Author: malaysiang

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday underscored the need for the BI modernization bill to be passed into law to further digitalize and improve its services. The BI made the remark after the House of Representatives approved on its third and final reading House Bill No. 8203 or the proposed BI Modernization Act. During the Laging Handa public briefing, BI deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said the existing immigration law was long established since the 1940s. ‘Talagang lumang-luma na po ito. Hindi na po siya angkop sa pangangailangan at sa mode of transportation sa ngayon. Napakaimportante na magkaroon ng bagong immigration law na makakaagapay at makakasagot sa pangangailangan ng ating panahon (This [law] is really old. It’s no longer applicable to the needs and modes of transportation nowadays. It’s really important to have a new immigration law that shall guide and resolve the needs of [modern] times),’ he said. Mabulac said the bill is timely to ensure that the BI shall be able to adhere to the administration’s efforts to digitalize government services and transactions. ‘Ito po ay pagsunod din sa ating pangulo na kung saan we are trying to digitize ‘yung mga sistema natin para mas mapabilis natin ‘yung ating pagbibigay ng serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan at mga kliyente na (This is also in line to the President’s order wherein we are trying to digitalize our system to streamline services to our fellow Filipinos and clients) within the realm of immigration,’ he added. With the modernization of the immigration system, Mabulac said less intervention shall be expected from personnel, which also means reducing the possibility of corruption. He also highlighted the significance of securing an Immigration Trust Fund under the proposed law, which shall entail resources to avail quality technology for a more seamless and secured service in the country’s borders. Besides modernization, the bill, if passed into law, shall also benefit immigration personnel with stable and regular positions, higher salary grades and benefits. Meanwhile, the BI is trying to improve its border security to ensure national safety and public health. “We are planning to install additional e-gate. At the same time, the advanced camera and biometric, we are fixing these, we are just improving it,” Mabulac said in mixed English and Filipino.

Source: Philippines News Agency

All 106 personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Antique province who submitted their specimens on the first day of the two-day drug test set on June 5-6 came out negative for illegal drugs. Another batch of 106 who underwent a similar test on Tuesday is still waiting for their results. ‘The personnel were cleared of illegal drugs,’ said BFP Antique Provincial Fire Marshal Supt. Patricio Collado, referring to those with negative results, in an interview on Tuesday. Those who will test positive for using illegal drugs will be subjected to an administrative investigation. The drug test conducted simultaneously with their physical fitness examination (PFE) was in support of BFP’s drug-free workplace policy. ‘The physical fitness examination and drug testing are intended to ensure the BFP personnel are healthy all the time,’ Collado said. The PFE test was done to find out if their personnel are fit to carry out their work, especially in case of fire incidents. A medical team checked on their blood pressure and other vital signs before they were asked to perform carry hose, push-up, and sit-up exercises, he added. The physical fitness can help in the early detection of illnesses for them to seek further medical interventions. Only 211 personnel, however, underwent the PFE since a female firefighter from the San Jose de Buenavista fire station has just returned from maternity leave. ‘The employee was excused or given an order of ‘no go’ by the BFP Health Service Station,’ said San Jose de Buenavista fire station commander Inspector Vic Matta in a separate interview. Matta and his 38 personnel were among those who submitted to the drug test on Tuesday.

Source: Philippines News Agency

This city in northern Negros Occidental province on Tuesday reported nine cases of African swine fever (ASF), including seven detected from pigs in the slaughterhouse of the Victorias Foods Corporation (VFC). It is the second local government unit (LGU) in the province to have confirmed cases of the highly contagious viral disease — based on the reports of the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas (DA-6) Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) — after Pulupandan town which first recorded a case end of May. In a press conference, Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez announced the development with Dr. John Michael Cabuguason, city veterinarian, who said they have monitored the ASF cases in two areas since last week. The first incident was recorded in a backyard farm in Barangay 5, where two of the three submitted samples tested positive on June 5. ‘All the animals died and were properly disposed of. Immediate culling with indemnification will be done within a 500-meter radius,’ Cabuguason said. The second incident, as shown in the DA-6 RADDL result on Tuesday, included seven samples from the VFC abattoir that tested positive for ASF. Cabuguason said these included pigs subjected to blood sampling before they were brought in for slaughter. He added that the hogs were part of the 15 sows that came from Hinigaran town in southern Negros on June 2. ‘Immediate containment of infected pork products in the slaughterhouse of VFC was implemented. The carcasses and organs were condemned, the whole area was disinfected,’ the city veterinarian said. Benitez acknowledged the economic concern brought by the ASF threat to the city’s PHP16-million hog industry, which is entirely comprised of backyard hog raisers. ‘We are going to explore options on how to minimize impact to livelihood,’ he said. The mayor said 90 percent of the 1,584 total hog population here has been insured with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.

Source: Philippines News Agency

China on Tuesday unveiled the world’s first homegrown 5G large cruise ship. China’s first domestically built cruise ship, Adora Magic City, also known as “Mo Du,” was released into waters in Shanghai. According to Chinese People’s Daily, the cruise is the first 5G ship in the world. With 2,125 rooms in the 24-story ship, the cruise can accommodate around 5,246 passengers at full capacity. The work on the cruise began in 2019 and was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. “The large cruise ship is the world’s most complex single electronic product made up of over 25 million individual parts, five times the number of individual parts used in China’s first domestic aircraft, the C919, and 13 times that of the ‘Fuxing’ bullet train,” Chinese daily Global Times reported. The cruise will undergo two sea trials in July and August before being officially launched to be used for commercial operations next year.

Source: Philippines News Agency

A city councilor here has urged local corn farmers to keep working hard as the government will always support them. Councilor Nestor Casador, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on agriculture, assured Tuesday the beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture (DA) corn seeds and fertilizer dispersal program that the city government is also ready to help them improve productivity and profit. Casador made the assurance after the city government and DA-12 (Soccsksargen) held a ceremonial distribution of corn seeds and fertilizers at the City Hall grounds. The activity was part of DA’s Corn Production Enhancement Program (CPEP) to boost the grain production per hectare of yellow and white corn by three percent per year. The target aims to boost farmers’ income and the availability of yellow and white corn for feeds and food, respectively. A total of 101 corn farmers from several cooperatives here each received 18 kilograms of hybrid corn seeds, a sack of urea, and full fertilizers through the Office of City Agriculture Services. During the program, DA-12 representative Ronald Villoso urged all the recipients to complete the requirements to be eligible for all government programs for farmers. Vice Mayor Lina Montilla appreciated the DA for their programs for corn farmers and for providing the high-quality seeds and fertilizers. She assured DA officials that the local government is also making every effort to assist farmers with the programs and services they need.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Troops have rescued an Indonesian teenager as they seized an encampment of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) following a firefight in this province, military officials said Tuesday. Col. Frederick Sales, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Basilan acting commander, said the 15-year-old male teen was rescued when they clashed and overran an ASG encampment in Sitio Lobloban, Barangay Guiong, Sumisip town on Saturday. The clash occurred while the troops were pursuing ASG bomber and Sulu-based sub-leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, and Basilan-based sub-leader Pasil Bayali in the village. Sales said Sawadjaan brought the boy with him when he recently fled from Sulu province to evade relentless combat operations launched by the Army’s 1103rd Infantry Brigade. ‘Operating troops immediately brought the rescued Indonesian national to the hospital for medical check-up,’ he added. The teenager is allegedly the son of a suicide bomber couple – the late Rullie Rian Zeke alias Abbang Rullie, 35, and his wife, Ulfah Handayani Saleh, 32 – who were tagged as the perpetrators of the January 2019 bombing of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu province. At least 23 people were killed and more than a hundred others were wounded during the cathedral bombing incident. Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, Western Mindanao Command chief, has commended the JTF-Basilan troops for successfully rescuing the Indonesian teenager. ‘He is still young, and we are hopeful that with proper guidance and counseling, he will be able to walk back on the right path and build a better future,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency