counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also agreed to establish “trilateral modes of cooperation” with Japan, against the backdrop of China's aggressive military actions around Taiwan and other parts of the Indo-Pacific.
As the United States steps up efforts to deter China from expanding its influence in the region, the presidents agreed on new bilateral defense guidelines aimed at improving the interoperability of their forces in the domains of land, sea, airspace and cyberspace, following a meeting in Washington, according to the White House.
ington, its sole security treaty partner, citing continuing tensions in the South China Sea.
According to Philippine officials earlier this year, the idea of security talks involving the U.S., Japanese and Philippine national security advisers has been put on the table.
Among other points, a joint statement released after the summit in the Oval Office said the two leaders “affirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.”
ministration views the alliance with Manila as indispensable to boosting deterrence efforts against China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be brought under its control, by force if necessary. But Marcos' office instead highlighted progress on economic cooperation, welcoming Biden's plan to dispatch a trade and investment mission to the Philippines.
WASHINGTON HAS warned Beijing against continued harassment in the ASHINGTON HAS warned continued harassment in the South China Sea, saying an armed attack on Filipino armed forces, public South China Sea, an armed attack on armed forces, vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard, would invoke U S vessels, or aircraft, those of the Coast Guard, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U S Philippines Mutual mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty Defense Treaty. published in the media is a stark reminder of PRC harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels as they undertake routine patrols within their exclusive economic zone.
“The United States stands with the Philippines in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard’s continued infringement upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the State Department said, adding, imagery and video recently
“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States contin-
ues to track and monitor these interactions closely. The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rulesbased international maritime order,” it added. Cooperation with Japan, with Australia
U.S. President Joe Biden and his Philippine
Biden told Marcos, who was recently in Washington, that the United States “remains ironclad” in its commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including in the South China Sea, where China has made sweeping territorial claims, and will continue to support the modernization of the Southeast Asian country's military.
The White House announced plans to transfer three C-130 transport planes and additional patrol vessels to the Philippines to help it upgrade its maritime and tactical airlift capabilities.
During the portion of the meeting that was open to the press, Marcos said the Philippines is possibly facing “the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now” due to new challenges.
Marcos said that “it is only natural” for Manila to seek to strengthen the relationship with Wash-
It also said Biden and Marcos agreed that their countries will also seek three-way cooperation with Australia. But the statement made no mention of China and many agreements lacked specifics, with the Philippine government apparently trying to prevent security issues from completely stealing the spotlight in the summit.
There was also no joint press conference, even though Marcos is the first Philippine president in over a decade to come to Washington. Before holding talks with Biden, he made it clear that the Philippines does not want to be dragged into the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China. “We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a staging post for any kind of military action," Marcos told journalists.
The Philippines is situated near Taiwan and strategically important sea lanes. The Biden ad-
The Biden administration, which regards the United States as in strategic competition with China, has been working more closely with its allies, including Japan and South Korea, in recent months.
Marcos' administration is continuing its pursuit of a different approach from former leader Rodrigo Duterte, who repeatedly threatened to sever Manila's longtime security alliance with Washington and sought closer ties with Beijing and Moscow.
The latest meeting between Biden and Marcos, who previously met in New York in September, was held after the two allies on Friday wrapped up their largest-ever annual military exercises in the Philippines and its nearby waters.
Last month, the United States and the Philippines held the first meeting of their defense and foreign secretaries since 2016. In February, Marcos granted the U.S. access to four more military bases, increasing the number that American soldiers can use to nine. (Mindanao Examiner, Kyodo News)
DAVAO CITY - With the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the country, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said there is a need to ramp up vaccination efforts, especially for young people.
“We will have to conduct again, especially for young people, we’ll have to conduct again a vaccination push para mabawasan na ‘yan, especially with people being a little bit, shall we say, nahihirapan na nga eh dahil sa init, that brings down… humihina ang katawan and that will make them more vulnerable to Covid again,” Marcos said.
But he was quick to allay fears about the rising numbers of new Covid-19 cases and expressed confidence that government instrumentalities will be able to manage the issue immediately.
SULU – The municipal government of Maimbung town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu has inaugurated a new hospital after decades of waiting for funding to complete the facilities that will served tens of thousands of patients from neighboring towns.
The two storey, 25 beddings, have medical equipment and emergency facilities, according to Provincial Administrator Erwin Tan.
“This is a level two hospital and we are still working to acquire more medical equipment, and bed capacity but building this hospital is already a milestone since this had been planned a long time ago by our governor, Sakur Tan, during the previous administration of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and it was only now that this has finally materialized,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner by phone from his office in the Capitol.
The hospital is under the Sulu Provincial Integrated Hospital headed by Doctor Farah Omar, who is a key figure in the modernization of the hospital in the capital town of Jolo. “The completion of the construction project is P25 million and the procurement of equipment is still ongoing. Hindi pa complete but we will, to meet regulations and licensing requirement,” she said in a separate interview.
The funding for the hospital, according to Administrator Tan, was sourced from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Sulu provincial government. It will serve residents from
the neighboring and island towns of Pangutran, Tapul, Pandami, Panglima Estino, and even constituents in Luuk.
Maimbung, just 12 kilometers from Jolo town, has over 50,000 residents and the town is one of the most peaceful and progressive municipalities in the province due to its infrastructure projects and various peace and development programs initiated by its hardworking Mayor Shihla Hayudini who had been collaborating closely with the provincial government.
The local government said current works still being done in the hospital are the concrete fencing, among others. “It was a day that will be marked as a milestone in the history of Maimbung. After a long wait, coupled with years of political wranglings, specifically between Governor Sakur Tan and the then ARMM, the day witnessed the birth of Maimbung District Hospital on April 27, 2023 with corresponding staffing. It can be said that the Gov. Tan did all that could be done for the hospital to stand proudly. Like the adage, all is well that ends well, Alhamdulillah!”
The April 27 inauguration was attended by Mayor Hayudini, Doctor Omar, and Administrator Tan Doctor Rizaldy Piang, BARMM Minister of Health; Director Dominador Gonzales, of the BARMM Civil Service Commission; municipal mayors and councilors and other stakeholders.
Mayor Hayudini said her town will be more resilient that it was in the past and she also acknowledged and commended
those who contributed to the success of the occasion especially to Governor Tan, Doctors Omar and Piang.
Maimbung, the seat of the Sultanate of Sulu, is now far from what it was a decade ago under the previous administration of Mayor Najib Maldiza where the road leading to the town was gated with bard wire and roads were dilapidated with no visible infrastructure except for a dilapidated school and an old mosque.
At present, local tourists flock to the town to enjoy its pristine coast, fresh seafood and dozens of restaurants, and even Savoury built its largest restaurant in Maimbung. New schools and mosques and wide roads with solar power street lights lined up the highway leading to the historical town. A huge children’s playground was also built in front of the municipal hall and the town now has an Internet access, and a jetty port.
Plans are also on the table for the construction of a modern airport in the town that will complement the Jolo domestic airport, according to Governor Tan.
“We have so many plans here right now, and not only in Maimbung but elsewhere in the province as we are now reaping the hardwork we put in our peace and development projects and we would like to thank former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for their strong support to Sulu and its people,” Governor Tan said.
The governor is a strong supporter and close friend to Duterte and Marcos. (Mindanao Examiner)
is also keeping an eye on a new Covid-19 variantthe omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, known as “Arcturus,” has been listed by the WHO as a variant under monitoring since March 22.
This was also reported by Mayo Clinic which quoted experts as saying that this variant has a higher transmissibility rate than previous strains but doesn't appear to be more dangerous.
the Northern Hemisphere with warmer temperatures and people getting outdoors,” he said. “Respiratory viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, tend to decline in the spring and summer months, and that is what we're seeing in most parts of the U.S. right now.”
“We might have to think about it…ako ang tinitingnan ko is because although ‘yung rate of increase lumalaki, ang baseline natin na sinimulan eh maliit lang so hopefully we’re still ano… we’re still going to be able to do it,” Marcos said.
Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-charge Dr Maria Rosario Vergeire said the spike in the positivity rate is due to several factors, which include the mobility of the population on holidays as well as the number of people taking Covid-19 test.
From January 2020 to April 2023, there have been 4,087,964 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country with 66,444 deaths.
As of March 8, a total of 170,690,206 vaccine doses have been administered, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The world health body
“It is causing increasing case counts in certain parts of the world, including India. We're not seeing high rates of XBB.1.16 yet in the United States, but it may become more prominent in coming weeks,” said Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
He said experts are seeing new symptoms with the new variant. “One new feature of cases caused by this variant is that it seems to be causing conjunctivitis, or red and itchy eyes, in young patients. This is not something that we've seen with prior strains of the virus,” Binnicker said.
Respiratory rates declining rates
Binnicker said respiratory viruses, including Covid-19 infections, influenza, and RSV have declined in the U.S. in recent weeks.
“The case counts of respiratory infections have begun to drop as we're entering into the spring months in
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, keeps emerging because the virus mutates and copies itself as it spreads from person to person, creating new variants.
“New variants come and go. We're seeing increased transmission rates, so higher levels of infectivity with recent COVID-19 variants, but in general, they tend to be causing less severe disease in individuals, which is good news,” Binnicker explained. “This is likely due to a combination of factors, including higher vaccination rates, higher rates of immunity from prior infection, and lower pathogenicity of recent variants.”
Although Covid-19 rates in the U.S. are relatively low, health experts recommend people remain vigilant in using these preventive measures: Wash your hands frequently, avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you feel sick or have any symptoms of Covid-19. (Mindanao Examiner)
witnessed by local government officials and representatives of various law enforcement agencies and the Philippine Navy and Philippine Army, and other stakeholders.
"The Bureau of Customs Port of Zamboanga, along with the City Government of Zamboanga, partner enforcement agencies as well as other stakeholders destroys a total ot 19,419 cases and 667 reams of smuggled cigarettes worth P1.4 billion," the Bureau of Customs said.
ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Bureau of Customs recently destroyed tens of thousands of reams of smuggled cigarettes in the southern Filipino port city of Zamboanga.
It said the contraband - seized in multiple anti-smuggling operations in the South - was worth about P1.4 billion.
The public destruction of the cigarettes was
But Customs officials did not identify the owners of the contraband, although it said the illegal cigarettes were seized in Sulu and Zamboanga region. (Mindanao Examiner)
COFFEE LOVERS in the Philippines may now enjoy the best and the most expensive coffee in the world - Kopi Luwakbut not as pricey as every connoisseur thinks.
Kopi Luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet’s intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected.
In Manila, a kilogram of Civet coffee sells for as high as P15,000 and over $500 dollars abroad.
But Kopi Luwak can now be enjoyed by every coffee lover for as low as P150 for a 16 oz. cup that comes with a drip bag, ground organic Civet coffee beans, two packets of brown sugar and a stirrer in a beautiful Kraft paper bag – thanks to the Mindanao Civet Coffee seller in Zamboanga City.
The new market player in the coffee business, although small, is now offering affordable organic Kopi Luwak – sourced and picked by farmers from the highlands of Mindanao, cleaned and dried and roasted to perfection to give coffee lovers that distinct aroma of Civet coffee berries – chocolaty and nutty and smooth bodied brewed drink.
Mindanao Civet Coffee, which started as a backyard reseller of coffee beans, now offers organic Kopi Luwak in 250 grams ground Civet coffee and 250 grams Civet coffee beans – all medium roasted to perfection.
Kopi Luwak is also available now in 3rd Cup Café at LM Metro Hotel in Zam-
boanga City, and resellers in Luzon, Cebu and other parts of Mindanao. The Mindanao Civet Coffee is a favorite among travellers and tourists and coffee connoisseurs. And for those who want the perfect gift for all occasions, Kopi Luwak is the best choice.
And those who are interested to resell or perhaps enjoy a daily hot cup or cold brew of Kopi Luwak may call the Mindanao Civet Coffee at this mobile number 0915-3976197. (AJC)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities have seized over 100 pounds of dried seahorse at the Zamboanga International Airport in southern Philippines.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has confirmed the recent confiscation of the contraband following a routine security inspection of the cargo. It said the dried seahorse, used widely in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), can fetch up to P600,000 in the black market as it is thought to cure asthma, skin infections, impotence and can act as a natural Viagra.
The cargo, declared as The cargo, declared as assorted barter goods, was assorted barter was bound for Manila, according to BFAR to BFAR.
It said a member of the Police Aviation Security Group, Staff Sergeant Albasir Kairan discovered the illegal shipment after inspecting three boxes of cargo. Kairan informed the findings to BFAR quarantine officer Remelyn Atilano who ordered the confiscation of the cargo.
Atilano said under the law, it is illegal or prohibited to trade dried seahorse. She was referring to Section 102 of Republic Act 8550 as amended by Republic Acts 10654 and 9147 or “The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act” which prohibits the killing and trading of endangered species.
BFAR did not release the names of the shipper and consignee of the cargo, but said “the The PNP Aviation Security Unit 9 headed by Major Sharwin C. Concha turned over the confiscated items to DA-BFAR 9, particularly at the regional office for safekeeping, issuance of Notice of Violation followed by filing of appropriate administrative and criminal case to the owner
of the confiscated items.”
According to Project Seahorse, a marine conservation organization, seahorses were used variously in the Philippines, including for medical purposes and good luck charms. It said coastal people of Mindanao and the central Visayas use seahorses to treat asthma, gas pains and hyperactivity.
In, Palawan, claims that seahorses cure asthma probably derive from TCM practices. On Bohol, and occasionally Palawan, seahorses were found to be used chiefly to treat stomach upsets. A local medicine man in Luzon prescribed a mixture of seahorses and herbs to patients with skin disorders, and one former seahorse trader had used seahorses to cure his arthritis.
Fishers in some areas believe that ingesting a seahorse soaked in liquid (usually alcohol) will promote vigour and fertility, whereas fishers in Bohol explained that seahorse young – which they believed to be high in vita-
mins – served as a tonic food. Merchants in southern Philippines believe that a seahorse brings profits. Some villagers in Palawan hang a seahorse in the doorway to ward off evil spirits.
Seahorses were also an important part of shellcraft and the curio trade in the Philippines, with large volumes of dried seahorses finding their way into cheap seaside scenes and paperweights. Importers apparently requested small spiny seahorses, which would be considered very poor quality for TCM. While mostly for export, souvenir shops in Palawan and Cebu, and resorts in Balicasag (Bohol) and Boracay, sold seahorses to local and foreign tourists.
The souvenir shops were supplied by traders from the same province and sold the seahorses dried and individually. The dried seahorses in the resorts were also sold individually and peddled by children or women along the beaches. (Mindanao Examiner)
ELEKSIS MARKETING
Corporation, the sole and authorized distributor of Bose consumer products in the Philippines, warned the public on the proliferation of fake Bose products sold online after a customer bought a pair of Bose earbuds on Lazada which turned out to be fake and defective.
The customer, who bought the earbuds worth P2,780 at “Lexiang Digital” store on Lazada, said the online shop has refused to refund his payment despite repeated demands.
The earbuds, described by Lexiang Digital as “Bose SoundSport Free - True Wireless Earbuds - Bluetooth In Ear Headphones for Workouts and Running,Sweat Resistant with Touch control Earphones Microphone Headphones” turned out to be fake after the customer inquired with Eleksis Marketing Corporation.
“Thank you for bringing this up to our attention. Please be informed that we are the sole and authorized Distributor of Bose consumer products in the Philippines. Currently our Online Partners are Lazada and
SHopee. Other than these partners, they’re not authorized to sell Bose. We could not guarantee the authenticity of these items. For complete list of our Stores, you may visit https://eleksis.com/ pages/our-stores Bose by Eleksis Marketing Corporation,” Eleksis Marketing Corporation said.
“This entity (Lexiang Digital) is not an authorized seller. The only legitimate store in Lazada is our own managed store. Please make sure to get it from our Lazmall which is supplied by us at Eleksis Marketing Corporation,” it added.
The customer urged Eleksis Marketing Corporation to file a complaint with Lazada so it can take down Lexiang Digital and “protect your genuine products from fake sellers.”
Eleksis Marketing Corporation said it will act accordingly to address the issue. “We are trying to track down these sellers also. Every time we take down their site they create another one. Though, thank you for your help, we will act accordingly,” it said.
Aside from Lexiang Digital, another store
“Featured Smartwatches” also passes itself off as a legitimate Samsung dealer and has been selling fake Samsung Series 8 Smart Watch, according to the same customer who was scammed by the Lazada seller.
He said the smart watch he ordered from “Featured Smartwatches” worth P1,089 was previously priced at over P6,000, but it turned out to be a cheap, fake digital watch. It was described as follows: “Samsung series8 Smart watch for IOS, Android, Water Resistant, 12 Sports Modes Smartwatch, 24H Blood Oxygen & Heart Rate & SleepMonitor original smartwatch.”
The customer said he also demanded a refund, but the seller refused to pay back.
Lazada was informed about these two stores selling fake products and the demands made by the customer, but it also failed to act on the complaints and failed to order the sellers to refund the payments. It was unknown whether Lazada was aware that “Lexiang Digital” and “Featured Smartwatches” were selling bogus products. (Mindanao Examiner)
OZAMIZ CITY - Cash gifts totaling P300,000 were awarded to two women from Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental province in southern Philippines who recently turned 100 years old.
After Pompia Ochagabia Balcita from the village
of Maningcol and Tiburcia Gaid Parojinog from Molicay village celebrated their 100th birthday in April, the centenarians each received a total of P300,000 in cash gifts—P100,000 from the National Government by virtue of Centenarians Act of 2016 (Republic Act No.
10868), doubled by the Misamis Occidental Provincial Government and Governor Henry Oaminal, and the third from the City Government led by Mayor Henry “Indy” Oaminal, Jr. and the citycouncil.
“These gifts are only one part of how the Ozamiz City government expresses our commitment to the welfare of our senior citizens,” Mayor Oaminal, Jr. said. “As a city we fully embrace senior citizen-centered policies such as the Centenarians Act, so that we may continue to care for our lolos and lolas.”
The centenarians also received a signed letter from President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., congratulating them for the “remarkable feat to reach a hundred years of age, for it reflects a lifetime of victories both big and small.”
Mayor Oaminal, Jr. also took the opportunity to encourage elder Ozamiznons to look after their health, “so that more lolos and lolas stay strong for their 100th birthday and more.”
Balcita and Parojinog are the 9th and 10th centenarians in the city who have received the P100,000 cash gift since the start of the Asenso Ozamiz administration. Their families and relatives thanked the governor and mayor, and lawmakers for the centenarian gifts, saying it is a big help to the family.
(Mindanao Examiner)
WHOM SHOULD we love more our parents or our children? St. Thomas Aquinas raised this question in his book Summa Theologiae and gave two answers. First, from the point of view of the object of love or to the person whom we are to love, he says, the more the object of love is like God, the more it is to be loved. Therefore, a man ought to love his father and mother more than his children because he loves his parents as his principle or origin of life, a more exalted good, and more like God who gives life to all of us.
On the other hand, the degrees of love may be measured from the standpoint of the lover; and in this respect a man loves more that which is more closely connected to him, thus, a man’s children are more lovable to him than his parents. So, the answer if this were a sport, the score would be one all, in a way equal. Dr. Peter Kreeft would say, “It is natural and right to love your parents more in one way and to love your children more in another.” So, it all depends on which point of view.
Our parents are more like God to us. They gave us life, time, nourishment, education, etc. We can’t possibly pay them back; we can only “pay it forward” to our children. God invented parents to do his work, beginning with “procreation”, then continuing in “pro-education”, “pro-nourishing” and all the rest.
On the other hand, your children are dearer to you than your parents are. You are united to your children in a way that is more intimate and more free than the way in which you are united to your parents because you gave birth to them. The analogy is that God loves us more than we love Him—infinitely more because God has an infinite nature. God’s love directed towards us is more intimate than our love directed towards Him. Thus, a parent’s love is more intimate towards his or her children than any other love. Because of this intimacy, it is easier to fail to love our parents than to fail to love our children. That is why there is a commandment that mandates us to love and respect our parents, but not to children. But Dr. Kreeft would say, because of the rampant abor-
tion of children nowadays, there should also be a commandment against murdering, neglecting, harming and abusing children.
Our instinct to love our parents is strong but easily broken, especially at two periods in life: teenage years when teens naturally desire their independence and by middle-aged children of physically and especially mentally weakened aging parents who appear burdensome. Here, in the Philippines where there are still strong family ties, we rarely have cases of middle-aged children abandoning their parents. In the Western countries, children would put their parents in the home for the elderly when they become weak and sickly and these old parents would often complain that their children would hardly visit them.
In the West likewise, human life has become cheapened and cheapened in both ends. Parents are killed by euthanasia, whey they become a “burden” to their children; and children are killed by abortion, when they become a “burden” to their parents. All societies in past generations would be horrified by these two sins, being the most heartless and inhuman sins possible. To kill your parents is to kill yourself, your own past; and to kill your children is to kill yourself, your own future. In the past, people kill for political, personal grudge, or other seemingly “honorable” reasons but to kill people because they are a burden is equating people to things, as Pope Francis would lament, we are a “throwaway culture”; not just throwing away items but throwing away life too.
The best way to combat this “culture of death” as St. Pope John Paul II would put it, is to renew and strengthen our love for both our children and parents. We have to love those who are closest to us. This is one of the greatest joys in life, love for our family, and likewise the most effective paths to our sanctification or becoming saints. For whatever we do to those who are ours, we do to ourselves, just as whatever we do to Christ’s brothers, we do to Him. (ECC)
OPINION
ON THE Feast of St. Joseph the Worker which is celebrated on May 1, we are reminded of this often-ignored dignity of our work, all kinds of work, big or small, as long as it is not sinful work. It is a matter that needs a lot of airing out and clarification, especially these days when a lot of confusion and error hound this very important aspect of our life.
Work is a gift of God for us. It is part of our human nature. It’s not a punishment due to our human limitations, let alone, our sins. As we learn from the Book of Job, “A man is born to labour, and a bird to flight.” (5,7) In fact, a man who refuses to work for no good reason would undermine his humanity. Work is what we need for our human development, both personal and social. But more than that, given our dignity as image and likeness of God, children of his, sharers of his divine life and nature, our work is actually a participation in the ongoing providence and governance of God over all his creation.
In effect, our work, no matter how ordinary and small it is, is where we have our usual encounter with God. It’s where the drama of whether we are with God or not, whether we give glory to him or not, whether we truly love him or we simply are loving and indulging in ourselves, takes place. Our work is meant to foster our dignity as persons and children of God. It’s never an enslaving element in our life. It is what would truly humanize and Christianize us. Wherever we are, we should see to it that everyone has the proper understanding of work and always has work to do.
Whether one is at home doing the usu-
al household chores or immersed in the different levels of the world of business or the farms, schools, etc., he should know the true nature and purpose of work and act accordingly. That way, whatever one’s work is, he is certain that he is affirming and developing his human and Christian dignity while working. A certain sense of joy and fulfillment would fill his heart.
For those who have people working for them, they have to make sure that their workers are happy with their work. Business leaders, for example, should give due attention to their workers and make due investments for the proper human and Christian development of their workers. In this, they should not be passive, but should take the initiative to know their workers’ condition and see how they can be developed.
It is usually in the world of business that a lot of violations and abuses are committed in the area of work. Businessmen should not worry only about profits and market shares. They should actively look into the overall welfare of their workers who, with their inferior position in the organization, are usually prone to be taken advantage of.
Other than simply interested in the technical aspects of work, businessmen should see to it that their workers are properly motivated and remunerated. The relation and interaction between bosses and workers should be abiding, close and warm. Without compromising the professional aspect, the relationship should be family-like. Everyone should deal with everybody else as persons and not just as some kind of automatons. (FRC)
COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro region's economy grew at a 6.6% rate in 2022 and reported the tenth-fastest economic growth among all 17 regions in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-BARMM).
PSA-BARMM Regional Director Engr. Akan Tula reported that agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing increased to 3.5%, industry increased to 6.1%, and the services sector increased to 9.8%.
Tula said, though slower than the previous year's 7.5% growth rate, the 6.6% in 2022 still indicates good economic performance in the region.
“This means that in 2022, BARMM's per capita household final consumption expenditure was estimated at P56,970.00, higher by 4.5% than the previous year's level,
which was estimated at P54,528.00,” he said.
Indicating robustness and resiliency, the economic performance of BARMM is based on the final estimation of the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) and gross regional domestic expenditure (GRDE) for 2022.
The GRDP is the aggregate of gross value added of all resident producer units under the AFF, industry, and service sectors in the region, while the GRDE is the expenditure of residents of the region in the domestic territory plus their expenditure in other regions, including the rest of the world.
PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa emphasized that the goal of the GRDP and GRDE is to provide policymakers and stakeholders with a comprehensive picture of the regional economies,
which will serve as an important tool for planning and policy formulation at the regional level.
“This GRDP and GRDE are major, important indicators that will bring change to the lives of our countrymen through their impact on the results of plans and policies that might be crafted from these indicators,” Mapa said.
Director Melanie Indar, of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority, said that although growth has slowed down, BARMM’s economy is still on track for robust growth. “Despite this setback, BARMM has emerged as the 10th fastest-growing region in the country, which is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the region’s resilience and hard work,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Across :
MAF Trading Zamboanga 062-9555360 / 0917-7103642
5.
7. Concluded
8. Singer ___ Fitzgerald
9. Stolen goods
10. Mumbai dress
11. Genesis location
16. Eye part
20. Caesar’s language
21. Army chow
22. One time only
25. Leonardo da ___
27. President Ronald ____ 28. Amaze
Answer to last week’s crossword:
41. Cries loudly
42. Dancer ___ Astaire
Weekly Sudoku:Answer to last week:
The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is available in Cotabato City’s lone newspaper dealer Bernadette Guotana at “Goutana Copy Center” at Stall 5. For subscription, please call 0997-5412615. And for all your publications, please call BARMM Bureau Chief Mark Navales at 0916-6885389
For all your newspaper publications or subscription to The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, please call or text Villamero’s Enterprises at these numbers (062) 955-8677 and 0917-1223496. Located at Campaner Street, Zamboanga City and serving Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
For all your newspaper publications or subscription to The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, please call or text Rodil Ybañez at these numbers (0923) 1670009. Located at G/F Dreamfield bldg, Sanciangko Street, Kamagayan Cebu City
Maritess Fernandez
Publisher/Executive Producer
Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief Reynold Toribio Graphics/Video Editor MANILA
No. 18 Purok 4B Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, 1632 chardee.mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com (0916) 9558559, (0915) 0070927, (0947) 2652969
Richard C. Ebona
CEBU CITY
G/F Dreamfield bldg, Sanciangko Street, Kamagayan (0923) 1670009 Rodil P. Ybañez
DAVAO CITY Kamya Alley, Dagaang Compound, San Pedro Extension (082) 2447681 / (0997) 3172021 Marilou Cablinda
NORTH COTABATO KIDAPAWAN CITY Paolo De Jesus (0927) 4757936
BARMM CENTRAL MINDANAO COTABATO CITY
5-A Pansacala Street (RH10) Cotabato City, 9600 Mark Navales (0916) 6885389
PAGADIAN CITY
Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera st., Gatas District, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur (0910) 7348600 Richard Suarez
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA BASILAN, SULU, TAWI TAWI BARMM
3/F, JLC Building, Don Alfaro Street, Tetuan
Zamboanga City (062) 9555360 (0915) 3976197 / (0935) 6123587
Maritess Fernandez
CEBU – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered the National Grid Corpo-
Defensor said Marcos relayed the instructions through Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla. He also quoted Lotilla as saying that Marcos has given instructions for the NGCP to be transparent to stakeholders and that the Energy Regulatory Commission should be updated on the status of the Visayas grid.
EBU – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to immediately address the power problem ration of the (NGCP) to address the power in Western Visayas, according to Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr in Western to Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. to complete Phase 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) backbone project, linking Negros and Cebu through a submarine cable.
Marcos also wanted to synchronize the protection relay of the distribution, generation, and transmission to protect the system. The NGCP has to fast-track the filing and approval of pending Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement that supports the transmission of power from generators to consumers, and always watch out for the entry of variables and other sources of energy into the grid so it will not be overwhelmed and stressed.
Defensor said the most important thing was the instruction for the NGCP
The CNP project involves the construction of a 238-kilometer long circuit, 230kV capacity transmission, which also includes the expansion of the Barotac Viejo substation, the E.B Magalona cable terminal station, and the Bacolod substation, as per the press statement from the Balita Halin sa Kapitolyo.
Defensor said he has no idea of the status of the project but as per information, its implementation is delayed.
While waiting for the response of the NGCP on the instructions of Marcos, Defensor said he convened the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and discussed how the provincial government can help in the implementation of Marcos’ instructions. He said they also tackled
the strategies that will be executed by the provincial government in compliance with the DOE advisory to prevent the grid from getting stressed.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Reps. Julienne L. Baronda, Raul C. Tupas, and Michael B. Gorriceta submitted a resolution calling for a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation on the power crisis. They said there is an urgent need to conduct an inquiry into the outages so an immediate solution to address the impending power crisis can be formulated, and for Congress to adopt the necessary legislative measures to prevent the same from happening again.
“The extreme heat attributed to the summer season has been exacerbated by the want of power supply which not only takes a toll on the economy of the region but also negatively impacts its image to visitors, local and foreign alike,” the resolution said.
The power outages hit the region, affecting mostly Panay and Guimaras islands, on April 27 and April 28 and power was fully restored early morning of April 30.
Marcos Jr. said the national government will step in to augment efforts in addressing the power outages in Negros and Panay caused by a problem in the distribution system.
“Ang nagkaka-problema ngayon are Negros and Panay Islands. The irony is Negros actually has a surplus of power supply. The reason na nagkaka-brownout is because sa distribution system sa high tension wire… So that’s what we will have to look into,” Marcos said.
“The power outages, well talagang it’s a consequence of the weather at napaka-init. We are now trying to control or trying to manage rather our water consumption, our pow-
er consumption because that’s very closely related,” he added.
The Marcos administra-
tion earlier swiftly acted on the power crisis in Occidental Mindoro with the operation of at least three power
stations to provide 24-hour electricity power service in the province. (Perla Lena, Cebu Examiner)
Garcia said all those who attended and stayed during the recent PDC meeting will get the financial grant that they can use for a project of their choice. She said the grant was on top of the P1 million that she earlier committed to the PB members who also stayed with her during an inter-agency meeting.
stituents but also ensure that important agendas are adequately tackled during meetings.
CEBU CITY – Cebu mayors and Provincial Board (PB) members who have religiously attended sessions of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) will be granted P2 million worth of mini-infrastructure projects for their constituents, according to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
“I usually award infrastructure grants to LGUs whose mayors showed cooperation by not leaving until all matters were taken up,” the governor said.
Garcia said the award system would not only allow the capitol to distribute funding assistance for small projects that would directly affect the lives of the con-
A total of 39 out of 50 mayors in 44 municipalities and six component cities, three vice mayors who represented their mayors in the meeting, as well as the seven PB members and Sangguniang Kabataan president, will receive the financial grant.
Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III and each of the 17 PB members also received a pickup truck as their service vehicle from Garcia. She reminded the provincial legislators to use the vehicle in serving their constituencies in their respective districts.
(John Rey Saavedra)CEBU – The Bureau of Immigration has warned foreigners staying in the country to obey laws after an American national, who threatened a local bartender, was arrested by authorities for violating immigration laws.
Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the 48-year old Barry Lee Jor-
dan was arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Division in the house of his Filipina partner in the village of Upper Buenavista in Carcar City.
“Jordan had been overstaying in the country for more than seven years or since December 27, 2015 when he last arrived in the country as a tourist,” Tansingco said, add-
ing, the American was also charged with undesirability after being considered a threat to his community after video clips of him threatening a bartender with a knife circulated on YouTube. He said Jordan was brought to Manila where he is undergoing deportation proceedings.
(Cebu Examiner)
