DTI vows to continue monitoring onion despite declining prices

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has vowed to continue helping the Department of Agriculture (DA) in monitoring the prices of onion in the markets even as the price of the commodity continue to decline.

DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo made the statement during the Laging Handa public briefing as both DTI and DA on Monday confirmed that the new suggested retail price (SRP) of red onion will be at PHP125 per kilogram.

DTI Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the new SRP will be implemented starting Feb. 8.

“So iyong PHP125 ngayon ng Department of Agriculture, we will monitor again, imo-monitor natin ulit kung saan-saan siya makikita para rin masabi natin sa consumers kung saan sila dapat bumili (So the PHP125 (SRP) of the Department of Agriculture, we will monitor again, and we will monitor where consumers can buy them),”

Castelo said.

Based on DTI’s market monitoring on Monday, she said the highest price of red onion is around PHP300 to PHP350 per kilogram.

One of the leading supermarket chains is also selling red onion at PHP180 per kilogram, she added.

On the filing of House Bill 6740 expanding the franchise area of the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to other areas in Davao del Norte including the Municipalities of Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, Talaingod and cities namely Tagum and the Island Garden City of Samal by Congresswoman Margarita Ignacia Nograles of PBA Party-list:

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With the popularity of the tv series “Maria Clara at Ibarra”, the grounds of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) during the Pasinaya Open House Festival served as a venue of showcasing Spanish-influenced dances, songs and costumes.

“Pasinaya” means an inauguration or a grand opening of the many arts and cultural presentations offered by CCP.

Since 2004, Pasinaya also aims to provide a platform for artists and cultural groups from different fields such as music, theater, dance, spoken word, and visual arts. It seeks to showcase talents while nurturing the broadest public and creating new audiences through interactions and performances.

With the “experience-all-you-can, pay-what-youcan” scheme, the largest multiarts festival in the country once again filled various venues of CCP such as the Front Lawn, Liwasang Kalikasan, Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez and its surroundings, and the parade ground of Vicente Sotto Street.

The theatres inside the CCP were not used due to the closing of the iconic 53-year-old main

ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG PEYUPS

Ccp Pasinaya Features Spanish Influence In Philippine Culture

building in January for a threeyear renovation project.

This year’s theme is ‘Piglas Sining” which CCP artistic director Dennis Marasigan explained: “We are breaking away from the notion that the CCP is just the building. We are emphasizing that CCP can be anywhere.”

Pasinaya returned onsite last February 3 to 5, 2023 after being cancelled as a face to face gathering for three years because of the COVID19 pandemic.

At least 3000 artists participated in the 75 performances of 89 groups from Baguio to Tawi-tawi with more than 21000 audience.

I overheard many students that they were amazed by seeing in person the performers in Spanish-influenced costumes primarily due to the tv series “Maria Clara at Ibarra” aired in GMA network.

Directed by Zig Dulay, the series is based on José Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not, 1887) and El Filibusterismo (The Subversive, 1891).

Both novels were about politically and historically driven fictional Philippines during the Spanish colonial period inspired by Rizal’s living conditions, views, beliefs, and ideologies under the Spanish rule.

Noli centered on the atrocities done by priests during the Spanish era, as well as the abuses that occurred in society when the country were still under Spanish rule. In El Fili, Crisóstomo Ibarra returns for vengeance as Simoun.

Noli described Philippine society with its memorable characters: the melancholic fate of Maria Clara and the insanity of Sisa characterized the country’s pitiful state, which was once beautiful but turned miserable.

El Fili’s dark theme departs dramatically from Noli’s hopeful and romantic atmosphere. It signifies Simoun’s resort to solving his country’s issues through violent means, after his previous attempt in reforming the country’s system made no effect and seemed impossible with the corrupt attitude of the Spaniards toward the Filipinos.

The show features Klay Infantes (Barbie Forteza) who gets transported into the setting of Noli and El Fili and her involvement with the lives of Maria Clara (Julie Anne San Jose) and

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” - SIGMUND FREUD.

*******

This is not a man’s name nor a woman’s.

A fellow not familiar with EDCA may even assume it could be a title or affiliation of a prominent person with a prominent group , bloc or association.

Sounds like it, right?

The acronym stands for Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, an accord entered into by the Philippine government that has leanings on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines.

EDCA has subtly supplanted the two former US military bases - Clark and Subic which are the largest American military locations outside the continental United States.

Economic tensions between the US and China during the Trump regime have dampened the warm diplomatic relations between these two world powers such that the issue has widened its geographical coverage that now includes the exasperating irritants in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The visit of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan late last year added more fuel to the fire because Beijing accused Washington of violating the One China policy agreed upon by these two giants.

The Americans appear to be successful in exploiting the EDCA to further their military coverage in the South China Sea as they have expanded the use of FOUR (4) more strategic areas in addition to the initial five locations..

In a bid to accelerate the full implementation of EDCA, $82M has been allocated to allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters and shared challenges that need prompt response.

Crisostomo Ibarra and Simoun

(Dennis Trillo).

The Spanish colonization of the Philippines brought many Western influences including religion, social customs, dress, dance and music.

Pasinaya featured Spanish dances like the waltz, mazurka, the Spanish jota, paso doble, and others with costumes that were transformed to suit the climate and the temperament of the people.

Known as the “traje de mestiza” during the Spanish colonial era, the María Clara gown is a type of traditional dress worn by women in the Philippines, named after the mestiza protagonist of Noli and El Fili.

It is an aristocratic version of the baro’t saya and is traditionally made out of piña, the same material used for the barong tagalog.

The Maria Clara gown traditionally consists of four parts: a blouse (baro or camisa), a long skirt (saya), a kerchief worn over the shoulders (pañuelo, fichu, or alampay), and a short rectangular cloth worn over the skirt (the tapis or patadyong).

The novels are part of our

Edca

Three areas chosen were located that have close proximity to China in the provinces of Cagayan, Zambales and Isabela.

US Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin, who recently visited, and Philippine counterpart DND Sec. Carlito Galvez jointly announced the agreement.

Naturally, China wasn’t too happy about this development, commenting that the new EDCA sites are adding more tensions than there are already.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba has protested the choice of his province as an EDCA site because it is very close - by nautical miles - to China’s southern regions.

News reports said he feared that Cagayan and his constituents might become a consequent target should there be any untoward incident between the US and China.

Of course, the fear is not without basis.

In fact, just for the sake of rational argument, the entire country would be in China;s ra- dar screen if things go sour, militarily speaking.

For clarification, the EDCA was agreed upon in 2014 to promote the interoperability; capacity building towards AFP modernization and the strengthening of the AFP’s external defenses.

The EDCA also promotes maritime security and domain awareness by way of constructing facilities and infrastructure upgrades, and the storage and prepositioning of defense equipment and supplies.

So, regular military exercises and drills participated in by American soldiers and their Philippine counterparts are scheduled as top priorities.

It is too late to back out of EDCA because the circumstances appear to warrant what the country needs to repel the imperialist hegemony that China is already bearing upon us.

The numerous ugly fishing incidents in our territorial waters (Exclusive Economic Zone) told of the arrogant pa- student life, along with his other great literary works.

We were required to memorize Mi Ultimo Adios in Spanish classes at the University of the Philippines (UP) which is a poem written by Rizal before his execution by firing squad on December 30, 1896.

The lamp that contained the paper of “MI ULTIMO ADIOS” was given to him by Juliana Gorricho Pardo de Tavera who is the mother of Juan Luna’s wife Paz Pardo de Tavera. Both soon met a tragic end at the hands of Luna in Paris.

Though Juliana’s surname is spelled “GORRICHO”, I am still doing my research that there is a possibility that my surname is related to her.

Lines of the poem state: “I will go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen, Where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign.” trol ships of the Chinese Coast Guard that shooed away and scared Pinoy fishermen from fishing in the Scarborough Shoal near the coastline of Masinloc, Zambales.

(Peyups is the monicker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

This has been going on for years and it looks like a solution, though temporary, may be in sight.

The Philippine government must stand firm and proceed from a position of strength in its bilateral relations with China.

The recent state visit of PBBM to China and his eyeball to eyeball meeting with XI Jin Ping may hopefully spell positive for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

There are many more issues and concerns that need to be ironed out and the Philippines appear to be a pawn in the chessboard where the US and China are the top two grandmasters dueling for the world championship. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!