Possible supertyphoon might enter PAR by May 26; PAGASA to call it 'Betty'

James Relativo - Philstar.com

According to DOST-PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja, the tropical cyclone was observed 2,510 kilometers east of Mindanao at around 3 a.m. this Saturday within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

MANILA, Philippines — State weather bureau PAGASA is currently monitoring a tropical depression east of Mindanao, one that could possibly enter the Philippine area of responsibility next week.

According to DOST-PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja, the tropical cyclone was observed 2,510 kilometers east of Mindanao at around 3 a.m. on Saturday within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

Maximum winds: 45 kilometers per hour near the center

Gust: up to 55 kilometers per hour

Movement: northward 

Speed: 20 kilometers per hour

"A former low pressure area outside [PAR] has now officially transitioned into a tropical cyclone... We expect that it will continue to strengthen in the coming days while in the middle of the ocean," said Estareja in Filipino during PAGASA's morning forecast.

"We also do not discount the possibility of it its further intensification into a typhoon or supertyphoon."

Meteorologists see the tropical cyclone moving north northwest by Sunday and finally earn an international name once it further intensify into a tropical storm.

In its present track, the tropical depression could possibly be within the vicinity of Guam anywhere from Sunday to Wednesday.

"This tropical depression, which could further strengthen, might enter [PAR] if it continues moving northwest by Friday or Saturday next week... Should this happen, we will give it the name 'Betty' or the second tropical cyclone for 2023, the first for the month of May," Estareja said.

"[If] this tropical depression continues with this track though, the possibility of it making landfall would be low. However, what we should monitor is its intensification of Habagat or the southwest monsoon affecting a large part of the country next week," he added.

The Philippines is continually experiencing rains still because of the ITCZ.

The country is expected to officially transition to the rainy season in the last days of May or early June starting next week.

'Last trip': Individual traditional jeepneys to stop operations after June 30

 

James Relativo - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Individual operators of traditional jeepneys will no longer be allowed to continue their operations after June 30, 2023 — unless they start joining a cooperative or a corporation.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) shared this after approving Memorandum Circular 2023-013 last Monday, a move done amidst the calls of various transport groups and commuters to stop the much assailed phaseout of traditional jeeps.

"Individual operators may continue to operate by virtue of a [provisional authority], which is automatically extended until 30 June 2023 under this Memorandum Circular," said members of the board last Monday.

"Individual operators may join an existing consolidated entity until 30 June 2023. Only those individual operators who are able to join an existing consolidated entity on or before 30 June 2023 shall be allowed to have their PA extended until 31 December 2023."

The provisional authority of individual traditional jeeps in the National Capital Region was originally set to expire last April. The LTFRB earlier said the extension was already the "fourth and last time."

For routes without a "consolidated entity" (cooperative or corporation) or filed application for franchise consolidation, its application will only be entertained until October 31.

LTFRB chairperson earlier said that only 60% of the target number of vehicles for modernization have complied with the requirements under the program such as industry consolidation into cooperatives. The remaining 40% continue to ply routes using traditional jeepneys.

Cooperatives are being pushed at the moment to enable operators to afford the purchase of "modern jeeps" said to be worth at least P2.6 million each via loans from financial institutions.

The certificate of public conveyance (franchise) of individual operators who fail to join the exiasting consolidated entity after June shall be reverted to the State.

'High costs' of modernization prohibitive to operators

Mody Floranda, national president of transport group PISTON, last February 6 earlier explained that many jeepney operators continue to avoid entering into the PUV Modernization Program because of the high costs to change their vehicles, besides the posibility of losing their livelihood once they enter the franchise consolidation.

Floranda said that a reasonable way for the Department of Transportation and LTFRB to handle said concerns is to fully suspend the implementation of the DOTr Department Order 2017-011, which stipulates the rules and requirements of the PUVMP, and all its supplementing LTFRB memoranda while conducting a thorough review of the program.

"In the process of reviewing the whole program of modernization, the government must ensure that all jeepney drivers and small operators are consulted," he said in Filipino.

"Thousands of jobs are at stake, so it's important that we work together with the state in identifying how a proper transition towards modernization could be justly undertaken."

PISTON reiterated that they do not oppose modernizing traditional jeeps as long as the modernization program ensures and prioritizes a "fair and just transition for transport workers and all affected vulnerable sectors."

'Basted': 50% of Pinoys who confessed love for a friend left unrequited, according to SWS

James Relativo - Philstar.com  z

MANILA, Philippines — While more than half of Filipinos are "very happy" with their current love life, others are not so lucky when it came to matters of the heart, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

This is according to a Fourth Quarter 2022 SWS survey released four days before Valentine's last Friday, with three out of 10 (30%) Pinoys reportedly confessing their love for a friend. 

Most of those who chose to confess their feelings to friends were noticeably males: 

• males (40%)
• females (25%)

"Among those who confessed love for a friend, half (50%) experienced unrequited love," according to the survey firm.

On a lighter note, many Filipinos are still admittedly optimistic with their love lives, with 57% saying they are "very happy" with their current relationships:

• very happy (57%)
• could be happier (25%)
• have no love life (17%)

"SWS employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data processing, and analysis and dose not outsource any of its survey operations," said the group.

The survey was done last December 10-14 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, with a sampling error margin of +-2.8%. 

Last 2009, SWS found out that around 71% of Filipinos value recieving love over giving it.

In 2010, around 51% of respondents said that they would prefer someone rich but ugly while 46% said they would choose someone good-looking but poor.

A 2019 study, on the other hand, said that around four out of five Filipinos are more attracted to brains than body.