Special General Assembly at San Antonio Housing Homeowners Association held

 

To streamline the functions and responsibilities of the San Antonio Housing Village community officers, the National Housing Authority, in collaboration with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and the Housing and Homesite Division (HHD) of PLGU-DdO, conducted a special general assembly and election of officers for San Antonio’s Housing Association on August 31, 2022.

San Antonio Village I is located at Brgy. Maparat in Compostela with a total of two thousand five hundred (2,500) settlers according to HDD, thus the need to concretely systematize community leaders for the improvement of the village. Executive Assistant for Communications and Public Relation Edward B. Macapili represented Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga during the conduct of the event. He conveyed that the provincial government will do its function to settle existing conflicts in the housing settlement in accordance with due process of the law.

On the same day, the body conducted an election for the Committee on Elections of the village. The Elecom committee is in charge of electing the grievance committee, which will oversee housing and facility issues. Further, the NHA and DHSUD conducted an orientation on R.A. 9904, also known as the Magna Carta for Home-owners and Home-owners Association. 

The success of the general assembly is a first step towards resolving concerns and conflicts in the housing settlement. This will incorporate basic government services, sustainable livelihood programs, and strengthen the maintenance of the village regulations and other necessary undertakings. Present during the event were Compostela Mayor Levi Ebdao, HDD Head Sue Getrude Generale, personnel from the DHSUD and NHA Region  XI, and Brgy. Officials of Brgy. Maparat.

The special general assembly will also be conducted on the remaining housing settlements in the province in the coming weeks. (JA, PAO-IPRD DdO, photo by J. Cadiz)

What faith and obedience can enable us

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THAT gospel episode where Christ asked Peter to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch shows us that when we would simply have faith in God, we can do wonders in our spiritual life and apostolate despite the great odds that we may have to contend with. (cfr. Lk 5,1-11)

At first, Peter was doubtful if what Christ told him was worth following. “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,” he said. but to his credit, he immediately corrected himself. “But at your command I will lower the nets.”

The story is very moving indeed, and the good news is that it can happen to any of us as long as we have faith and trust in God. And because of that faith and trust, we can just obey God’s will and ways even if humanly speaking they may appear to us as an impossibility.

We need to learn to trust God, and in his word and in his ways, no matter how unreasonable, impractical or impossible. For this, we have to go beyond our own understanding and estimation of things, and open our mind and heart to the light of our faith and love for God and for others.

While it’s true that we have to use all our human faculties in dealing with our earthly affairs and concerns, that is, our intelligence and will, our sciences and arts, our common sense and cultural and social wisdom, we should not forget that all these would have no real value unless they are engaged with our faith in God.

God knows everything. He is omnipotent. He actually intervenes in our lives in the most intimate way since he is the one who ultimately supports our existence and who governs it wisely with his providence.

We have to realize that God continues to work and to govern over all his creation, and as his image and likeness, as his children, we are meant to cooperate in carrying God’s work and governance here on earth. Seen in this way, any work we do, as long as it is honest and good work, is actually first of all God’s work before it is ours. We should be excited to carry out that work with him!

We should just develop the sense of feeling at home with the fact that our life and all the challenges and trials we are going to face in it will always demand from us things beyond our powers and resources. And that’s simply because we are meant to go to God for all our needs, without neglecting any effort we can give along the way.

With God, we have everything. As St. Teresa de Avila would put it, “Solo Dios basta!” What we lack in our humanity, we can always make up by relying always and completely on God. 

But, alas, this can happen only when we have faith, for faith is our best resource. As St. John puts it in his first letter, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” (Jn 5,4) Without faith, we are left with a big problem right from the start.

Thus, before all this exciting drama and adventure of life, our attitude should be that of being sporty and game, based on our faith in God and trust in his all-powerful and merciful providence. This attitude is actually what is presumed every time we enter into some form of commitment, whether to a vocation or marriage or work, etc.

Europe recession can affect PH markets

Facilities to receive and distribute natural gas are pictured on the grounds of gas transport and pipeline network operator Gascade in Lubmin, northeastern Germany, close to the border with Poland, on August 30, 2022. AFP Photo

By Ed Paolo Salting, Manila Times

EUROPEAN Union recession fears will definitely have an impact on the Philippines as a whole and the local markets, according to expert analysts.

The EU is also battling inflation as the eurozone's four largest economies — Germany, France, Italy and Spain — have had their growth forecasts for 2023 downgraded by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The United Kingdom is also struggling with inflation, which is above 10 percent for the first time in 40 years as households struggle with rising energy bills as an offshoot of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

What has the most impact on the EU economies is the Russia-Ukraine conflict, given its dependence on Russian crude and liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has been the subject of sanctions by both the US and EU member countries, who are also part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance.

The recent heat wave has also had an impact on agriculture, which was also affected by the conflict, given the inability of Ukraine to ship out grain exports from the Black Sea ports, which Russia has effectively blockaded.

Analysts at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) of the economist group also said the inflationary pressure could go on for some time as countries in the bloc are looking for alternative sources of energy to curb their dependence on Russian LNG and crude oil, which will take some time to achieve.

"In the near term, we expect a recession in Europe in the last quarter of 2022-2023 as a result of energy shortages and sustained elevated inflation," the EIU said. "The winter of 2023-2024 will also be challenging, so we also expect high inflation and sluggish growth until at least 2024."

Higher interest rates are also imminent as the Federal Reserve in the US also declared a continued hawkish stance for interest rates on Aug. 27, 2022 until it wrestles inflation to the ground. The euro has lost parity to the US dollar as a result, and the European Central Bank has had to raise interest rates for the first time in 11 years. This will be tricky as there are a number of countries which are also in fiscal crisis, having wracked up additional debt at the height of the pandemic. A single rate hike is not possible for all EU member countries given the varying states of their respective economies.

Philstocks Financial Inc. senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said that a decline in the EU's economy has sparked concerns of a ripple effect across the globe, including the Philippines, in terms of exports and imports, investments and remittances.

'Storm clouds' loom over economy

"Based on the latest data, in the first half of 2022, the European Union accounted for 11.6 percent of the Philippines' total exports and 6.5 percent of the Philippines' total imports, and generated 11.7 percent of OFWs' (overseas Filipino workers) cash remittances total which was sent to the country," Tantiangco explained. "In terms of direct investments, the whole bloc delivered 6.9 percent of the total equity investments to the Philippines in the first 5 months of 2022."

Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan added that the Philippines is not an isolated case, as all economies that are dependent on the importation of commodities for their energy requirements will be affected as the EU will all try to look for other crude sources while transitioning to alternative energy sources.

He also said that there could be an opportunity here as well as there is potential for the country to export to Europe what they could be lacking from the supply disruptions from Russia.

Tantiangco also pointed out that based on economic data, Europe still plays an important part in the Philippines' foreign transactions as a decline in their economy is expected to have negative effects on the local economy, which may also weigh on market sentiment for Philippine companies with European operations such as Emperador and Monde Nissin.

ABS-CBN, TV5 call off investment deal

By Aric John Sy Cua

RIVAL networks ABS-CBN and TV5 have called off their investment deal, amid a hearing at the House of Representatives on their "merger."

Disclosures reveal that Sky Cable and Cignal, rivaling cable companies, have also terminated their deal.

"In disclosures to both the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities Exchange Commission today, Sky Vision Corporation ("Sky Vision"), ABS-CBN Corporation, Lopez, Inc., and Cignal Cable Corporation ("Cignal Cable"), announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the Sale and Purchase Agreement dated August 10, 2022 covering the proposed acquisition by Cignal Cable of 38.88 percent equity interest in Sky Cable Corporation and the Debt Instruments Agreement dated August 10, 2022 covering the proposed subscription by Cignal Cable to an Exchangeable Debt Instrument to be issued by Sky Vision and the proposed acquisition by Cignal Cable of a Convertible Note issued by Sky Cable," a statement posted by ABS-CBN on social media said.

ABS-CBN said that the termination was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement.

In addition, another disclosure read that the two networks have "mutually agreed to terminate" their August 10 investment agreement.

"In a separate disclosure, TV5 Network, Inc. ("TV5") and ABS-CBN Corporation ("ABS-CBN") also announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the Investment Agreement dated August 10 2022 covering the proposed acquisition by ABS-CBN of 34.99 percent equity interest in TV5 and the Convertible Note Agreement dated August 10, 2022 covering the proposed subscription by ABS-CBN to a Convertible Note to be issued by TV5," according to the network.

"The termination was also formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement. The Parties confirmed that they have not implemented any of the transactions covered by the Investment Agreement and the Convertible Note Agreement."

TV5 has been broadcasting some ABS-CBN shows after the network's franchise was not renewed in 2020, which led to the deal between the two networks but Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta was not in favor and called for a hearing in the House of Representatives on the matter.

No Learners Left Behind

 

No learners left behind: Nueva Vizcaya teacher sold seedlings to support her students’ load allowance

by Vina Medenilla, Manila Bulletin

Besides Covid-19, the country has also been dealing with an education crisis. The pandemic has forced schools to close down and students to learn from home. 

The government implemented distance or blended learning to help halt the spread of the virus and ensure educational continuity during the pandemic. This transition, however, leaves some students behind, especially those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA). 

Distance learning demands space, equipment, internet connection, and other resources, which makes it more difficult for many students, educators, and families to have access to education.

Jennylin B. Carreon, 39, a faculty member of Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) – Bambang Campus, has seen firsthand how Covid-19 has affected not only the health industry but also the education sector.

Jennylin Carreon uses her teaching profession as a platform to inspire students and youth to grow their own food. Amid the pandemic, she helped her students overcome the challenges of remote teaching and learning.

“Though it was a modular approach, the students still need to communicate with their professors through group chats, SMS, private message, teleconferencing, video, and phone calls.”

She continues, “With the classes that I handled during the semester, many of my students complained about slow internet connection and allowance to buy cellphone load.”

Some of Carreon’s students have jobs to make ends meet, and the remote learning setup has placed more pressure on them. Between 60 and 70 percent of the university’s student body are Indigenous People (IPs). Most of them reside in areas that have very limited to no access to the internet.

Carreon would hear stories that her students have to climb a mountain or a hill and walk for an hour or two just to catch a signal. “With these predicaments, I pondered on how to help my students,” she said.  

This professor, who enjoys gardening, started a campaign “seedlings for a cause,” which means that each seedling purchased from her garden enables a student to have money for mobile data.

She began selling seedlings of herbs, ornamentals, fruit trees, and other edible crops in October 2020 and has generated more than P10,000 from donations and seedling sales.

In the Instagram post she used to announce the fundraising initiative, she revealed that 94 out of 118 of her students (or 79.7%) rely on their phones for remote learning. “All proceeds will become a circulating fund for their [cellphone] load. Mechanics will be based on a raffle draw per week. Everything will be [transparently] accounted for.”

This fundraising campaign has also motivated others to pitch in. Carreon shared, “One co-teacher sponsored cellphone load for 10 students, one former college classmate sponsored one student for his cellphone load for the whole month, a former student sponsored cellphone load worth P1,000 and a neighbor who has a cellphone load business volunteered the loading of their cellphones without charge.”

All the proceeds were used to fund the mobile load of her students throughout the semester. Every week, a P50 cellphone load was given away to at least five students from all of her six classes.

Letzten Tage des Tankrabatts: Spritpreise werden wieder deutlich ansteigen

Ende des Tankrabatts: Ab Donnerstag gibt es keine Senkung der Energiesteuer auf Kraftstoffe in Deutschland mehr.

Berlin - Mit dem Ende der auch Tankrabatt genannten Entlastungsmaßnahme müssen sich Autofahrer auf deutlich steigende Spritpreise einstellen. Rechnerisch sind 35 Cent für Benzin und 17 Cent für Diesel möglich - um diese Summen wurde die Steuerlast zuvor gesenkt. Die Regelung galt seit 1. Juni gemeinsam mit dem 9-Euro-Ticket, um Verbraucher angesichts hoher Energiepreise zu entlasten.

Allerdings bedeutet das Ende des Rabatts nicht, dass die Preise Punkt Mitternacht um diese Summe in die Höhe schnellen. So rechnet der ADAC etwa, dass Tankstellenbetreiber zuvor zum günstigen Steuersatz eingekaufte Treibstoffmengen weiter günstiger abgeben. Nach Angaben verschiedener Unternehmensverbände handelt es sich dabei aber um vergleichsweise kleine Mengen. Der Bundesverband freier Tankstellen (BFT) rechnet deshalb mit einem deutlichen Preisaufschlag schon in den frühen Morgenstunden. (dpa)