What is one word you would use to describe your country (the Philippines)?

 

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Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

What other words would you use to describe other countries that you have visited or lived in before?

Passion. It's the one word I would use to describe my home country, the Philippines. Passionate about our families, friends, work, and hobbies. Passionate about life itself. You can see it in the way we sing and dance, the way we laugh and love. Passion

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 is at the heart of everything we do. And it's this passion that makes the Philippines such a special place. Sure, other countries have unique charms, but there's something about the Philippines that feels different. Maybe it's the fact that we're always striving to make things just a little bit better. Or perhaps it's because we know that, no matter what life throws at us, we'll always have each other to lean on. Whatever the reason, I'm proud to be Filipino. And I can't wait to see what the future holds for my country and its people.

Footnotes

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Barok and Takya Blog

NGCP repairs bombed transmission line, restores power in affected Mindanao provinces

By Eireene Jairee Gomez October 26, 2022 

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Wednesday said power has been restored in the Zamboanga peninsula, Misamis Occidental, and parts of Lanao del Norte after the Baloi-Aurora 138-kiloVolt (kV) line serving these areas has been repaired, after it was bombed on Monday.

In an advisory, NGCP said the affected transmission line in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, was repaired at 4:39 a.m. Wednesday.

The NGCP said an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) was put up for the toppled Tower No. 8 less than 36 hours after the incident.

"It is NGCP's mandate to provide reliable power transmission services. We are committed to our mandate, and we will continue to deliver on this commitment, despite challenges posed by lawless elements," NGCP said.

"We laud the efforts and bravery of our line personnel who pursued immediate restoration without hesitation. We thank the local police and armed forces who secured the area and ensured the safety of our people," the company added.

NGCP reiterated that any malicious activities that are intended to damage or cripple NGCP's transmission lines and facilities may serve only to burden ordinary power consumers.

Suspicious activities involving NGCP's transmission facilities may be reported to the NGCP TIP hotline at 0917-8476427. 

LPA off Eastern Visayas may become tropical depression in 24 hours – Pagasa

By Arlie O. Calalo October 26, 2022 

THE low pressure area (LPA) off Eastern Visayas has a big chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours and it will be named "Paeng", the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Wednesday.

The LPA was last spotted at about 3 a.m. some 1,010kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, according to weather forecaster John Rey Bagalanon.

Bagalanon told The Manila Times that the shear line, the point where the cold and warm air converges, is affecting Southern Luzon.

The state-run weather agency said the trough or the extension of the LPA is bringing rain and thunderstorms over Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon or "amihan" is bringing cloudy skies with rains over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, Ilocos Region and the rest of Central Luzon, Pagasa said

Climate risks pose ‘significant threat’ to PH growth

by Chino S. Leyco

Climate change poses a significant threat to the country’s development that would potentially result in higher economic and human costs particularly for the poor, the World Bank said. 

Souleymane Coulibaly, World Bank lead economist said climate shocks would negatively affect the country’s economic growth by eroding natural and physical capital, as well as reducing labor productivity.

Coulibaly also said that the effects of climate change would weaken the country’s financial stability, alter domestic and external competitiveness and strain government finances. 

Ultimately, climate shocks would drag down the government’s poverty reduction effort, whose metrics mainly depend on economic growth and income distribution, Coulibaly noted.

Based on the World Bank estimates, the average output losses of the Philippines due to climate change will be at 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 and could further rise to 5.7 percent by 2040.

Under the much worse scenario, the World Bank estimated that the costs of climate shocks could amount to 7.6 percent by 2030 and 13.6 percent by 2040. 

The World Bank estimates were derived using the country’s historical typhoon information.

“As illustrated by this figure, you can see the poor would suffer the most. The poorer the households, the more negatively the consumption is estimated to be affected by climate change,” Coulibaly said.

According to the World Bank economist, if no measures is taken to address climate change, the poverty rate will increase by nearly one percentage point by 2040, economic insecurity by 3.3 percentage points and inequality by 0.3 percentage point.

The financial sector will also be affected for a one percentage rise in the typhoon damage ratio, and the non performing loan ratio rising by an average of 0.66 percent in the same period, Coulibaly said.

“This is this significantly increases in your credit risks,” he said.

However, the good news is that adaptation actions can reduce the impact of climate change.

“Measures to adapt to climate change could reduce economic losses by around two-thirds,” Coulibay said. “The cost of climate adaptation is substantial, but easily outweighed by the economic benefits of reduced climate change.”

World Bank estimated that the cost of making vulnerable new infrastructure in the Philippines climate resilience is estimated to be about 0.6 percent of GDP annually.

Whilethe agriculture sector measures to boost climate resilience would cost the government about 0.06 percent of GDP per year.

“However, depending on the financing mechanism of adaptation investment, short run GDP could be boosted by 0.7 percent compared to the baseline without investment,” he added.  

6 hurt, several houses damaged after M6.7 earthquake in Abra – NDRRMC

Published October 26, 2022, 8:55 AM

by Martin Sadongdong, MB

At least six persons were hurt while several houses were damaged when a powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked Abra and nearby provinces in Northern Luzon on Tuesday night, Oct. 25.

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) started assessing the extent of damage caused by the earthquake, the epicenter of which was recorded in Tineg town at 10:59 p.m. 

Based on initial report released Wednesday morning, Oct. 26, at least six persons were hurt and six houses were totally damaged in Lagayan, Abra when the earthquake struck in the middle of the night.

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region) 

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

The Lagayan municipal disaster risk reduction and management council (MDRRMC) said it immediately provided relief assistance and food items for the affected families.

Meanwhile, landslides and rockslides were also reported along the Abra-Ilocos Norte road, the Office of Civil Defense in Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) said.

Landslides and rockslides were reported along Abra-Ilocos Norte Road following the magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Abra on Oct. 25, 2022.

A separate situational report released by the NDRRMC National Operations Center said that the national road in Brgy. Labben and a local road in Brgy. Centro East both in Allacapan, Cagayan were damaged by the quake, affecting motorists.

Initial assessment also revealed that a residential unit was damaged in Brgy. Punta, Aparri, Cagayan. 

Residents in Brgy. Centro East in Allacapan and several barangays in Gattaran, Cagayan were also blanketed by darkness as the earthquake resulted to power interruption.

Tourism will help fast-track our economic recovery and growth

by Manila Bulletin

The country witnessed in the past few weeks a flurry of events related to tourism. Just a few days ago, the Philippine Travel Exchange or PHITEX tallied a record-breaking ₱172 million in business sales leads in just two days. PHITEX, now in its 21st year, is the biggest government-led travel trade event organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB). Alongside it, the 6th World Travel Expo was being held in another hotel and also recorded robust sales and attendance. Based on these two separate events, there is so much optimism in the coming months, especially in 2023, for the pandemic-battered tourism industry.

Before these two events, stakeholders gathered in a “Philippine Tourism Industry Convergence Reception” where the President made his message clear — that his administration is committed to revitalize the tourism industry.

“It became very clear that as we transform our economy, one of the possible and high potential drivers for the transformation for the economy was tourism and the reason is we in the Philippines have been so fortunate to have been born in this very beautiful country. Even more so, we have been so lucky to be born to such beautiful people,” the President said. To his credit, the President was up and about as an unofficial “tourism ambassador” as he led in various events that will help promote and publicize the country not only to international travelers, but also to domestic tourists. 

The President spearheaded the ceremonial lighting of the San Juanico Bridge, the first of its kind in the country where a bridge will feature an aesthetic light and sound show. It is touted as the newest tourism drawer, an attraction that will repurpose the bridge not only as a vital link between Samar and Leyte, but as a catalyst to help boost local tourism around the area.

Over the weekend, the President also joined the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City, highlighting the message that the country is “reemerging from a crisis.”

“The pandemic is fading away. We are learning to manage it… it is now time for us to go back to work, to go back to our normal lives, to remind ourselves of all the opportunities that were before us before the pandemic,” he said, noting that the MassKara Festival signaled not only the opening of Bacolod City, but more so the country to tourists all over the world.

Stressing the vital role of tourism in our economic development, the President’s latest vlog also suggested that Filipinos must “explore, travel, and discover the beauty of the Philippines.” 

“Please remember that every trip and travel inside our beautiful Philippines will help in our (economic) recovery,” the President said. He also noted that the coming weekend — a long one due to the declaration of Oct. 31 as a non-working holiday — is an opportune time to join our families to discover the countryside.

He added: “From the beginning, we have already identified tourism as one of the key drivers to revitalize our local economy. We can create more jobs if we develop our tourism sector.”

So, what is there for us to do? Time to pack our bags, check our cars (or the bus schedules), book a hotel or resort online, and just go as every peso that we spend for local enterprises is a peso that will help lift up their lives, their communities, and ultimately, our country.