32M scam and spam SMS blocked

By Francis Earl Cueto, Manila Times

GLOBE Telecoms on Monday said they were able to block 32.2 million scam and spam text messages with clickable links in just two weeks after enforcing its measure against all person-to-person SMS with links.

In a statement, Globe said that the figure covered September 28 to October 13 when it started enforcing the measures, which resulted in blocking 2.4 million SMS with clickable links on average every day within that period.

"The amount of text messages with clickable links we blocked within just about two weeks shows the staggering number of spam and scam SMS that disrupt and threaten customers every day. This is empirical proof that our security measure was warranted," Anton Bonifacio, Globe's chief information security officer, said.

Globe implemented this measure in response to growing concern over escalating spam and scam messages, particularly those containing mobile users' full names.

The statement also said that Globe has logged a new record in blocked spam and scam messages, with a total of 1.3 billion from January to end September. This exceeds the 2021 total of 1.15 billion.

Under the new security measure, all person-to-person SMS with clickable links from all networks are blocked.

This has forced fraudsters to find new ways to craft their scam messages, showing that the blocking measure has been effective.

"We reiterate our call on our customers to remain vigilant as fraudsters will continue to find ways to circumvent measures that aim to thwart them. Do not engage with SMS from anonymous sources making enticing offers," Bonifacio said.

Globe has spent $20 million or P1.1 billion to date to step up its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system.

FDA warns vs 'toxic' cough syrups

By Kristina Maralit October 25, 2022 

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Monday echoed an earlier warning by the World Health Organization (WHO) against four "substandard" cough syrups for children.

The WHO tagged the cough syrups manufactured by India-based Maiden Pharmaceutical Ltd. under the brands Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup as unsafe for consumption because they contain "toxic ingredients."

The warning was issued following the death of 66 children in the West African country of Gambia last September.

In its advisory, the FDA said the four brands contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol which are considered as contaminants and toxic to humans.

Consumption "may result in abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death," it said.

Plastic recycling remains a ‘myth’: Greenpeace study

by Agence-France-Presse

WASHINGTON, United States — Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace USA report out Monday that blasted industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy as “fiction.”

Pixabay

Titled “Circular Claims Fall Flat Again,” the study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by US households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, or around five percent. 

After peaking in 2014 at 10 percent, the trend has been decreasing, especially since China stopped accepting the West’s plastic waste in 2018.

Virgin production — of non-recycled plastic, that is — meanwhile is rapidly rising as the petrochemical industry expands, lowering costs.

“Industry groups and big corporations have been pushing for recycling as a solution,” Greenpeace USA campaigner Lisa Ramsden told AFP.

“By doing that, they have shirked all responsibility” for ensuring that recycling actually works, she added. She named Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestle as prime offenders. 

According to Greenpeace USA’s survey, only two types of plastic are widely accepted at the nation’s 375 material recovery facilities.

The first is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is commonly used in water and soda bottles; and the second is high density polyethylene (HDPE), seen in milk jugs, shampoo bottles and cleaning product containers.

These are numbered “1” and “2” according to a standardized system in which there are seven plastic types.

But being recyclable in theory doesn’t mean products are being recycled in practice.

The report found that PET and HDPE products had actual reprocessing rates of 20.9 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively — both down slightly from Greenpeace USA’s last survey in 2020.

Plastic types “3” through “7” — including children’s toys, plastic bags, produce wrappings, yogurt and margarine tubs, coffee cups and to-go food containers — were reprocessed at rates of less than five percent.

PH to require eArrival card for airline passengers starting Nov. 1—Palace

by Betheena Unite, MB

Malacañang announced that the use of electronic arrival (eArrival) card for passengers will be implemented in the country’s airports starting November 1.

OFWs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Ali Vicoy/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The scan-and-go system, the Palace said, will ensure ease of travel for incoming travelers and at the same time, protect the public from Covid-19. 

“Starting November 1 this year, the Bureau of Quarantine will require all inbound travelers to have an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours prior to their departure from their country of origin,” it said in a statement on Monday, Oct. 24.

Arriving travelers should register for an e-Arrival Card prior to their departure via onehealthpass.com.ph or by scanning the QR code indicated in the poster released by the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH issued the advisory as the Bureau of Quarantine transitions from the One Health Pass (OHP) to the eArrival Card to streamline arrival requirements for travelers.

Malacañang further said that the adoption of the eArrival Card will make entry to the Philippines more convenient for travelers as it removes unnecessary information fields present in the previous OHP system. 

PSEi back at 6,000 level on bargain hunting

by James A. Loyola, MB

The local stock market climbed back to the 6,000 level as investors picked up bargains in anticipation of upcoming economic data and corporate earnings reports.

The main index added 45.23 points or 0.76 percent to close at 6,028.79 as the Services sector led the advance while the Mining and Oil counter lagged behind. Volume was thin at 406 million shares worth P3.48 billion as gainers beat losers 91 to 76 with 55 unchanged. 

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“Philippine shares started the last week of October solidly, as investors stateside are going to have a handful of eco data to keep tabs on this week,” said Regina Capital Development Corporation Managing Director Luis Limlingan.

He added that, these include “PMI data on Oct. 24, New Home sales for Sept. on Oct. 26, GDP and Durable Goods Orders print on Oct. 27, and Personal Income reading on Oct. 28.“

Philstocks Financial Assistant Research Manager Claire Alviar said “The local bourse went up amid bargain hunting while investors await the third-quarter earnings results. Moreover, the government’s announcement that it is prepared to defend the peso from falling to 60 levels against the US dollar boosted the sentiment.” 

She noted that, “Wall Street’s positive performance last Friday also influenced the market’s movement. However, market participation remains weak.”

Love makes little things great

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

MAKE no mistake about it. As long as things are done with love, no matter how small, ordinary and mundane they are, they can be transformed into something great, even to the extent of acquiring a supernatural, divine value. Indeed, the greatness of divine life offered to us can be found and developed in the little, ordinary things that comprise the major part of our earthly life.

This after hearing clearly what Christ said: “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'” (Lk 13,18-19)

Reiterating the same idea, he continued to say: “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” (Lk 13,20-21)

Yes, heaven can be reached and experienced to a certain extent even while here on earth when we do things with love, that is, when we offer them to God who loves us first and expects us to love him in return. The secret is to join in the dynamic of divine love that God offers us, as shown to us and shared with us by Christ himself.

We have to be most wary of our common tendency to do things just to meet our own interests and to satisfy our own personal desires that have nothing to do with God or making God only as a prop, a disguise. In other words, when we would fall and get trapped in our own world of self-indulgence.

We might appear to be doing good, but unless they are done with true love, with true self-giving that is inspired by God’s love and that leads us to it as well, that good is at best only apparent. At its worst, they are a danger, a sweet poison. Sooner or later, the bad effects and consequences of that apparent good would appear. We would get spoiled, we hardly can go the distance, we would be prone to hypocrisy.

We really need to continually rectify and purify our intention in whatever we do. We should see to it that we do them with true love, never afraid of whatever cost and sacrifices may be involved, knowing that doing things with true love will always give us joy, peace and perseverance. We are never short-changed when things are done with love.

Of course, doing things with true love would require effort and sacrifice, especially considering our weakened and wounded condition here on earth. It would require sincerity in all our actions, always guarded against the tendency to project certain appearances and images without the proper substance and spirit of love.

Given the many developments of our times that can easily lend themselves to the dangers of hypocrisy, inconsistency and the like, we have to continually examine our conscience to see if we are still driven by true love or are falling already into the clutches of hypocrisy, etc.

We can always know that we are motivated by true love because we would always feel happy and secure, and always motivated and zealous even if we encounter problems and difficulties along the way. That’s when we can already have some traces at least of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com