THE BANGSAMORO Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the national government signed an agreement on Wednesday to improve access to higher education, especially in conflict-affected areas.
The memorandum of understanding, outlining a 10-point agenda, was signed by BARMM Minister of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Mohagher Iqbal, Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera III, and Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. of the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
Under the partnership, CHED will provide financial assistance to students and technical support to BARMM’s higher education institutions, Mr. Galvez said during the signing ceremony held in Quezon City.
Mr. Iqbal stressed the role of education in countering violence and promoting reconciliation and unity.
“We aim to produce at least one professional in a family in the Bangsamoro…The 10-point agreements in the MOU emphasizes the significance of education in peace-building,” Mr. Iqbal said.
Mr. De Vera, for his part, said funding has already been allocated for the BARMM programs under the CHED’s 2020 budget.
“I saw how important and vital this potential partnership will be in making sure that education will be the anchor of development to push forward peace and development in the region,” he said.
During an initial meeting with BARMM last April, CHED also committed to tap various universities to help in the Bangsamoro, including the following: Mindanao State University’s Iligan and Naawan campuses; University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños, Manila, and Diliman; and Ateneo de Davao.
MAYNILAD WATER Services, Inc. has backed the development of Kaliwa Dam, calling the new water source as a “viable long-term solution” to the shortage suffered by Metro Manila residents. The China-funded project, which has been issued an environmental compliance certificate by the Department of Environment And Natural Resources, faces opposition from local communities, environmental groups and some legislators. Maynilad’s expression of support for Kaliwa Dam comes after the company started implementing water rationing last week as the water in Angat Dam has fallen below normal level. “As a water distributor, Maynilad can only distribute the water volume that it receives from existing raw water sources. The government has claimed responsibility for the development of raw water sources, but we have been working with them to expedite the process because we understand the urgency of meeting the supply needs of our customers,” the water concessionaire serving the west zone of Metro Manila said on Wednesday. Maynilad also said it is maximizing the limited supply to allow it to mitigate the impact of the current reduced allocation from Angat Dam. The company has also added 300 million liters per day (MLD) to its water production capacity after the construction of its treatment facilities sourcing raw water from Laguna Lake. “We intend to further boost this by another 150 MLD supply. We continue to aggressively implement our Non-Revenue Water reduction program, reactivate deep wells as needed, and deploy mobile treatment plants to source additional raw water from dams in Cavite,” Maynilad said. — Victor V. Saulon
TWO CONTAINERS of pork and other meat products estimated to be worth P3.5 million, misdeclared as food seasoning and tomato paste, were seized at the Port of Manila. In a statement on Wednesday, the Bureau of Customs said the smuggled goods, which arrived at the South Harbor on Oct. 8 from China, was consigned to JRA & Pearl Enterprises and was processed by Customs Broker Arlene De Mateo Gonzales. The Philippine government has a temporary ban in effect against pork and pork meat products from China and 19 other countries affected by the African Swine Fever.
THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday said it will issue show cause orders against three bus companies for not having security cameras in some of their units. In a statement, the LTFRB said it conducted inspections of several buses on Wednesday and found five units that violated the required CCTV camera. “Ito ay isang paglabag sa (This is a violation of the) Bus Inspection Report Guidelines,” LTFRB said. The violators are: Five Star Bus (two units); First North Luzon Transit (two); and Cisco Bus (one). The five units have been temporarily seized. — Arjay L. Balinbin
THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) director and two other employees of the Bicol regional office have been suspended alleged corruption, the agency said in a statement Wednesday. Region V Director Vladimir Kahulugan and employees Andres Tabunda and Arnel Sabello are facing charges of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public. LTFRB said the cases against Mr. Kahulugan were filed based on verified reports of cash solicitations, for allowing a certain Mark Sumulong to misrepresent the agency in collecting money from operators with pending cases, and allowing his enforcement team to demand monthly “protection” money from Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) operators. Messrs. Tabunda and Sabello, meanwhile, are charged with falsification of documents and for deliberately tampering and falsifying the minutes of deliberation in relation to the appointments of some LTFRB Region V personnel. LTFRB also reported that another regional officer, Gerard del Rio, was dismissed from service last July for accepting cash in exchange for the speedy issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience to PUV operators in Catanduanes and in Masbate. Along with Mr. Del Rio, the LTFRB also ordered the dismissal of 13 job order employees in relation to the cases filed.
STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has installed automated teller machines (ATM) in two Palawan towns as part of its financial inclusion program in remote parts of the country. The ATMs, located in the municipalities of Quezon and Narra, will provide 24/7 electronic banking services to some 200,000 residents, DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Herbosa said in a statement on Wednesday. He added that the facilities will also benefit residents of the “neighboring unbanked town of Rizal.”
P5B bond offering. Meanwhile, DPB is also set to issue and list its two-year bond offering worth P5 billion on Nov. 11, the first tranche of its P50-billion program under its Sustainability Finance Framework. The fundraising activity is intended to finance eligible environmental and social projects. The bank’s first-half net earnings grew 12.3% year-on-year to P3.1 billion, boosted by lending growth. — Beatrice M. Laforga
SMUGGLED cigarettes worth P95 million were confiscated in Siasi, Sulu last Sunday, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported on Wednesday. The 2,727 master cases of Cannon and Fort cigarettes, which did not have proper importation permits from the National Tobacco Administration, were confiscated from a motorboat by the BoC and the Naval Task Group Sulu. “The operation stemmed from a confidential information received by authorities that more or less 3,000 alleged smuggled cigarettes were onboard ML Three Brothers anchored in the vicinity waters off Siasi Sulu,” BoC said, describing it as the “biggest haul in the history of the Port of Zamboanga.” — Beatrice M. Laforga
THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Iloilo province is urging small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to have an online presence and target millennials to expand their markets. “There is a need to make sure that you have both an online presence and brick and mortar a in a digitized economy,” DTI-Iloilo Provincial Director Ermelinda P. Pollentes said during last week’s opening ceremony for the Artesanias de Iloilo Trade Fair. She also underscored the need for SMEs to develop products for millennials, or those currently within the early 20’s to late 30’s age group, because this is a market that has purchasing power. “We want that your produce and develop products that are really needed by the market, especially the millennials… Develop new and innovative products for the millennials because these are those with huge purchasing power, but don’t forget other markets,” Ms. Pollentes said. “Innovation need not start from innovation. It can be an existing product that you can add something, which you see is not being served by the market,” she added, noting that DTI has assistance programs as well as shared service facilities that SMEs can tap. Around 50 exhibitors participated in the five-day Artesanias de Iloilo Trade Fair, including producers of food and crafts, home furinishings and wearables, bamboo products, and beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo
FIVE PEOPLE have been confirmed dead while two are missing in the aftermath of the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck central Mindanao on Oct. 29, according to the Oct. 30 update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Among those who died were a seven-year old boy who was killed in a rockslide in Arakan, Cotabato and a 66-year old man hit by falling debris in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. Two other casualties, a 22-year old male and 23-year old female were also from Cotabato. One death was reported in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, a 15-year old boy who was hit by a collapsed wall at the Kasuga National High School. Search and rescue operations were ongoing for the two missing following a landslide in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.
INFRA DAMAGE
Meanwhile, there were 394 people reported injured, mostly in Cotabato, with the earthquake’s epicenter located in the province’s Tulunan municipality. Aftershocks as strong as magnitude five continued to be recorded by state agency Phivolcs as of Oct. 30. The number of displaced families, including those from the 6.4 earthquake last Oct. 16 in the same area, was 7,303 consisting of over 35,000 individuals. On infrastructure, 94 schools, 11 health facilities, seven other public structures and 20 commercial establishments have been damaged in the regions of Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro. Damage assessment and relief operations are continuing, according to NDRRMC.
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau in a recent visit in Manila
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) reassured Filipino businessmen and entrepreneurs that Hong Kong remains an effective platform for global business despite the recent social incidents in the city.
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said that Hong Kong continues to be a competitive city that enjoys ease of doing business, economic freedom, a low level of corruption, international talent, and free flow of capital, goods, people and information.
“Hong Kong is still very strong in terms of economic and financial fundamentals. A lot of academic and economic institutes still recognize Hong Kong as the freest economy, as a very competitive city, good for investments and so on,” HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau told the local press.
To take advantage of the opportunities that Hong Kong offers, Mr. Chau is encouraging Filipino companies to participate in trade fairs being organized by HKTDC which connect firms to global markets and a wealth of business opportunities.
These include opportunities arising from two of China’s major initiatives, the Belt and Road Initiative and the Hong Kong-Guangdong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development that present huge market opportunities for various sectors, including traders.
With regards to the issue of security, Mr. Chau assured that special security measures are always in place to respond to different situations during trade fairs. These include providing exhibitors and buyers bus services that would transport them from the airport to the hotel and exhibition center.
In fact, from July to September, nine HKTDC fairs in the city were held smoothly and proceeded as planned. These large-scale fairs and conference attracted over 5,000 exhibitors and more than 66,000 buyers, including close to 350 Filipino buyers.
“I will not say we are 100% safe, but the risk level is not high. At least during my trade fairs, not a single foreign visitor has been hurt, no complain at all. So, I think, it’s competitively safe to come to Hong Kong for sourcing,” Mr. Chau said.
This October to November, the HKTDC is organizing seven large-scale trade fairs, including the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), electronicAsia, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo. These four upcoming fairs alone have attracted about 7,430 exhibitors, a figure largely on a par with last year, showing that the recent social unrest in Hong Kong has not affected global exhibitors’ confidence in relation to attending trade fairs in the city.
In terms of Filipino firms’ presence in HKTDC trade fairs, Mr. Chau said that only about 30 companies have been participating as exhibitors all year round. This is due to lack of resources and support from the local government, he said.
“Filipino companies are lack of resources, so I hope relevant authority can support them more financially to join overseas promotions,” Mr. Chau said.
Mr. Chau noted that trade fair is a wonderful platform and Filipino companies can make use of Hong Kong to promote themselves and to attract investments.
“You should look at Hong Kong as an important platform,” Mr. Chau said. “Sometimes, people [firms and investors] ignore Hong Kong because we just have a small population, but Hong Kong is a very important platform. Though [we] only have seven million people, we consume more than the US does.”
“A lot of companies from Thailand, Japan, Korea [and] France are already relying on Hong Kong [as] platform to sell to the world. So, why not Filipino companies?” Mr. Chau added.
Apart from organizing trade fairs, the HKTDC supports Philippine companies through other events and activities. These include organizing overseas promotions like the “In Style • Hong Kong,” which connects companies in emerging markets with Hong Kong services providers and product suppliers.
The next edition of the campaign will be held in the country on March 5 to 6, 2020 at SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City. This will feature a trade expo showcasing a wide array of quality branded and design-led lifestyle products from Hong Kong, a service symposium featuring a range of business services, a high-level gala dinner, and a series of citywide promotions.
There are a lot of myths about breast cancer. In this video, Dr. Khoo Kei Kiong, deputy medical director and senior consultant at Medical Oncology in Parkway Cancer Centre in Singapore, talked about the most common of these myths and the truths about breast cancer.
