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us to be fully protected regardless of our gender, regardless of who you are, we deserve equality,” she answered.

She emphasized that the ordinance is not just for the LGBTQ community but for all specially the minority group.

On December 12, 2012, the members of the Sanggunian enacted City Ordinance No,041712, Series of 2012 otherwise known as the Anti-Discrimination Ordinance of Davao City” to ensure respect for the rights of individuals, without discrimination of any kind as to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, religious affiliation or beliefs, and to foster peace within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City.

“Before ko nagjoin sa Reyna Dabawenya, gi-ask nako ang akong sarili kung unsa ang akoang tumong or purpose. Gusto gyud nako ug equality sa atoang syudad. Mao ni ang akoang plano if ever madaug ko, which is gihatag gyud sa Ginoo,” Magpale said.

Reyna Dabawenya is among the activities of the 86th Araw ng Davao. Magpale III bested 19 other candidates.

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Barangay 21-C and 360 families from Barangay 22-C of Piapi, Quezon Boulevard have been identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office as internally displaced. Some of the affected residents are seeking shelter at the evacuation centers in Barangay 21-C Gym and Barangay 22-C Covered Court, respectively. OVP MEDIA

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ment of Science Technology- Advance Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI).

These are two of the nine AI projects in the country launched by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) in April 2021.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Murao said the academe’s role is to support the innovation ecosystem.

“We are here to help develop the critical manpower that would be needed in the future for jobs related to AI,” Murao said adding that they will also be supporting programs on research and innovation related to AI.

She cited the soon-to-be offered Bachelor in Data Science program which is a concrete action in supporting iniatives towards AI.

“The innovation ecosystem is there and the academe is always there to support this ecosystem,” she said. (PIA/RG Alama)

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own power plant with a capacity of 500 megawatts that will be used only when there is thinning of supply from private sector’s power generation facilities.

DOE Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said during the Laging Handa public briefing Thursday the agency is reviewing this proposal as this will require amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), which privatized the power sector. (PNA)

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consideration of the eight bills seeking to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics and providing penalties for violation thereof.

These are House Bills 222, 460, 3418, 4177, 4277, 5551, 6003, and 7036 authored by Reps. Roman, Juan Carlos ‘Arjo’ Atayde, Antonio Legarda Jr., Harris Christopher Ongchuan, Christopher De Venecia, Arlene Brosas, Patrick Michael Vargas, and Edwin Olivarez, respectively.

Roman believed that the time is ripe to enact the SOGIE Equality Bill.

Castillanes cited House Bill 222, Section 5i “denying a person access to or the use of establishments, facilities, utilities, or services, including housing, open to the general public on the basis of SOGIESC: provided that the act of giving inferior accommodations or services shall be considered a denial of access or use of such facility or service: provided further, that this prohibition covers acts of discrimination against juridical persons solely on the basis of the SOGIESC of their members or their target constituencies” as unjust.

“Halimbawa kung ako adunay hotel unya ang akong religious belief nga ang akong hotel i-open lang nako sa straight hetero couple unya dili nako i-open sa mga homosexuals kay mao na ang akong faith and belief, kung imo silang balibaran puwede ka nila kasuhan unya ang kaso puwede ka makamulta ug P100,000 to P500,000 mapriso ka between one year to 12 years,” he explained.

“Naa pa’y baker, naay nag ask sa iyaha nga homosexuals na magpabuhat ug cake nga naay duha ka figurines nga lalaki nga maghalok. Against man na sa iyaha, gibalibaran niya, ang nahitabo gikasuhan siya. Niabot sa Supreme Court maayo na lang ang SC naghatag sa iyaha ug pabor like the liberty of conscience pero the fact na gikasuhan ka, nakagasto ka, ang stress nimo, ang journey sa imohang kaso.

In 2017, Senator Joel Villanueva asked Senator Riza Hontiveros the same incident like the baker puwede ba siya kasuhan sa bill to which Hontiveros replied “yes” it’s a violation of the law,” he added.

Castillanes conveyed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual, (LGBTQ) community that the religious sector is not against them but against the provisions of the bill.

“Gusto namo ipaabot sa LGBTQ, kami sa religious sector dili gyud mi against kung unsa ang inyong choice, kung duna may grupo na dili gusto ug discrimination, kami nga grupo kay nasulat sa Bibliya God hates partiality, choice man na nila, dili mi manghilabot, we respect them.

Ang sa amoa lang against mi sa mga proviisons nila nga maka discriminate sa tanan, against mi sa privision sa SOGIE bill. We welcome them in our community,” he said.

LANAO... FROM 5 tion in Maigo and Poona Piagapo towns, respectively. gling due to the high power rates imposed by Nordeco. This puts them at a disadvantage compared to their competitors in other areas, which can lead to a negative impact on our local economy,” he added.

Other beneficiaries are the Verg’s Curtain Shop in Lala town and the Atlas Farm School in Tubod.

DTI Provincial Director Jane Marie Tabucan said that all SSF is under a “shared system” and is not given to one micro, small, or medium enterprise only.

Jubahib said “households in our province also suffer from the consequences of the poor services of Nordeco.”

“With the increasing power rates, many families struggle to pay their bills and make difficult decisions on allocating their limited resources,” he said.

He said House Bill 5077 of Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon D. Alvarez, HB 6740 of Rep. Margarita Ignacia B. Nograles of PBA Partylist, and HB 7047 of Rep. Sandro L. Gonzales of Marino Partylist seek to expand the franchise of the Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC).

“With this, I urge the public to join us in supporting these bills and advocating for fair and affordable power rates and high-quality services for all,” he said.

These bills were filed after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed HB 10554, which sought to amend Republic Act 11515, extending for another 25 years the franchise granted to DLPC.

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market.

“Appetite (of opening in) China, not as much, but it is something we are trying to open up. I think we’re waiting for our ‘big brothers’ to mentor us on how we should do in that market,” he said. “You see someone else do it, we ask them how. What’s good about the Philippines –the people who have done it before you, they are willing to share even (though) they are competitors.”

LIm said China is a huge market where businesses do not have to compete for its current 1.4 billion consumers.

This year, China has eased its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) restrictions after almost three years of the pandemic.

Early this week, it appointed Li Qiang as the new prime minister.

Li is tasked to lead the economic recovery of China, with consumer spending expected to rebound. (PNA)

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connectivity in the country, the past administration issued policies to fast-track the approval of applications for telecommunication infrastructure projects.

The Marcos administration also addresses bottlenecks in permitting and licensing for key investments by issuing the Executive Order No. 18 last month establishing the green lanes for strategic investments.

“The order designates the BOI as the single point of entry for the endorsement of strategic investments qualified for green lane services. The move aligns with the government’s effort to create a more business-friendly environment and provide ease of doing business to attract more strategic investments to the country,” BOI said.

The new EO will help BOI achieve its investment approval targets, which were increased by its chairperson, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, to PHP1.5 trillion at the end 2023. (PNA) were in danger then. We didn’t know if my child was okay or if my blood pressure was okay. Maybe one of us died already,” said a 19-year-old mother, also from Sabtang, Batanes.

“Now, even rich people come here for consultation,” said Dr. Iris Tagaro of Villareal, Samar. “Members of our staff are empowered, unlike those from other rural health units that if there’s no doctor, there’s no consultation. Here, they have high regard for our nurses and midwives.”

As of January 2023, there are 781 units of RxBox that have been deployed in the country’s geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. the whole country, according to a press release from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

“We want the device to be placed in areas where doctors are hard to find and traveling to the cities is a big problem,” said the National Telehealth Center (NTHC), an agency which equips doctors and health workers with eHealth and Telemedicine tools for quality health care.

Actually, the RxBox is a product of NTHC’s collaboration with the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Institute of the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the DOST.

Funding for the project comes from the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the DOST. An RxBox unit costs around P100,000. But should it be multi-produced, the cost can be lowered to P80,000.

What makes the RxBox unique is that it has a sensor that can measure the patient’s blood pressure to detect cardiovascular problems, especially hypertension. It also has an electrocardiogram (ECG) which can monitor the heart’s movement. This is helpful for people with acute and chronic heart problems.

Another sensor is the pulse oximeter, which can measure the level of oxygen in the patient’s blood. This sensor can help detect lung and cardiovascular problems. It also comes in handy during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

There is also a fetal heart monitor (that measures the baby’s heart rate while in the womb and can help detect fetal distress at critical times of the pregnancy and delivery) and maternal locometer (which measures the strength of contraction of the mother’s uterus especially during delivery).

Through the RxBox, patients in far-flung areas may receive advice from doctors and health workers situated elsewhere.

The NTHC further explained: “The RxBox can capture medical signs with its built-in sensors, save the data in an electronic medical record (using the Community Health Information Tracking System or CHITS), and transmit the information via internet to clinical specialists in the Philippine General Hospital.”

According to the Department

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roads and bridges connecting to declared tourist destinations.

Under the 2023 national budget, the PHP17.689 billion budget will be distributed to tourism infrastructure projects in Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Vi- of Health (DOH), RxBox helps address the lack of doctors in the provinces, with 90% of specialists and 60% of tertiary hospitals clustered in urban areas.

The RxBox project is “a testament to what we can accomplish together as one – guided by our vision to bring Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) closer to our communities,” said DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. in a press statement.

He said that the recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to address the problem of access to quality healthcare, which the RxBox was developed for even before the start of the pandemic.

“Through the RxBox multi-stakeholder project, we have immensely contributed to saving lives especially during the height of the pandemic. Through our courageous and dedicated employees, we were able to reach far-flung and isolated places to deliver science and technology interventions. This entails working closely with the communities that we serve and respond to their needs. This project will continue to transform healthcare and people’s lives as long as we continue to work as one,” he said.

Sec. Solidum also added that Filipinos often overlook the importance of health, “but we must keep in mind that the greatest asset and most important natural resources of any country is its citizens.”

He quoted the old adage which said, “Health is wealth.” “The overall health of every citizenry determines the long-term progress of their country. People are the wealth generators, so we must take care of them,” he said.

Incidentally, Sec. Solidum said that affordable healthcare and strengthening primary healthcare in underserved communities are among the priorities of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“We at DOST share these goals and will continue to be instrumental in developing innovative solutions that will prepare our country to withstand another pandemic should there be a similar experience in the future, and to promote the health and well-being of our kababayans,” he pointed out.

Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, PCHRD executive director, echoed the same opinion. He said that seeing many rural communities benefit from the project made it “totally worth it.” sayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and Caraga Region.

Spanning the administrations of four presidents and four DOST secretaries, Dr. Montoya said that efforts from the conceptualization of the RxBox Project in 2009 up to the actual deployment is really worth it, definitely worth it.

“If there is a technology that really benefits the Filipino people, this is it. The RxBox really captures the concept of Universal Health Care. This is what science is for,” he said.

RxBox, he surmised, is a good example of the whole-of-country approach – that everyone has to converge for the grassroots.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said the country must have more international airports and road improvements to attract more visitors and fast-track tourism’s recovery.