the importance of multi-sectoral efforts in creating positive change and SM’s reaffirmation of supporting innovative and socially impactful initiatives.

“SM has always been a strong supporter of women’s empowerment. When you provide women with livelihood opportunities, you have an opportunity to positively change lives, uplift families, and build more resilient communities,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan. “More than a venue to showcase these stylish upcycled totes, SM is honored to be part of a project that highlights women as catalysts for change, both for economic growth and environment protection,” Tan added.

Mikaela Luisa Teves, Executive Director of SPARK! Philippines, emphasized the importance of the partnership, saying, “The bags not only represent a unique and stylish accessory but also contribute to a larger mission of supporting women and mitigating the environmental impact of waste”.

“The Tarp Project” collection is available at Outside the Box, located at the Upper Ground Level of SM Aura, and on smmallsonline.com and zarahjuan.com.

 

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DITO bigay todo ang Pasko

DITO's new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Eric Alberto reaffirmed the brand's commitment to uniting communities with an empowering 5G technology and network that enhances lives.

DITO celebrates Christmas to the fullest and goes TODO with generous offerings

The Filipino Christmas is always about giving and spreading joy. The fastest growing telco, DITO Telecommunity goes all-out in enabling DITOZENs to fully enjoy 5G-powered mobile and internet experiences throughout the longest, happiest festivity in the country.

This year’s theme, “DITO Bigay Todo Ang Ating Pasko,” is comprised of generous deals and value-packed offerings- all-out data promos, affordable & premium mobile postpaid plans​, and high-speed 5G-powered broadband products- that allow DITOzens to level up their digital experience.

DITO’s Chief Commercial Officer Ms. Evelyn Jimenez expressed her gratitude for the brand’s customers, partners, and supporters for supporting its products and services. She also highlighted the youngest telco player’s commitment to enable Filipinos to enjoy the full benefits of the TODO lifestyle – one that is digitally connected and thus able to unlock vast opportunities to move ahead in the future.

Subscribers can avail of DITO Advance Pay this holiday season, which allows them to enjoy data, calls, and texts for only P713 for one year!

DITOZENs can get a free Samsung case with their free Samsung Galaxy A23 5G smartphone when they avail of a DITO FLEXPlan Handset 1688. The FLEXPlan Handset 1688 comes with 50GB data and bonus 50GB 5G data per month, UNLI all-net calls and texts and 12 months of Prime Video subscription.

DTO Home’s UNLI 5G Postpaid WiFi also makes the perfect gift! Customers can enjoy the introductory offer of P745 per month for the first six months with internet speeds of up to 500Mbps+.

Meanwhile, DITO Rewards also gives more reasons to be merry this Christmas with huge prizes to be won by all DITOzens – from gadgets to all-in local and international trips. These are just a sneak peak of the many offerings DITO is rolling out especially for the holidays. 

Gift of color and connection

Just in time for the Christmas season, DITO also collaborated with emerging creators from the digital art community and veteran artists from the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP), the longest-running and one of the most influential art organizations in the country.

DITO also collaborated with emerging creators from the digital art community and veteran artists from the Art Association of the Philippines, the longest-running and one of the most influential artist organizations in the country. The youngest telco player worked with emerging and veteran artists to develop custom designs for DITO Jackets.

As part of the “DITO Bigay Todo Ang Ating Pasko” campaign, the collaboration called the “DITO Art Collab,” empowers the Filipino creative collective by giving them a platform to showcase their work and use their creations to inspire and connect communities.

DITO worked with emerging artists, Ginoe and Jomer Haban and AAP’s several veteran artists including Robert Fernandez, Angelito Florendo, Danilo Santiago, and the organization’s President, Fidel Sarmiento,  to develop custom designs for DITO Jackets. This unifying fashion piece harps on the company’s brand values, from its commitment to bringing the Filipino forward and contributing to nation-building to offering simple but innovative products that disrupt the norm and foster authentic connections.

According to DITO’s Chief Commercial Officer, Evelyn Jimenez, “Our aim is to reflect the Filipino culture of giving, which becomes more salient and alive during the Christmas season. For us, it is all about giving back to our customers and empowering communities through our products and services. We want them to be able to enjoy the full benefits of the TODO lifestyle – one that is digitally connected and thus able to unlock vast opportunities to move ahead in the future.”

DITO Chief Enterprise Revenue Officer Atty. Adel Tamano thanked the brand’s media friends and partners for their constant support, which has helped the telco achieve company milestones such as successful product launches, network expansion, and the growing number of DITO subscribers.

To know more about the valuable offerings and promos inspired by the “DITO Bigay Todo Ang Ating Pasko” campaign, check out @DITOphofficial on Facebook and Instagram or visit https://dito.ph.

 

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Taiwan reports another suspected Chinese weather balloon crossing Taiwan Strait

WINSTON CHEN-UNSPLASH

TAIPEI – A suspected Chinese weather balloon flew across the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Monday but stayed well north of Taiwan, the island’s defense ministry said on Tuesday, the third time this month Taipei has reported them nearby.

The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.

Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military and political, ahead of Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections. Taipei has warned of Beijing’s efforts to interfere in the ballot to get voters to pick candidates China may prefer.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said the single balloon was detected at 9:09 a.m. after crossing the strait’s median line 67 nautical miles (124 km) northwest of the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung.

The balloon flew at an altitude of about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), headed east and disappeared at 11:52 a.m, the ministry added.

The ministry said its initial judgement is that it was a weather balloon.

Taiwan has reported two other incidents of suspected Chinese weather balloons crossing the strait this month.

Taiwan’s defense minister has said the ministry was announcing the detection of such balloons in the interest of transparency.

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has increased its military pressure against the island over the past four years as Beijing seeks to press its sovereignty claims.

Chinese warplanes and warships now regularly operate around Taiwan, which has denounced China’s activities.—Reuters

Moldovan PM says anti-aircraft system needed to counter Russia

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link in Sochi, Russia, Sept. 27. — SPUTNIK/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/POOL VIA REUTERS

CHISINAU – Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Monday that Moldova needed an upgraded anti-aircraft defence system to counter threats from Russia heightened by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, its eastern neighbor.

Recean was speaking to a television interviewer three days after Moldova’s parliament approved a new security strategy identifying Moscow as the biggest security threat to the country and its pro-European government.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and accused the Kremlin of plotting to oust her.

The European Union last week agreed to start talks on expanding its membership to both Moldova and Ukraine. But, unlike Ukraine, Moldova has neutral status anchored in its constitution and is not seeking membership of the Atlantic Alliance.

Recean said Moldova intended, with the help of its EU and NATO allies, to acquire a modern air defense system to defend its airports and major infrastructure sites.

“If the Kremlin decides to attack us, just what are we going to do?” Recean told a TV8 interviewer. “Neutrality will not protect Moldova.”

Recean said developed countries “invest in their security to ensure that their citizens and businesses feel safe. If they don’t have that, people leave and take their capital with them. And that is what is now happening in Moldova.”

Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, currently has only a rudimentary air defense system, a remnant of its time as a Soviet republic.

Ukraine has identified improved air defenses as a critical element in countering what is expected to be a new wave of air strikes on its energy and other infrastructure sites — as occurred repeatedly last winter.

Recean repeated the main thesis of the new security strategy in singling out Russia as the biggest threat facing his country.

“The threat to our security is the Kremlin, the Russian Federation and how it relates to our neighbors and to us,” he told TV8.

He noted that Russia had halted imports of Moldova’s key farm goods this month and he cited a decree signed on Monday by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin simplifying procedures for Moldovans to become Russian citizens. This, he said was “a bid to recruit cannon fodder for its war in Ukraine”.—Reuters

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