Category: General

ILOILO CITY: Consumers are encouraged to tighten their belts as the headline inflation in March accelerated to 3.1 percent, higher than the 2.7 percent in February and 2 percent in January.

‘The main reason was the faster movement on the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages group with an inflation rate of 5.5 percent and share of 59.3 percent to the uptrend in inflation,’ Nelida Amolar, Chief Statistical Specialist of the Philippine Statistics Authority-Western Visayas, said in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Particularly identified as top indicators were the increase in prices of cereals and cereal products, and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, and the slower decline in prices of vegetables.

Based on agricultural data, livestock production was lower during the third quarter of 2023 at 33,000 against the 52,000 posted in 2022.

‘The law of supply and demand. When the production, the supply is low, then the demand will pull the price, so it will be expensive,’ she added.

Also co
ntributing to the 3.1 percent inflation is the 4.8 percent inflation on restaurants and accommodations services and the 2.4 percent inflation rate in transportation.

She, however, stressed that the region ranked third from the lowest compared to the other regions.

The headline inflation also remains low when compared to a year-on-year when the region registered a 9.3 percent rate in March 2023.

She said it means that the peso’s value this year is higher than last year’s.

Source: Philippines News Agency

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA: The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) approved a resolution on Monday recommending the state of calamity in Antique due to the El Niño.

Antique PDRRM Officer Broderick Train said the council made the recommendation following the declaration of the state of calamity in three municipalities in the province.

‘The towns of Sibalom, Anini-y, and Laua-an have now come up with their own declarations of the state of calamity that is why the PDRRMC also had come up with a declaration for the province,’ Train said.

Sibalom declared a state of calamity on March 13, Anini-y on March 27, and Laua-an on April 12.

‘The PDRRMC will be submitting its recommendation for the provincial board to deliberate in next week’s regular session,’ Train said.

The PDRRMC allocated an initial of PHP10 million from the PHP30 million Quick Response Fund (QRF).

“We will allocate PHP10 million to assist the affected families and individuals,” Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cad
iao, who presided over the PDRRMC meeting, said.

The governor said they need to distribute family food packs and aid to individuals in crisis situations (AICS).

“We also need to procure movable water tanks and their needed accessories for barangays suffering from water shortage,” Cadiao said.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Antique will have PHP100,000 for fuel for the firetrucks to transport water to the barangays and respond to fire incidents due to drought.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will also have PHP100,000 for their fuel to back up the BFP during fire incidents.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) report said that 12,552 families with 50,292 individuals were affected by the phenomenon, either because of damaged crops or destroyed houses.

Those with houses destroyed by fire will receive PHP10,000 AICS and PHP5,000 for partially burned houses.

Antique has PHP165.6 million recorded damage on rice crops as of April 11.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BACOLOD CITY: The Negros Occidental provincial government is showcasing its best agricultural products and practices during the 28th Panaad Sa Negros Festival from April 15 to 21.

On Monday, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the opening of the Food Security Fair and Exhibit as well as the Livestock and Dairy Fair inside the festival site at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan here.

“Come visit, participate, buy, and support our farmers and fisherfolk,” Lacson said.

Panaad Sa Negros is the province’s annual “festival of all festivals” participated by all 32 local government units in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.

The Food Security Fair and Exhibit features corners on food security, agri-fishery technology, farmers’ information and technology services (FITS), partner agencies’ services, and the bamboo village.

The trade fair also showcases various agricultural products and farm produce at the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and Organic Trading Post (OTP).

The Office of the Provincial Agricult
urist (OPA) will award the “Most Promising and Innovative Product”.

The Food Security Corner presents the OPA programs and services towards ensuring food security in the province while the Agri-Fishery Technology Clinic offers a one-on-one consultation/discussion to farmer-clients with experts.

The FITS Corner provides timely and relevant agricultural and fisheries information and technology services.

Joining the exhibit are the Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Philippine Rice Research Institute, National Food Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, National Irrigation Administration and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

The Panaad Bamboo Village showcases the province’s bamboo production technology and facilities.

At the Livestock and Dairy Fair, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) held the Livestock and Poultry Raisers Day on Monday.

Activities included seminars on avian influenza status and updates, swine production and management, and gamefowl management and bre
eding practices.

On April 16, goat, carabao, and cattle raisers will gather for the Ruminants’ Day; Wednesday (April 17) will be the Poultry Raisers’ Day; Thursday (April 18), the Meat Processors and Post Harvest Day; Friday (April 19), Hog Raisers’ Day; and Saturday (April 20), Pets and Companion Animal Raisers’ Day.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s ‘no wang-wang’ (sirens) policy and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s ‘8’ protocol plates prohibition provide motorists with a level of playing field amid the crippling traffic situation, particularly in Metro Manila.

Cagayan De Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday said the use of sirens and police escorts ‘are a symbol of entitlement of power and privileges, which our people frown upon and do not accept.’

‘Let us have a level playing field in suffering the terrible traffic situation. All officials must go early to their appointments taking into account the traffic. No one should be above the traffic crisis,’ Rodriguez said in a statement.

He said the people regard public officials who flaunt their position, power and influence as arrogant and they should not be emulated.

Public officials, he added, should heed the admonition in the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees that they should, at all times, be accountable to the people a
nd ‘shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.’

‘We are not leading or living modest lives if we demand that we should be entitled to certain privileges as public servants,’ he said.

Rodriguez proposed that only the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court can use protocol plates.

He said other members of Congress, Cabinet members and other officials should use regular plates.

‘I have never used No. 8 since I became a congressman in 2007. I could not understand why many officials, including undersecretaries, judges and prosecutors, are using low-numbered plates,’ Rodriguez said.

In an advisory to House members, Romualdez said ‘in view of the issuance by the President of Executive Order (EO) No. 56 last March 25, we are not authorized to use the protocol ‘8’ plates.’

He sa
id the House would coordinate with the Land Transportation Office and the Metro Manila Development Authority on the use of protocol plates once the rules implementing EO 56 are issued.

Under the President’s Order, those allowed to use low-numbered plates are the President, Vice President, Senate president, Speaker, chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court, Cabinet members, senators, House members, presiding justice of the Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals and Sandiganbayan, solicitor general, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police chief, Ombudsman, and chairpersons of constitutional commissions.

Source: Philippines News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The 18th Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Conference kicked off in Xingyi city, Southwest China’s Guizhou province, on the basis of “simplicity, delicacy, thoughtfulness and safety”, on April 11.

Hosted by the People’s Government of Guizhou Province, the Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Conference has been held annually since 2006, aimed to accelerate the development of Guizhou’s tourism industry and cultivate it into a pillar industry.

Themed “Promoting Deep Integration of Culture and Tourism and Building a World-class Tourist Destination”, the conference has been successfully held for 17 sessions, in rotation by all cities and prefectures in Guizhou.

The tourism resources in this region are mainly composed of mountain landscapes, ethnic cultures and historical relics, according to the People’s Government of Guizhou Province in a statement.

In recent years, Qianxinan Prefecture has promoted Health Tourism by combining the original mountain tourism resources. Numerous health tourism
projects and top quality tourism routes have been launched to attract healthy lifestyle-seeking tourists.

Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southwest of Guizhou Province, China, with excellent transportation infrastructure and is famous for its well-preserved and unique natural scenery and rich ethnic cultures.

With typical karst landform, famous scenic spots include Maling River Canyon and Wanfeng Forest in Xingyi, Wanfeng Lake, and Guizhou Longhua Stone Group in addition to “Eight-Note Seated Singing” which is a type of Bouyei ethnic group’s talking and singing folk art.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KOTA BHARU, A total of 64 students have been appointed as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Ambassadors to implement pilot projects at Kolej Komuniti Kok Lanas.

The community college’s director, Nik Ahmad Rizal Wan Ismail said the students involved are from Form Four and Five of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kota Bharu, SMK Pangkal Kalong, SMK Mulong and SMK Salor.

He said these students will be tasked with delivering all inputs related to the programmes and specialisations offered under TVET as a study option after completing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

“The target is for students who are about to complete their studies at the SPM level, which are required for their further studies,” he told reporters after the Closing Ceremony of the TVET Ambassador Programme @ KLCC 2024, at the college here today.

Nik Ahmad Rizal said the continuation of studies at community colleges is easy, requiring only a pass in SPM with one credit, and financial assistance is provided for B40 stu
dents.

“SPM leavers can choose from the main programmes offered, such as Hairdressing Certificate, Beauty and Spa Therapy Certificate, and Creative Multimedia Advertising Certificate with a fee as low as RM200 per semester,” he said.

He said for B40 students, they are also assisted with RM2,400 per semester and can continue to diploma level at polytechnics and then a bachelor’s degree via the Malaysia Technical University Network.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Education (DepEd) released Monday the guidelines on alternate uniforms for both teaching and non-teaching personnel amid sweltering temperatures across the country.

In a Facebook post, the DepEd announced that teachers and other staff can use select polo shirts as more comfortable uniforms when reporting to their workstations.

According to the DepEd Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2024-0662 dated April 11, these include existing collared DepEd polo shirts which were previously used in “Brigada Eskwela, Palarong Pambansa, Oplan Balik Eskwela, and Regional/ Division/ Schools Conference,” among others.

Besides previously used designs, the DepEd also allowed the use of white polo shirts with the DepEd and MATATAG logos.

The DepEd, however, said leggings, tights, and jogging pants are still prohibited, in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s revised dress code prescribed for all government officials and employees in the workplace.

“Ang mga nabanggit na opsyon ay dapat ipares sa matte
black pants anuman ang tela (The aforementioned options should be paired with matte black pants in whatever fabric [of your choice]),” the DepEd said.

Teachers and non-teaching personnel may use slacks, jeans, or cargo pants for their bottoms.

Earlier, the DepEd also advised learners that they are allowed to wear more comfortable clothes when going to classes.

School heads were also reminded of their authority to suspend in-person classes and implement alternative delivery modes whenever needed.

Source: Philippines News Agency