Category: General

The Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) use of “jet stream pressure” water cannon against Philippine vessels on routine humanitarian mission to Bajo de Masinloc has heightened the tension in the West Philippine Sea, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said.

National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said the April 30 attack on BRP Bagacay and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Bankaw highlights China’s ‘lack of concern for regional peace and stability.’

“This is the first time that the Coast Guard vessel has been subject to a direct water cannon with that kind of pressure that resulted in structural damage,” Tarriela said.

He said the water pressure used by the CCG was so forceful that it damaged both Philippine vessels.

‘Their actions reveal their true intentions and expose their pretentious facade of claiming to be a benevolent rising power,’ Tarriela said.

He said the country’s transparency tactic in its clashes with China in the
WPS has been a success in ‘showing the world the barbaric and unruly behavior of China, who resort to using force to justify their greed.’

‘China has forgotten that transparency aims to expose their illegal actions, which they once successfully portrayed as gray zone tactics,’ he said.

Following China’s use of “jet stream pressure”, he said they would make a recommendation and report it to the NTF.

Damage assessment

In a statement Thursday, PCG spokesperson, Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said preliminary assessment found that Bagacay incurred damage to its superstructure — the ship’s main area — including a collapsed railing and canvas roof.

PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered the Coast Guard Fleet to evaluate the structural integrity of the vessel and determine needed repairs.

‘We are also providing its crew with comprehensive medical check-ups to ensure their well-being. Our personnel know the risks, yet they continue to fulfill their duties as public servants,’ Balilo said.

He assur
ed the PCG Command would provide for the needs of its personnel in the performance of their duty.

Despite the attack, he said the PCG would continue to comply with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ‘continue to act peacefully and responsibly’ in upholding the country’s sovereignty over its exclusive economic zones, including Bajo de Masinloc in the WPS.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued the modified guidelines on the creation and clustering of precincts for the introduction of Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) for overseas voting in the May 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).

In Comelec en banc Resolution No. 10986 dated April 24, 2024, the poll body set the guidelines for the clustering of foreign service posts (Posts) using the OVCS and the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) for personal and postal voting.

“There are currently 93 Posts for overseas voting and registration, wherein 76 Posts will adopt the OVCS and 17 Posts will adopt ACM voting, whether Postal or Personal,” it said.

“The 93 Posts covering different countries/areas under their jurisdictions, and with their respective modes of voting, will warrant the clustering of precincts overseas to ensure the successful, credible, peaceful, accessible, and safe conduct of the 2025 NLE,” the Commission added.

For voters that will use the OVCS, the Comelec noted that there w
ill be only one precinct for countries with only one Post, regardless of the number of registered overseas voters.

For Posts with multiple countries or jurisdictions, one precinct will be established per country under said Post, regardless of the number of voters.

For nations with multiple Posts, each Post will have one precinct regardless of the number of Filipino voters.

On the other hand, Comelec explained that those that will be using ACMs (Postal or Personal Voting) will have clustered precincts with no more than 2,000 voters per country or jurisdiction per Post.

It added that each Post shall transmit its election results directly to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).

The Comelec has given the Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) until December 16 to submit the final Project of Precincts (POPs) to the Commission en banc.

The elections for overseas voters will be on April 12, 2025, a month ahead of the May 12 NLE.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BAGUIO CITY: The National Museum of the Philippines has allotted PHP25 million for the rehabilitation of its museum in Kabayan, Benguet, which houses information on local history as as well actual mummies.

‘The amount will focus on the rehabilitation of the structure of Site 1 because it is already old and we have national treasures on exhibits inside, which needs to be protected,’ Paolo Mar Chan, Regional Administrative and Operations Division chief of the National Museum, said in a phone interview on Thursday.

The rehabilitation is scheduled to be completed within the year. The exhibits are temporarily housed in a building within the materials recovery facility of the town.

Chan said a different fund will be utilized for the upkeep of the exhibits.

Among the valuable exhibits that the museum have include a geological collection and artifacts on natural history that include mummies and items about the ethnic group called Ibaloi, and the town of Kabayan, which is known as the seat of the Ibaloi culture.

Chan said the National Museum-Kabayan plays an important role in the preservation of the knowledge and the history of the Ibaloi people.

He said mummies and the practice of mummification are unique to Kabayan, making it important to be disseminated and known not just by the locals especially the young people in the town, but also by tourists.

He said that since NMP opened its museums to the public, it has seen an increase in visitors.

‘This is good because we do not just keep and preserve the knowledge and artifacts within the walls of the structures but are read and known by people who visit and bring the information along with them when they go out of the museum,’ he added.

Aside from outdoor destinations in Kabayan, the upkeep of the museum also hopes to add to the attractions of the municipality, increasing its revenue as a town.

Kabayan, one of the popular tourist destinations in Benguet, is the host of Mt. Pulag, the second highest peak in the country, and the four lakes that offer activities in co
mmunion with nature through camping. Tourists can also be invited to see the museum without an added cost to the tourists.

‘We also have educational tours for those who visit the museum, and with the upkeep, we hope to further increase the visitors in Kabayan,’ he said.

Chan is also hopeful for the approval of a PHP15 million funding for the construction of another structure that will house the conservation laboratory that will make the cleaning, restoration and maintenance of the exhibits easier and lessen the need to transport these to Metro Manila.

The NMP-Kabayan also maintains the Timbac burial caves and the mummy rocks, where important mummies like the popular ‘Apo Anno’ mummy stay.

With tourist arrivals in the town expected to increase after the museum rehabilitation, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) announced during the 15th Eco-Tourism and Bendiyan Festival on May 1 that there is an ongoing study of the feasibility of having the 12 rooms hostel in Kabayan rehabilit
ated and operated.

‘Napapanahon nang magkaroon ng additional access sa facilities dahil may enhanced economic activity as Kabayan is continuously being promoted of its tourism strengths and assets (It is timely to have additional access to facilities with the enhanced economic activity in Kabayan, with its strengths and assets continuously being promoted),’ TIEZA business development manager Janet Christine Ocampo said.

She said the hostel was returned to TIEZA more than a decade ago after the operations and maintenance (O and M) contract of the local government unit expired.

‘The facility is old and deteriorated that is why we are studying if it can be rehabilitated and operated again,’ she said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Quang Ninh: The number of visitors to the northeastern province of Quang Ninh during the recent 5-day holiday saw a year-on-year increase of 48%, topping 1 million.

Of the total, about 429,000 stayed overnight. The province earned about 2.21 trillion VND (87 million USD) from tourists during the period.

According to the province’s Tourism Department, it attracted 92,768 international visitors during the period, most of them from China, the Republic of Korea, India, France, and Australia.

Ha Long Bay continued to be a popular tourist attraction to visitors to the province as the UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage received over 84,700 visitors including 26,526 foreigners.

Meanwhile, the province’s Mong Cai city received 168,000 visitors with about 50,000 staying overnight there.

More than 101,500 people entered and exited through the Mong Cai international border gate on this occasion. The number of visitors to many destinations in the city increased 2-3 folds compared to the same period in 2023.

Qu
ang Ninh has set a target to attract over 17 million visitors including 3 million international ones this year./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil stated that the Unity government has made significant efforts to support the Indian community, including upgrading Tamil schools, ensuring the welfare of students, as well as providing assistance through the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA).

Fahmi, who is also the Unity government spokesman, added that some government-linked companies have agreed to employ 1,000 workers from the Indian community through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.

He concurred with former Klang MP Charles Santiago’s call for Indian political leaders to set aside disagreements and focus on resolving community issues during the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

“Let’s set aside political differences and work together to address issues effectively for all races and religions. However, if there are marginalised groups, we must work diligently (to support them),” he told reporters after the inauguration of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Office last n
ight.

Fahmi also highlighted that the Prime Minister’s appointment of P. Prabakaran as chairman of the MITRA Special Task Force Committee aims to rejuvenate efforts in addressing issues within the Indian community and safeguarding their welfare.

He then said that the opening of the PH office is a step towards capturing the Putrajaya Parliamentary seat.

He stressed the importance for PH to intensify efforts, not only in supporting the local community but also in comprehending the intricacies of their lives and amplifying their voices.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

BUKIT MERTAJAM, A married couple, who used to operate a home-based food business earning between RM2,500 to RM3,000 per month, were amazed that the People’s Income Initiative (IPR) they discovered through Facebook helped them increase their income five-fold.

Amin Afifi Yaakob, 36, shared that he and his wife, Yufaeza Yussof, 30, now generate RM10,000 to RM15,000 per month with vending machines provided under the IPR, specifically under the Food Entrepreneur Initiative (INSAN) category, since October last year.

“I used to sell food, including cakes, from home, through social media. When I learned about the IPR on Facebook, I immediately registered and successfully joined the vending machine initiative.

“We received the machine September last year and placed it at the Permatang Pauh Universiti Teknologi MARA in October. Alhamdulillah, the response has been very encouraging,” he told Bernama.

Amin Afifi, who is a father of two boys, stated that he and his wife offer a variety of options in the vending machin
es to provide the university students a diverse selection of food.

He explained that they offer latest food trends based on the students’ preferences, including nasi lemak, Korean fried chicken, cheese fried chicken, chicken chop, spaghetti, snacks, tortillas, sandwiches, and more.

“Our menu constantly evolves with the latest and viral food trends. I also ask the students what they prefer so we can provide what they truly want.

“Nasi lemak with egg, nuggets, and sausages, as well as chicken nasi lemak at RM3 and RM4, are often sold out fast. These are daily staples compared to other items that I rotate,” he said.

Amin Afifi, who lives in Bukit Minyak, highlighted that they buy fresh ingredients daily to prepare the items before stocking it in vending machine at 2 pm and 10 pm to ensure freshness.

He clarified that 60 to 70 percent of the food is homemade, with the remaining sourced from suppliers offering items like burgers, roti john, and pizza, as a gesture of sharing the blessings with them too.

“We
don’t offer the same food as the cafeteria because we don’t want to compete with them. And the food in the vending machines is available after the cafeteria closes, for the convenience of the students,” he explained.

“I also share information through the UiTM Telegram group about what’s available in the vending machine. Every month, we sell over 5,000 packs of food priced between RM1 and RM8.

He conveyed his appreciation and gratitude to the Ministry of Economy for providing this opportunity, highlighting that they now feel a sense of relief, no longer burdened by the uncertainty of generating income.

The IPR, launched by the Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli in February last year, aims to assist the hardcore poor, poor, and B40 groups to generate sustainable income.

The initiative is a collaboration between the government, the people, and strategic partners, aligning with the overall national approach outlined in the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the principles of compassion under the Madani Policy Framework.

Under the INSAN initiative, recipients are provided with vending machines at selected locations, with monthly rental estimated between RM600 and RM800 which is fully funded by the government for two years.

The IPR also offers the Farm Entrepreneur Initiative (INTAN) category for agricultural companies, food retail chains, exporters, relevant government agencies, and cooperatives, as well as the Service Operator Initiative (IKHSAN) for private companies requiring part-time workers for cleaning of premises.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU, The Federal government has approved an allocation to buy new water pumps for the use of farmers and padi planters in Kelantan.

Without revealing the size of the allocation, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the matter was decided in a special meeting for the development of Kelantan a while ago.

He said the pumps will be purchased according to the actual needs of the state that is in the grip of a heat wave.

‘We will procure pumps for the farmers and padi planters to help them,” he said after a special closed-door meeting attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim together with Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud at the MABNA MBI building in Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

Meanwhile, commenting on the farmers and padi growers affected by the hot weather that hit the state, Mohamad said they will be given help but it depends on the state’s application.

‘The scorching weather that is happening in Kelantan is unusual and farmers and
padi planters who have suffered losses will get help but it depends on their application,’ he said.

Today, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was reported to have said that the hot weather following the El Nino phenomenon that is currently hitting the country is expected to stretch into July.

The situation has seen some areas especially in Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah experience weather hotter than other states.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency