Rizal Monument lights up for Europe Day

BY RAYMUND ANTONIO

  

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The Rizal Monument and the Musical Dancing Fountain in Rizal Park on Sunday, May 7, lit up in the blue and yellow colors of the European Union flag for the celebration of Europe Day 2023.

(File photo courtesy of European Union in the Philippines)

European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron said in a Facebook post that “the observance of Europe Day presents a chance to highlight the partnership and camaraderie between the European Union and the Philippines.”

He noted that the EU and the Philippines would make the 60th year of their bilateral relations in 2024.

The same post said that the celebration of Europe Day 2023 is made possible by the joint efforts of the National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines.

They also hosted a free Concert at the Park: Tumutubong Katutubo (Our Evolving Traditional Music Practices) at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium for “a cultural experience like no other!”

Europe Day is held on May 9 every year to mark the anniversary of the historic Schuman Declaration, which led to the establishment of the 27 member-state European Union.

Photos that circulated online showed the Musical Dancing Fountain in Rizal Park illuminated with blue and yellow lights.

DILG warns vs fake info on seniors' pension hike

By Dexter A. See

May 8, 2023 

BAGUIO CITY: The Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DILG CAR) has urged the public to stop spreading unverified and inaccurate information regarding the status of a bill amending social pension for indigent senior citizens.

"We would like to call on [the public] to refrain from disseminating false and misleading information, particularly on social media platforms, because it might cause confusion and panic [among our senior citizens]," DILG CAR Regional Director Araceli San Jose said over the weekend.

San Jose also advised the public to be more vigilant and discerning in their consumption of information, as one of the schemes involves copying the icon and logo or even the actual website of the National Commission for Senior Citizens (NCSC) to make it appear official or legitimate.

She pointed out that as of today, the bill amending Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program into the Universal Pension Program that will then cover both pensioners and non-pensioners still has not been approved in the House of Representatives.

The universal social pension is a proposal that states that all senior citizens, regardless of their financial situation or economic class, are entitled to a monthly stipend.

"The program's implementation has not yet been transferred from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the NCSC. Thus, submitting the senior citizen data form is not required in order to qualify for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program," San Jose said.

The National Commission for Senior Citizens recently released a public advisory aimed at cautioning senior citizens on rumors and disinformation pertaining to various issues.

"These issues include the distribution of social pensions to indigent senior citizens, as well as the transfer of functions and duties of senior citizen-related benefits and programs from the DSWD to the NCSC," San Jose explained.

In an official statement, NCSC Chairman Franklin Quijano also explained that while it is factual that Republic Act (RA) 11916 mandates a 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of indigent senior citizens — from P500 to P1,000 — it would still need to be funded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and could only go into effect once the Bureau of the Treasury has allocated the necessary funds.

PH hot, humid as 2 LPAs dissipate

Guests cool off at an indoor pool resort in in Del Monte Avenue in Quezon City on Sunday, May 07, 2023.  PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUAN

By Arlie O. Calalo

The country will be hot and humid in the next 24 hours except in some areas where there will be occasional downpour and thunderstorms, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said on Monday.

The two low pressure areas (LPAs) being monitored outside and inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) have dissipated, weather specialist James Daniel Villamil told The Manila Times.

"So it would be again a generally fair weather condition all over the country except for scattered rain showers and thunderstorms during late afternoon or nighttime in some areas," Villamil said.

He said the easterlies, winds coming from the Pacific Ocean that bring warm and humid temperature, are affecting especially the eastern section of the country.

Metro Manila will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.

LTO to launch electronic version of driver's license

BY AARON RECUENCO

May 8, 2023 10:08 AM

  

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The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is set to launch an electronic version of driver’s license in what it described as a continuing effort to digitalize all its services.

In partnership with the the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the digital license will serve as an electronic alternative to the physical driver's license card, according to LTO chief JayArt Tugade.

"The advantage of the digital license is that motorists can present it to law enforcement officers during apprehension. It is equivalent to presenting the physical driver's license," said Tugade.

“We also appreciate the way the super app functions similarly to a wallet, containing all government IDs, among other things, within your mobile device,” he added.

The digital license is part of the agreement between the LTO and the DICT in March this year that focuses on enhancing the digitalization of systems and processes within the LTO, ultimately improving its overall efficiency and effectiveness.

The digital license, according to Tugade, will be integrated into the "super app" currently being developed by the DICT. 

He explained that the digital license aims to replace the Official Receipt (OR) as temporary driver's license currently printed on paper.

“The public will be able to utilize the digital license for various transactions with the agency, including license and registration renewals as well as online payments,” said Tugade.
 
Amid concerns on the security of the digital license, Tugade assured the public that the existing security features of the driver's license would be integrated into the digital version, in addition to the “super app's” security measures.

By simplifying the transactions in the LTO, Tugade said this would help in finally convincing its clients not to tap the services of the fixers.

And in digitalizing more LTO services, he said this would ultimately aid the agency in eradicating corruption.

‘Dangerous’ heat experienced in 15 areas on May 7

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

May 7, 2023 06:12 PM

  

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Fifteen locations had heat indices above the “danger” threshold on Sunday, May 7, according to the monitoring of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA defines the heat index as the measurement of how hot it feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

The areas with the highest heat indices observed on Sunday were Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte (45°C); Daet, Camarines Norte (44°C); Legazpi City, Albay (44°C); Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur (44°C); Aparri, Cagayan (43°C); Iba, Zambales (43°C); Infanta, Quezon (43°C); Masbate City, Masbate (43°C); Roxas City, Capiz (43°C); Catarman, Northern Samar (42°C); Dagupan City, Pangasinan (42°C); Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (42°C); Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay City (42°C); San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (42°C); and Sinait, Ilocos Sur (42°C).

PAGASA said heat indices between 42°C and 51°C carry impending “danger” as “heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely” and “heat stroke is probable with continued activity.”

(PAGASA)

Based on PAGASA’s data, the highest heat index recorded since March 1, 2023, was 49℃ on April 16 in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

In the next 24 hours, PAGASA said the Kalayaan Islands will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to a low pressure area.

It warned of moderate to occasional heavy rains that could cause flooding or landslides in the Kalayaan Islands.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country will continue to experience partly cloudy to cloudy weather with isolated rain showers or localized thunderstorms due to the easterlies.