DOT chief overwhelmed by lawmakers’ proposal to enhance budget for tourism

by Jun Marcos Tadios, Manila Bulletin

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco was elated by the proposal of lawmakers to extend an additional budget for the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the Fiscal Year 2023.

Frasco unveiled new projects and convergence programs of the DOT on Wednesday, Aug. 31, during the briefing with the House Committee on Appropriations on the proposed 2023 budget.

The secretary rallied for the favorable decision of the House of Representatives on the P3.573 billion proposed budget for next year in able to attain the DOT’s plans and programs.

The attached agency under the DOT was the Intramuros Administration (IA), National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), and the Philippine Commission on Sports SCUBA Diving – PCSSD.

“The plans (for 2023) will include the establishment of tourist service rest areas and information counters across the country; the development of a Tourist lifecycle app for tourists; a Tourist Assistance Call Center, and the launching of a guest incentive system, among others,” said Frasco.

Several lawmakers, however, noted the necessity of increasing the DOT’s proposed budget, underscoring the tourism industry’s significant contribution to the Philippine economy.

Frasco thanked the members of the House Committee on Appropriations that shows support for the proposed budget of DOT including Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan; Albay 1st District Congressman Edcel Lagman; Rep. Jefferson Khonghun from the 1st District of Zambales; and Congressman Wilter Palma from the 1st District of Zamboanga Sibugay.

“While I could have just stayed in my beloved town of Liloan, I accepted the tourism portfolio with high hopes because the President has identified the tourism industry as one of the top priorities of his administration,” Frasco uttered.

To fulfill the visions and programs of the present administration, Frasco uttered that they should have a commanding budget needed to fulfill all the visions and programs of the President.

House bill penalizes prank callers to emergency hotlines with jail terms, fines

by Raymund Antonio, Manila Bulletin

Prank callers to emergency hotlines may soon face jail time and fines if the proposed measure of Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting becomes law.

House Bill 3851, or “An Act Penalizing Prank Callers to Emergency Hotlines,” filed on Aug. 22, 2022, recognized “the inherent nature of having an accessible nationwide hotline by providing penalties to persons who will intentionally make mischievous and malicious calls that will spoil the government resources and make ridicule them for their benefit/reasons.”

“An emergency hotline should be able always accessible, free from interruption, and seamlessly receive emergency calls to save lives for those needing it at a crucial moment,” the explanatory note said.

“To uphold the reliability and integrity of this public service, this legislation is proposed to forbid and penalize prank callers for irresponsibly alarming the emergency hotline,” it added.

Any person who would be found to make prank calls to emergency hotline numbers should be held liable with the following penalties: arresto menor, or jail time of one day to 30 days, and a fine of P5,000 for the first offense; arresto mayor, or jail time of one month and one day to six months and a fine of P10,000 for the second offense, and prision correccional, or six months and one day to six years, and a fine of P20,000 for the third and succeeding offenses.

The explanatory note cited Memorandum Order No. 07-07-206 issued by the National Telecommunications Commission and Executive Order No. 56 that assigned emergency hotline 911 as the nationwide emergency answering point, replacing Patrol 1197.

“The government is duty bound to serve and protect the people and it is expected that this crisis hotline is used appropriately by the public,” the bill said.

The proposed measure defined a prank call as “a mischievous or malicious telephone call made to trick or fool someone to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, or solicit any comment, request, suggestion, or sound which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent, or a call intending to make false requests or false alarm of an emergency, knowing the report or information or alarm to be false.”

Adapting all the way

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE are somehow reminded of this need of ours to adapt all the way to all kinds of persons and situations in life in that gospel episode where Christ was asked why the disciples of John the Baptist fast, while he does not. (cfr. Lk 5,33-39) That’s also where Christ said that famous line about not putting a piece of new cloth to patch an old one, and new wine into old wineskins.

Like Christ, we should try our best to adapt ourselves to all kinds of persons and situations to such an extent that we can echo what St. Paul once said about becoming all things to all men for the sake of the salvation of man. (cfr. 1 Cor 9,22) This, we should try our best to do without losing our Christian identity.

As we all know, Christ is the Son of God who became man to recover us from our state of alienation from God due to sin. He went all the way to become like sin, without committing sin, if only to identify himself with us even in our worst condition. (cfr. 2 Cor 5,21) In so doing, he shows us the way of how we can recover our Christian dignity as God’s image and likeness, children of his, sharers of his divine life.

If we are consistent with our Christian identity, we should do the same. The challenge of adapting ourselves to all kinds of persons and situations is enormous. It is, in fact, overwhelming. But there’s always the grace of God to help us when we reach our human limits in this regard.

Fact is to make Christ present in the lives of all of us is next to impossible. And yet that is what we are asked to do. How would you, for example, transmit the doctrine of our faith, or show the beauty of the liturgy, etc., so full of mysteries, to different kinds of people, from kids to adults, from manual workers to intellectuals, etc.?

I always find this challenge unnerving. And yet that is what is always presented to us. What immediately comes to mind in trying to tackle this challenge is for us to truly exert the effort to know and accept people in the way they are, but always referring them to Christ with whom we should keep a living relationship.

Let’s remember that Christ was always adapting himself to the people, being flexible to everyone, and yet managed to accomplish his mission, whatever the situation was. He was not only passively adapting himself to the environment. He was also actively pursuing his goal in different ways. That’s versatility for you.

Eventually, he rounded off all these expressions of adaptability, flexibility and versatility by offering his life on the cross. There he made as his own all the sins of men, died to them and rose from the dead. He turned the cross from being a tree of sin and death into a tree of life. His death conquered sin and death, and reopened the door to eternal life for us.

To become Christ-like would indeed require a lifetime effort, but we can always start and develop it anytime. Let us not wait for some so-called opportune moment to be so. Any time, any situation can and should be an occasion to be like Christ. Obviously, we have to know Christ more and more. Thus, we need to be familiar with his life, his teachings and his example.

Let us put our mind and heart into this most important responsibility of ours.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

PNP disaster teams ready for 'Henry'

By Francis Earl Cueto  and Arlie O. Calalo

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said that its disaster response units to Northern Luzon regions are ready to be dispatched as Super Typhoon "Henry" had been spotted closest to Luzon at past midnight on Thursday.

PNP Chief, Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., said police disaster response units, personnel and equipment were immediately deployed to Ilocos and Cagayan Valley and some parts of Cordillera.

At the same time, government resources have been prepositioned near designated evacuation centers for possible relief operations in areas threatened by Henry.

At the national headquarters, the PNP high command activated the NHQ Disaster Incident Management Task Group (DIMTG), an updated and enhanced plan of action by the PNP on disaster preparedness and response management in support of other concerned agencies.

The Chief PNP said the DIMTG supports the government's disaster risk reduction and management efforts in accordance with the PNP Critical Incident Management Operational Procedures (CIMOP).

Earlier on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said "Henry" has slightly increased its strength while moving to Batanes while Tropical Depression "Gardo" has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA).

Weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said in a press briefing that Henry moved south-southwestward northeast of Batanes at 25 kilometers per hour (kph).

Estimated some 430kms east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, the super typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 195kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240kph, Ordinario said.

"Due to the forecast expansion in the extent of tropical cyclone winds associated with Henry, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals may be hoisted for localities in extreme Northern Luzon within the day," the Pagasa forecaster had said.

"By Friday afternoon, Henry may begin tracking slowly northwestward before eventually accelerating northward by Saturday and it may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) either on Saturday evening or Sunday morning," Ordinario said.

Meanwhile, the LPA was located at 760kms east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes while moving westward at 35kph.

"The remnant low is unlikely to directly affect the weather condition as well as the sea conditions over the coastal waters of the country," Ordinario said.

Super typhoon weakens a bit as it nears Batanes

Pagasa said the trough of the super typhoon enhanced by the southwest monsoon or "habagat" is affecting Metro Manila, Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Also affected are Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Batanes, Cagayan, Zambales and Bataan where cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms can be experienced.

"Flash floods or landslides are possible in these areas due to moderate to at times heavy rains," Pagasa said.

POINTS TO PONDER

Sometimes we all could use a little extra pick-me-up. Saying that life can be challenging would be an understatement. But it’s important to remember that life has its ups and downs and we need to keep pushing forward. Much like our “life is short” quotes, strength quotes, uplifting quotes, graduation quotes, and quotes about change, these life-changing quotes will inspire you to see things from a new perspective. And that may just be the nudge you need to make it through.

Let's  think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply. Sometimes we feel our life is turning miserably. Our negativism doesn't allow us to keep our eyes, ears - and, most important! - our minds, hearts

and souls opened. We reach our breaking point.

This breaking point can be the prelude to our strongest moment. It is when we reach our breaking point, that we discover our real strength. Allow me to ask you, my dear readers; "What happens to you or with you when you

reach your breaking point?" Do you face it or do you run away?' I'll be giving you a very simple answer: If you face it - you break it. If you run away (and/or close your ears, eyes and mouth) - it breaks you!

Everyday - a dull reality! Many of us will answer this question with a big YES! Actually, who do we like to cover a newborn day already with a grey veil?

Each day has a new face, but sometimes we don't have the strength to watch its countenance. Of course, not every day has adventures and highlights.

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that, at the same time, seemed especially desolating and painful with a particular satisfaction. Indeed, everything I have learned, everything that has truly

enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness.

If it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from your earthly existence, the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable.

By observation, we can feel that many of us need help to manage our everyday life. We need something that would keep us going as we journey through life. Many times we can also learn from other people and their experiences.

Blue eyed or very philosophical but so very true: If the world is to be brought to order, my nation must be first changed. 

The nation is to be changed, my home town is to be reordered and must first be set right, my dear brothers and sisters. And, one step further: If my family is to be regenerated, I MYSELF MUST FIRST BE!

And here is one more thing: Affection is the humblest love - it gives itself no airs. It lives with humble and private things: soft slippers, old clothes, old jokes, and the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor. The glory of affection, the disposition of mind, the good will and tender attachment, is that it can unite those who are not "made for one and another', people. who, if not out down by fate in the same household or community, would have nothing to do with one and another.

Life for me has been a thing of ups and downs in approximately equal measure. I don't have something sensational to report every day about my progress. Often, I wonder if fulfillment in life is necessarily tied to change for the better.

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” said Toni Morrison, author. .