Category: General

ILOILO CITY: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) called on job seekers to avail of the online pre-registration for the Labor Day job fair, where over 12,000 vacancies are up for grabs in Western Visayas.

DOLE 6 regional director lawyer Sixto Rodriguez Jr. on Monday said to mark the 122nd celebration of Labor Day, they have a directive from Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to conduct the fair in all provinces.

‘Here in Region 6, the jobs fair activities and all other Labor Day activities will be done in the different provinces to reach the unreached and to serve the unserved and underserved,’ he said in a press conference.

The online pre-registration started last week and will continue until the day of the job fair.

It will allow a faster and smoother flow of processing of applications and for possible employers to browse the qualifications of applicants.

‘For facilitation purposes, we encourage them to go online so they will no longer queue, but they can proceed immediately to interviews,’ he said
.

As of April 22, the available vacancies reached 12,491, mostly on service, administrative services, and construction offered by 172 participating employers.

Those who want to register may access the https://bit.ly/2024LaborDay.

Rodriguez also announced that over PHP220 million worth of assistance in the form of livelihood support and emergency employment would be released on the same day.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: A fisherfolk association in the Bicol Region earned more than PHP300,000 for their first cycle harvest of bangus (milkfish) under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) Climate-Resilient Technology Demonstration and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Marine Fish Cage project.

In an interview on Monday, Rowena Briones, BFAR-Bicol spokesperson, said the project aims to increase the bangus supply in the region and provide longer solutions and intervention for the fishing industry particularly in areas that are prone to typhoons.

“The Sagñay Agri Fisheries Farmers Development Association (SAFFDA) Inc. harvested two tons of bangus and earned additional income. They are part of the 12 fisherfolk organization beneficiaries that were given intervention by the BFAR with a budget of PHP12 million,” Briones said.

She said eight of the 12 beneficiaries are now reaping the fruits of their labor and harvested 10,208 kilos of bangus, for which they earned PHP1.5 million.

“The beneficiaries wil
l prepare again and are expected to harvest by mid-May. With the success of the project, the organization will have a continuous income and at the same time we are contributing to the continued supply of bangus in the region,” she added.

In a statement, Marisse San Felipe, one of the association officers, thanked BFAR for the livelihood opportunity provided to their group.

“On behalf of our group, Sagñay Agri Fisheries Farmers Development Association (SAFFDA) Inc., we are very grateful for this opportunity. It’s an immense honor to receive the set of HDPE marine fish cage. Our respectful gratitude to BFAR 5 and the LGU Sagñay,’ she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: Famous delicacies of Albay province were showcased at the “Hapag ng Pamana” Food Festival opening on Monday at the Albay Astrodome here.

In an interview, Dorothy Colle, Albay Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office chief, said the activity with the theme “Kalutong Filipino, Lakas ng Kabataang Makabago” is part of the celebration of Filipino Food Month this April to promote food tourism and preserve the identity of Albayanos through cooking.

“The National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA), in partnership with the provincial government of Albay, implements the Hapag ng Pamana to promote and appreciate slow food, particularly for the youth,” she said.

Colle said as part of the two-day festival, at least 200 students from different culinary schools in the province also participated in a symposium on Albay culinary heritage and a cooking demonstration featuring local dishes and delicacies such as the Bicol express, “tinuktok”, “kaloko”, “tagbakon langka” and “sinangkutsa na manok”.

“We aim
in the tourism aspect to promote and give knowledge and skills to our youth specially the culinary students who are here about the importance of preserving the cuisine of Albay. We want to incorporate not just the beautiful places and destinations but also the unique and rich culture of Albay through food,” she said.

In a separate interview, Rhea Lyn Dela Cruz, NCCA project officer, said the “Hapag ng Pamana” food festival is a way to protect the province’s culinary heritage.

“Albay is known for its gastronomy and rich culture and to have a food festival here is very much fitting,” she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Hanoi: Nearly 150 documents and artifacts highlighting the significance, stature, and value of the Dien Bien Phu Victory will be displayed at an exhibition slated for April 25 at the Vietnam National Museum of History.

Themed ‘Dien Bien Phu – The Immortal Spirit’, the event is part of the activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7) and the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina on July 21, 1954.

All of the exhibits demonstrate the strength of the great national solidarity, the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and the growth of the military, which are seen as locomotives for the nation’s renewal, international integration, and development.

Running until June, the exhibition is expected to provide people from all walks of life, particularly youth, with an insight into the contributions of locals and soldiers to the historical victory, and the nation’s revolutionary tradition.

On the occasion, the museum will join hands with the
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Information Technology Centre to launch an e-ticket system, helping improve service quality./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. assured Monday that all operations within the Department of Agriculture (DA) are upbeat amid “isolated” concerns in some of its attached agencies.

Laurel’s statement came following the dismissal of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) director Demosthenes Escoto.

A month earlier, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Roderico Bioco was slapped a preventive suspension.

The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Escoto after being found guilty of grave misconduct in relation to the procurement of BFAR’s communications equipment in 2018 while Bioco remains under probe due to alleged improper rice sale of NFA rice buffer stock.

Despite these, Laurel said there is no need for a “revamp” within the DA as operations remain unhampered.

“I think these are isolated incidents… It’s just unfortunate na magkasabay (that it’s simultaneous). I think everybody naman is upbeat and moving forward,” Laurel said in an interview, referring to continuous op
erations in the NFA under the helm of Officer-in-Charge Administrator Larry Lacson.

He also said Lacson has an intact top management working with him to normalize operations despite the ongoing probe.

“Well, sa (in) NFA si Larry Lacson we have a new acting administrator and he’s quite good. I believe he’s gonna do a good job,” Laurel added.

The agriculture chief has yet to decide on the replacement of Escoto as the head of the parallel panel probe on the alleged improper NFA rice sale.

“Iyan ang problema dahil hindi pa final iyong investigation tapos nawala siya (That’s the problem because the investigation is not yet final then he was dismissed). So I have to get another guy to do the investigation,” Laurel said.

He hopes to have the results of the investigation by May.

To date, the panel is still rolling out its work under DA Legal Service chief Willie Ann Angsiy and Assistant Secretary James Layug.

Black protest

Numerous BFAR personnel, meanwhile, wore black ribbons around their arms during Monday’
s flag ceremony in support of Escoto.

“Well, I feel for them, maganda iyong reputation ni Director doon (Director Escoto had a good reputation in BFAR),” Laurel said.

BFAR OIC Isidro Velayo Jr. described Escoto as “dedicated and humble.”

“We cannot also ano [reject], iyong sympathy ng mga empleyado (the sympathy of employees) because it’s very shocking on our part. Bigla talaga lahat e. Ang amin lang (Everything’s sudden. But for us) that is the message, to do our respective roles,” he said in a separate interview.

Velayo, meanwhile, vowed to work on his designated function.

Before his designation, Velayo served as BFAR assistant director for technical services, national coordinator of the agency’s seaweed program, and was a former director of the Zamboanga Peninsula regional office.

Source: Philippines News Agency

ILOILO CITY: Iloilo City is again under a state of calamity due to water scarcity brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.

It was the second to be declared in almost a month.

The city was first placed under a state of calamity on March 26 following the pertussis outbreak.

During a special session on Monday, the City Council acted favorably on the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and Mayor Jerry Treñas.

The declaration of a state of calamity will allow the city government to use the over PHP12.5 million fund from the quick response fund to buy and distribute water for three months to affected households.

‘The current condition in the barangays requires an urgent need to declare a state of calamity so that the city government can provide immediate assistance through the use of PHP12,544,200 for the procurement and delivery of water to all affected barangays,’ Treñas in his endorsement letter to the council.

The CDRRMC said 23,230 persons or 23.33 percent o
f their projected population in 25 villages based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing are affected.

The number surpassed the 15 percent affected population in the criteria set by the national DRRMC to declare the state of calamity.

These 25 barangays are prioritized in the assessment since they are considered high and medium risk of drought.

‘If we would be taking into account all the other barangays in the city, the total affected population will even double or triple,’ Darwin Papa, CDRRM office operation officer, said in an interview.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturer Association (TMA) reported on Monday that local vehicle sales from January to March 2024 increased by 12.7 percent.

From 97,284 units sold during the same period in 2023, vehicle sales shot up to 109,606 units for the first quarter of 2024.

CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said in a statement that the first quarter (Q1) performance of the industry keeps it on track to achieve its full year target of selling 468,300 units.

Joint CAMPI and TMA report showed that both passenger cars and commercial vehicle segments grew double digit in Q1 2024.

Sales of passenger cars in the first three months of the year increased by 14 percent to 28,211 units from 24,753 units in the same period last year.

Commercial vehicle sales also improved by 12.2 percent to 81,395 units in Q1 2024 from 72,531 units sold in Q1 2023.

Passenger cars shared 25.74 percent of the total sales in Q1 this year, while 74.26 percent came fro
m commercial vehicles.

‘Year-to-date sales performance was driven by sustained demand for new vehicles, supported by overall supply improvement,’ Gutierrez said.

Meanwhile, vehicle sales in March this year stood at 37,474 units, 1.6 percent higher than the 36,880 units sold in March 2023.

Year-on-year sales of passenger cars slightly increased by 0.7 percent to 10,127 units from 10,058 units, while commercial vehicle sales went up by 2 percent to 27,347 units from 26,822 units.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort told the Philippine News Agency that the higher inflation and interest rates that increased financing costs, including for auto loans, started to slow down demand, which was seen in the year-on-year vehicle sales performance.

He said more hawkish statements from the US Federal Reserve System and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that could delay rate cuts could still weigh on the demand growth for vehicle sales.

Commenting on the Q1 performance of the local vehicle ass
emblers, Ricafort said it suggests that the Philippine economy continues to recover.

‘The year-to-date vehicle sales growth still at double-digit levels is a good signal on the further recovery of the Philippine economy, as well as the country’s favorable demographics, since the Philippines is one of 10 biggest market, or the country accounted for the 10th highest sales, for the world’s largest automaker,’ Ricafort said.

‘In recent months, the Philippines has one of the highest growth rates for both vehicle sales and vehicle production in ASEAN, consistent with the fact that the country has one of the fastest economic growths in ASEAN and Asia,’ he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency