We Found A Seafood Oasis! A Secret To Many Locals

In This Video We Found A Seafood Oasis! A Secret To Many Locals, thanks to a subscriber we were taken to a seafood hub outside Iloilo City Philippines. About Us, Two years ago we made a plan we Sold Everything & Now Living In The Philippines On A Budget in 2022, we had paid our debts, sold everything and made a budget. Its been a crazy journey from Cambodia to Albania then here in Boracay, check out why we moved to the Philippines and specifically why Boracay Island.

Covid positivity rates climb – OCTA

THE number of Covid-19-positive tests in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila and eight other areas has exceeded the threshold set by the World Health Organization. File Photo

By Franco Jose C. Baroña, Manila Times

OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the positivity rate in the NCR climbed to 5.9 percent on June 25 from 3.9 percent on June 18.

The WHO recommends a rate of 5 percent or lower to ensure that the coronavirus is under control.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were positive for Covid-19 among the total individuals that were tested for the virus.

Other areas with rates above the WHO threshold are Batangas (from 1.2 percent to 5.6 percent), Cagayan (from 1.9 percent to 5.8 percent), Cavite (from 3.6 percent to 6 percent), Iloilo (from 4.4 percent to 5.7 percent), Laguna (from 3.1 percent to 7.5 percent), Pampanga (from 3.3 percent to 5.9 percent) and South Cotabato (from 6.3 percent to 7.4 percent).

Rizal province recorded the highest rate, jumping from 6.3 percent on June 18 to 11.9 percent on June 25.

Amid the rising Covid-19 cases, Dr. Anthony "Tony" Leachon said the government should seriously consider administering second booster shots to economic frontliners and people with comorbidities.

For now, Leachon said, the priority must be to ramp up the first booster shots to the general public.

"I think, the first approach is to ramp up the first booster and consider also the expansion of the second booster or the fourth shot not only to the health care workers, senior citizens or immunocompromised individuals, but start and align with the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines to start it above 50 years old," the former special adviser to the National Task Force Against Covid-19 said.

"For the A3 (people with comorbidities) and economic frontliners, maybe we should also open it up, considering some of the vaccines will expire," he added.

The CDC recommends two booster shots for adults ages 50 and above as well as people ages 12 and older who are moderately and severely immunocompromised.

In the Philippines, the second booster is only available to 18-year-olds and above, workers in essential health services, senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals ages 18 years and above with an immunodeficiency state, HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant recipients, undergoing steroid treatment, patients with poor prognosis or bedridden patients, and other conditions of immunodeficiency as certified by a physician.

Leachon noted that catching a mild Covid-19 from someone infected with an Omicron subvariant could still have severe effects.

Covid positivity rates in NCR, 8 areas surpass WHO threshold

"This can actually also lead to long Covid-19 or post-Covid-19 patients, and that would affect the productivity of our economic frontliners. We should not increase the cases since it would affect not just hospitalization and death rate, but it will affect our quality of life and productivity of our economic frontliners," he said.

Vaccine Expert Panel Chairman Dr. Nina Gloriani favors second booster shots for those with comorbidities and economic frontliners, as well as a review of the definition of the term "immunocompromised" to cover people with other comorbidities.

Gloriani said only the Department of Health (DoH) can make the final decision, but the agency is still waiting for more data from the WHO.

Expand second booster shot rollout – Concepcion

The DoH has declared that the majority of the country's population is still not eligible for a second booster because there is insufficient evidence that it will be beneficial to the general public.

Reaching the academic top means fixing school problems from the ground up

by Manila Bulletin

President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. recently made a comment, reminiscing the “glory days” of the Philippines when it comes to academics. With the still ongoing pandemic ravaging the country’s—the world’s, in fact—academic systems, such a call for improving the academic standing of Filipino learners is a welcome one.

In recent years, much has been said about the state of education in the country, with issues such as public school textbooks riddled with errors as well as international and regional academic rankings that place the Philippines in positions that leave much for improvement.

This does not, however, take away from the fact that there are individuals and institutions that perform quite well academically, recognized for achievements in various fields. These are testament to, perhaps, the inherent intellectual prowess of the Filipino. But, as the saying goes (and loosely translating it), talent is bested by effort—and adding to this, effort is more effective if the environment and the situation is more ideal.

Hence, the need for improving the academic situation of the country. It is an almost perennial pursuit, one that any well-meaning government should pursue with the sincerest of efforts and the most liberal of budgets. That there remains a more than palpable distinction between schools run privately and those managed by the government is one such situation that needs to be remedied. Public education, after all, should not seem like an academic disadvantage for a lack of a better option because it truly isn’t. How many of the country’s top minds today have a public education background? To say that there is a lot would be an understatement.

Still, this does not take away from the fact that there are many public schools that sorely lack modern or updated equipment.

There are public schools that do not have enough classrooms to cater to the number of learners enrolled. There are public schools where teachers lack the basic materials necessary for a smoother delivery of lectures. Perhaps it is time to de-romanticize the sad fact that Manila paper is still being used by many teachers—neither is this an example of being “ma-diskarte” (innovate).

In a strange sense, the learning-from-home setup (and now the hybrid one) was a welcome respite from the realities of public school education, realities that should not have been so in the first place. But now that restrictions are easing up and education is slowly returning to the way things were, albeit with face masks and isopropyl alcohols as souvenirs, the Department of Education must sooner than later face and change these sad realities.

In order for Filipino learners to reach the proverbial academic top, there is a need to improve education from the ground up.

Tourists rescue sea turtle off Aurora

By Leander C. Domingo, Manila Times

Tourists and paraglider pilots from Nueva Vizcaya province helped find a mother sea turtle on its way home to the ocean after laying its eggs offshore in the coastal town of  Dinalungan in Aurora province.

PHOTO BY AMBAGUIO MUNICIPAL TOURISM OFFICE IN NUEVA VIZCAYA

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: A mother sea turtle has been successfully returned to the Pacific Ocean after it was rescued in Barangay Ditawini, Dinalungan in Aurora province by local tourists from the upland town of Ambaguio in this province.

Nuepe Manuel Jr., municipal tourism officer of Ambaguio town, said they were at a resort in Dinalungan town in Aurora with some paraglider pilots from Nueva Vizcaya when they saw a turtle that had just laid eggs under a tree.

Manuel said he did not immediately post the photos and videos they took on social media until Tuesday, June 21, after some residents in the area became interested in the eggs when they heard that they helped the turtle return to the sea.

Other than Manuel's group, only the caretaker of the resort knows the place where the turtle laid its eggs.

Manuel's group spotted the turtle and immediately worked to help the reptile find its way to the sea for fear that the residents might see it.

"This mother turtle just laid eggs on the shore, and we immediately guided and even pushed her way back to the ocean to prevent it from being captured by locals," Manuel said.

He said residents who learned about this expressed dismay at failing to catch the turtle because they believe that eating turtle meat and eggs can cure some diseases.

Although the caretaker of the resort promised that he would keep an eye on the turtle eggs, the guests were still worried about the condition of the eggs.

"In the landlocked province of Nueva Vizcaya, we are hundreds of kilometers away from the ocean but we are aware that the turtle is considered endangered and we know that our government is doing so much effort to help save endangered species," he said.

Endangered species such as turtles are protected under Republic Act 9147, better known as the "Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act."

The law provides that anyone found to be involved in the capture, assault, killing, sale, or purchase of endangered species will be subject to appropriate penalties such as imprisonment.

"We were excited and even told about the turtle to an elderly woman selling halo-halo and learned that the locals truly hunt turtles whose meat the woman said tastes like beef," Manuel said.

He said he lied when he was asked where the turtle laid its eggs, especially when he heard that its meat and eggs are also hunted for human consumption and believed to have medicinal value.

"We were happy to have seen through this mother turtle's tough journey back home to the ocean after laying eggs on the shore. We believe we prevented it from being captured by poachers who could have easily taken it," Manuel said.

He said is hoping that nobody finds the eggs until they hatch and that all the hatchlings eventually find their way home to the ocean alive, like their mother.

A star-studded red carpet movie premiere for ‘Ngayon Kaya'

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

The romantic film “Ngayon Kaya”—starring rumored sweethearts Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez as “almost lovers” trying to reclaim their past—had its premiere night at SM Megamall a day before the movie’s opening day of June 22.

Producers T-Rex Entertainment and Paulo’s own company, WASD Films, pulled out all the stops to herald the return of Filipino films in commercial theaters this year and make the premiere festive with a red carpet, soundtrack blaring from the speakers, win-premiere-tickets promotions, festive decor, a program and a mini-party right before the screening. 

“Ngayon Kaya” is the first locally-produced film to have a wide theatrical release this year as it screens in almost 100 cinemas all over the Philippines.

This milestone was celebrated by the Paunine (Paulo and Janine) fans, friends, family and supporters who flocked to Megamall Cinema 1 to get a first look of director Prime Cruz and screenwriter Jen Chuaunsu’s latest masterpiece.

Aside from Janine and Paulo’s movie co-stars Gabby Padilla, Iana Bernardez, and Donna Cariaga, among those who graced the premiere included Jake Cuenca, Enchong Dee, Edward Barber, Jake Ejercito, Ria Atayde, directors JP Habac and Chad Vidanes, photographer BJ Pascual, Film Development Council of the Philippines Chair Liza Diño, Ice Seguerra, Janine’s father Ramon Christopher, the members of the band Mayonnaise, talent manager Tyrone Escalante and his artists, Angellie Nicole Sanoy, and many other celebrities.

Janine acknowledged the presence of the crowd and made special mention of their (hers and Paulo’s) family, friends and fans.

She said, “Thank you so much sa naglaan ng oras… to be here. It means so much to us.” Paulo was visibly overwhelmed with emotion to see an eager audience filling up the theater as he said, “I’m out of words. It’s been a while since I attended a premiere in a moviehouse. Masaya ako na nandito kayo at masaya ako na may pelikulang Pilipino ulit na pinalalabas sa sinehan.”

“Ngayon Kaya” is now showing in movie theaters nationwide. For updates, like and follow the social media accounts of T-Rex Entertainment.

Marcos recalls PH glory days in academics: 'Kailangan natin balikan yan'

by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin

President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to bring back the glory days of the Philippines when it comes to academics.

President-elect Bongbong Marcos (left) and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN)

“We have to do a lot to recover our very good grading before,” Marcos said in a press conference Monday, June 20.

“Pag ka tayo tinitignan ng Asia, yung literacy rate, yung pagsalita ng english, pati sa science, sa math, mataas tayo noon eh (Whenever our Asian neighbors looked at us in the past, they would see that our literacy rate, our english speaking skills, as well as our science and math proficiency were high),” he said. "Kailangan natin balikan yan. Mahirap mag-compete kung hindi natin ayusin yung training ng mga kabataan natin (We need to go back to that. It will be hard to compete if we can’t fix the training of our youth),” the 64-year-old son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. said.

One of the first major decisions that Marcos made coming out of the May 9 elections was to designate his UniTeam running mate, Vice President-elect Sara Duterte as incoming Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.

This made Duterte the first name in the incoming Marcos Cabinet.

In the same presser, Marcos bared his instruction to Duterte to assist and train the country’s teachers.

“Ang aking laging pinapaalala sa kanya ay yung mga teacher. Kailangan alalayan ang mga teacher, kailangan i-training ang mga teacher para maganda ang maging trabaho nila (What I always remind her about are the teachers. The teachers must be assisted, they must be trained so they may perform their jobs better),” Marcos said.

“Ang mga teacher naman, yan ang pinakamadaling turuan, yung teacher eh (Teachers are the easiest people to teach),” he said, adding that there must be a “a program in place to support our teachers not only in terms of their benefits, of course that’s an important part of it…but also in terms of other support, in terms retraining, in terms of supplies, equipment.”

Marcos earlier expressed confidence that Duterte would do “a great job“.

Not only a matter of words and intention

By Fr. Roy Cimagala*

“IT is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt 7,21) Christ says it very clearly. Our prayer should not just be a matter of sweet words and good intentions. It should be a matter of deeds that fulfill the will of God.

Let’s remember that when our words and intentions are converted into deeds, we would be strengthening our integrity and consistency as a person and as a child of God. As the gospel says it, we would be like a house built on solid rock. (cfr. Mt 7,24-25) 

As such, we would be more able to bear our own weaknesses, to resist the temptations around us, to carry out our duties in this life, and to continue to pursue our supernatural end to be with God in heaven. In other words, we would be fulfilling God’s will for us.

St. Paul said something similar. “Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom 2,13). And St. James: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (1,22)

Christ himself lived by this principle, even at the expense of his own life. “I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me...” (Jn 8,28) And in the agony in the garden, he expressed that most eloquent submission to his Father’s will, “Not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22,42)

All the saints lived by this principle. And the epitome is Our Lady. When someone in the crowd told him his mother was around, he said: “Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12,29-30)

Far from disparaging his own mother with those words, Christ was actually praising her. Mary did not only beget her son biologically. She begat him through her deep and constant faith, through her faithful obedience to God’s will. Her ‘Fiat’ (Be it done) was not only uttered at the Annunciation. She lived it before and after that meeting with the Archangel Gabriel. In fact, she lived it all throughout her life.

We have to find ways and strategies to turn our good intentions and nice words into action. We cannot deny that we, in general, are notorious for being good only in the former but bad in the latter.

Let’s always remember that doing God’s will is what is most important to us. It’s not just following our will which is, of course, indispensable to us. Otherwise, we would be undermining our very own freedom and our humanity itself. Whatever we do is done because we want it. It should be a fruit of our freedom.

But what is most important is to conform our will to God’s will, which is even more indispensable to us. Otherwise, we sooner or later would destroy our freedom and our humanity itself, since God is the very author and the very lawgiver of our freedom and our humanity.

This is a basic truth that we need to spread around more widely and abidingly, since it is steadily and even systematically forgotten and, nowadays, even contradicted in many instances. 

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Ukraine will not host Eurovision 2023

Kalush Orchestra, winners for Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest. FACEBOOK PHOTO/EUROVISIONSONGCONTEST

By Aric John Sy Cua, Manila Times

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that next year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) will not be held in Ukraine, the country which won this year's edition.

In a statement on Friday, the EBU conducted a feasibility study and full assessment with Ukrainian broadcaster, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC), Ukraine and its broadcaster could not be fulfilled due to the invasion of the country by neighboring Russia.

"Given the ongoing war since the Russian invasion of this year's winning country, the EBU has taken the time to conduct a full assessment and feasibility study with both UA:PBC and third-party specialists including on safety and security issues," the EBU statement wrote on the Contest's website.

"Following objective analysis, the Reference Group, the ESC's governing board, has with deep regret concluded that, given the current circumstances, the security and operational guarantees required for a 

"The EBU would like to thank UA:PBC for their wholehearted cooperation and commitment in exploring all scenarios in the weeks since Kalush Orchestra's win on May 14 in Turin and share their sadness and disappointment that next year's Contest cannot be held in Ukraine," the statement continued. "The EBU has been supporting UA:PBC across a whole range of areas since the invasion. We will ensure that this support continues so UA:PBC can maintain the indispensable service they provide to Ukrainians."

This will mark the first time since 1980 that the country that won the previous edition will not be the host of the upcoming Contest. In 1979, Israel won the Contest held on home soil in Jerusalem, but as a result of Israel pulling out due to costs and the Contest falling on a national holiday, the Netherlands stepped in to host the year after.

Traditionally, after a country wins the Eurovision Song Contest, that same country would also win the right to host the following year's edition. Ukraine had already hosted the Contest twice, in 2005 and 2017, both in the capital Kyiv, after winning in 2004 and 2016. Greece and Portugal won those respective Contests, both for the first time.

Because of this announcement, the EBU has now begun talks with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of the United Kingdom, the country which finished in second place this year, to potentially host next year's show.

"As a result of this decision, in accordance with the rules and to ensure the continuity of the event, the EBU will now begin discussions with the BBC, as this year's runner up, to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the United Kingdom," the EBU announced.

The United Kingdom last hosted the Contest in Birmingham in 1998, after winning the previous year.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain stepped in to host on behalf of countries who won the previous year could not host the following edition.

Should the United Kingdom be confirmed to host next year's edition, this would be the first time since 1974 that they stepped in to host on behalf of a country that could not do so.

The United Kingdom hosted a total of eight of Eurovision Song Contests, the most for any participating country, having hosted the editions of 1960, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1982, and 1998.

Britain had won the contests of 1967, 1969 (as part of a four-way tie with three other countries), 1976, 1981, and 1997.

In addition, the UK had also finished in second place 16 times, including this year, when TikTok sensation Sam Ryder came close to winning the Contest with the song "Space Man."

The BBC immediately released a statement on the matter, reading, "We have seen the announcement from the EBU. Clearly these aren't a set of circumstances that anyone would want. Following their decision, we will of course discuss the BBC hosting the Eurovision Song Contest," the United Kingdom's broadcaster wrote.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a letter written by Ukraine's Eurovision winners Ruslana, Jamala, and Kalush Orchestra member Oleh Psiuk, as well as Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko stated that they disagree with the decision and insist on holding the Contest in Ukraine by demanding additional negotiations.

"Ukraine does not agree with the nature of such a decision - when we were confronted with the fact without discussion on other options," the joint letter wrote. "But we strongly believe that we have every reason to hold further negotiations in order to find a joint solution that will satisfy all parties."

Kyiv claimed that they were able to fulfill all the requirements needed to hold the Contest in Ukraine.

"Hosting Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine is a strong signal to the whole world that it supports Ukraine now. We will demand to change this decision, because we believe that we will be able to fulfill all the commitments, as we have repeatedly empathized it to the European Broadcasting Union. That is why we demand additional negotiations on hosting Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine," read the statement.

Ukraine's neighbors in Poland, as well as Sweden and recent hosts the Netherlands and Italy, have also expressed interest in hosting next year's show before the announcement by the EBU was made. The contest's dates are not yet announced as of press time.

𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭-𝐚-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞

 

Shehara, a little girl who was left under the care of her grandparents, is among the beneficiary of the PLGU-employee-funded Adopt-a-Child Program in Davao de Oro.

Having been in the hands of both senior citizens since childbirth is a gift for Shehara. Her mother died from an illness when she was just two (2) months of age, and her biological father was left to attend to an older sibling. 

Mainly relying on farming, Shehara’s father and grandparents support both Shehara, and her older brother, King. On June 7, 2022, Shehara just celebrated her first birthday and was made even extra special through the Adopt-a-Child Program.

It’s a day that Shehara would never forget. Through the convergence of sponsors from the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Provincial Governor’s Office, Mayor Antonio Libuangan of Laak, and Sanina de Ukay Store, Shehara’s first nativity celebration went beyond the bare minimum.

Since its re-launching on  April 27, 2022, the Adopt-a-child program significantly made changes to the health status of thirty-three (33) children-beneficiaries in the municipality of Laak including the one (1) year-old Shehara. The program was funded mainly out of the pockets of the employees of the PLGU and was first launched way back in 2008.

Adopt-a-Child Program is one of the end-hunger program chains of PLGU-Davao de Oro that provides weekly supplies of goods and other services to children affected by malnutrition in a span of one-hundred twenty (120) days.

Moreover, extra services were offered by the employees aside from the weekly provision of supplies. Some offices provide kitchenwares, beddings, clothing, and even constructed comfort rooms and renovation of some house parts for their beneficiaries.

As the commencement of this year’s Adopt-a-child operations near an end, parents of children-beneficiaries are beyond grateful for the program, from wasted, severely wasted, and severely underweight, children-beneficiaries are now of normal body-mass index. (𝐽𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎, 𝑃𝐴𝑂-𝐼𝑃𝑅𝐷, 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝑃𝑃𝐷𝑂-𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑂𝑟𝑜)

PSEi drops 2.40% on impending Fed rate hike

By Ed Paolo Salting, Manila Times

THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) plummeted on Wednesday by 155.11 points, or by 2.40 percent, to 6,319.42 as the local market was affected by the negative sentiment from last night's performance of the US bourses.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort and Philstocks Financial Inc. senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco all agreed that investors are worried over an aggressive rate hike by the US Federal Reserve Bank.

The further depreciation of the Philippine peso against the United States dollar and higher US Treasury yields added to the market's bearish sentiment.

"The rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee will conclude its two-day meeting on Wednesday. The market is betting on a 75-basis-point rate hike, according to the CME Group Inc.'s FedWatch tool. Today's moves also came as investors digested another important inflation reading of May's producer performance index, which showed that wholesale prices rose 10.8 percent, and hovered near a record pace," Limlingan explained in his analysis.

Meanwhile, Vista Land's real estate investment trust (VREIT) debuted on the PSE and Limlingan and Ricafort noted that it would have finished much higher if it were not for the current market sentiment.

They said that the company aims to maintain high occupancy rates and quality tenants with particular focus on those offering essential goods and/or services. Also, its weighted average lease expiry of 5.09 years is quite impressive while the relatively high occupancy rate for malls was at 90 percent as of end-2021 despite the pandemic.

VREIT closed unchanged at its initial public offering price of P1.75 per share, and saw an intraday low of P1.59.

Other Asian bourses ended up mixed as Japan descended again by 1.14 percent, China climbed 0.50 percent, Hong Kong up 1.14 percent, Korea down by 1.83 percent, Vietnam dipped at 1.33 percent, Indonesia inched downwards by 0.61 percent, Thailand slid by 0.59 percent and Singapore slipped by -0.10 percent.

Trading remained anemic with net value turnover posting P5.84 billion, below the year-to-date average of P6.80 billion.

IS LIFE REALLY JUST A LOAN?

“My life is on loan, like money borrowed from a bank. God is the lender, and He retains the right to call in the loan any time. Though I am responsible for taking care of it, I do not own this life; it is borrowed. Why should I fear its loss or the loss of anything else in this world when I must surrender it all anyway?” I love this quotation by James Dillehay,  author of the book "Overcoming the 7 Devils That Ruin Success".

Can you borrow against life? You can typically take out loans against permanent life insurance policies, but not term life insurance policies. Life insurance loans use cash value accounts as collateral. Term life insurance policies do not come with a cash value account, so policyholders can't borrow money from their insurer against these policies.

Sweet words are easy to say; nice things are easy to buy; but good people are different to find. Life ends, when you stop dreaming; hope ends, when you stop believing; friendship stops, when you stop sharing. A good friend of mine sent me this quotation. I commented back: So very true and very well said!

Our life is borrowed - from God. No rental charges are collected from us. Many of us have forgotten this and live life to the fullest. Our life is equal to a book from a library that lends one. But how insatiable and unbearable are we in disdainful acting towards life and therefore to ourselves?

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don't understand cries from the heart of other people around them - cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like a dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever - they will give up!

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and in reading the bible. "Proverbs" is the probably most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for daily life, the street and the market place. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. 

Proverbs covers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Anybody can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

Another phreatic eruption detected in Bulusan

By Kaithreen Cruz, Manila Times

THE Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon in the Bicol Region had another phreatic eruption on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The eruption occurred at 3:37 a.m. and lasted 18 minutes based on seismic records.

Phivolcs, however, said the eruption plume was not visible on its camera monitors.

Bulusan remained at Alert Level 1 or low-level unrest, meaning that it is currently in an abnormal condition.

In its 24-hour observation from 5 a.m. on June 11 to 5 a.m. on June 12, Phivolcs recorded 136 volcanic earthquakes, with plumes 150 meters high in moderate emissions drifting west-northwest and northwest.

As of June 10, the recorded sulfur dioxide flux in the volcano was at 613 tons per day.

Phivolcs reminded concerned local government units and the public that entry into the 4-kilometer radius permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited and that vigilance in the 2-kilometer extended danger zone on the southeast sector should be exercised because of increased possibility of sudden and hazardous phreatic eruptions.

"People living within valleys and along river/stream channels, especially on the southeast, southwest and northwest sectors of the edifice should be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall should [a] phreatic eruption occur," the agency said.

It also advised civil aviation authorities to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to an aircraft.

Last week, June 5, Bulusan also had a phreatic eruption that lasted 17 minutes, which placed the volcano from Alert Level 0 (normal) to Alert Level 1.

10 regions seeing spike in dengue cases

 File photo

TEN out of the 17 regions in the country have shown an increase in dengue cases, based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH).

In a statement Friday, June 10, 2022, majority of regions have recorded more dengue cases compared to the numbers in 2021.

"Ten out of the 17 regions showed increasing cases of dengue," said the DOH.

The regions are Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Overall, the DOH said there were 34,938 dengue cases reported from January 1 to May 21, 2022.

GenSan fishers reeling from oil price increases

By Franz R. Sumangil, Manila Times

A GROUP of 300 fisherfolk in General Santos City has appealed to the government to help them through subsidies amid increases in oil prices.

Ruel Libawan, a member of the Minanga Buayan Fishermen Association, on Monday said his expenses for fuel had increased from P500 a day to P700.

"We went fishing early Monday morning on our motorized bancas but returned with only a small catch. It could not even pay for our gasoline expenses," Libawan noted.

Another member, Guillermo Libawan, said his gasoline expenses for a day were usually an average of P500 but now would amount to P1,000.

"We have no catch yet as we are afraid to go far into the sea as we might run out of gasoline. We hope the government can help us," Libawan added.

He said he has not yet heard of any government subsidy that could help them.

Dominic Salazar, president of the Soccsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc. (SFFAII), called for the incoming Marcos administration to suspend the implementation of value-added tax and excise tax.

Salazar said fishing companies and other local fisherfolk have been suffering from spikes in operation costs as a result of continuing increases in oil prices.

He said the SFFAII has been meeting with the city government and other national agencies for possible remedies.

PH petroleum group backs government-run crude oil reserve

Salazar, also the president of the tuna fishing group South Cotabato Purse-Seiners Association, also said they might be able to sustain operations if the value-added and excise taxes are temporarily suspended.

During the 20th National Tuna Congress in 2018 hosted by the SFFAII, industry players passed a resolution urging the Office of the President to revisit the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Law.

In particular, they called for removal of the "excise tax on petroleum products that are directly used by the masses, otherwise, exempt such products from being subjected to excise tax, provided the same [products] are used for fishing and fishery activities."

Magnitude 5.2 quake strikes offshore of Davao Oriental — Phivolcs

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake offshore of Davao Oriental occurred at around 4:37 a.m., Wednesday, June 8, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs traced the epicenter of the earthquake at 103 kilometers (km) southeast of Tarragona, Davao Oriental, and was shallow at a depth of 62 km.

It was initially measured as a magnitude 5.1 quake but Phivolcs later revised it to magnitude 5.2.

The tremor was “moderately strong” at Intensity IV in Tarragona and Caraga, Davao Oriental.

Meanwhile, it was felt as a “weak” tremor at Intensity III in Manay, Davao Occidental.

Phivolcs’ instruments also recorded the quake at Intensity II in Malungon, Sarangani and Intensity I in Tupi, South Cotabato and Nabunturan, Davao de Oro.

It said the earthquake was tectonic, which means it was caused by the movement of an active fault near the area.

Phivolcs advised the public to stay vigilant as aftershocks may occur due to this earthquake.

More foreign envoys visit Marcos; find out who they are

National flags of Spain, Germany, and Morocco (Unsplash)

by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin

Ambassadors from these countries will be visiting President-elect Bongbong Marcos at his headquarters Tuesday morning, June 7 in another series of courtesy calls.

Specifically, the ones who will be meeting in Marcos are Ambassador Jorge Moragas of Spain, Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel of Germany, and Ambassador Mohammed Ride El Fassi of Morocco.

The courtesy calls from the envoys will take place at the BBM headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

On Monday, June 6, the incoming Philippine leader hosted ambassadors from Italy and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in separate courtesy calls.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺-𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘨𝘺. 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘺-𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘺!

 

Traversing the highland and transporting agricultural commodities would not be a problem anymore for the residents of Purok 8 Singanan, a remote Sitio situated in Brgy. Libay-libay, Maco, as they received the new  "𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒎-𝒕𝒐-𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅" (𝑭𝑴𝑹) during the simple turnover ceremony held on June 2, 2022.

Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy, represented by Hon. Raul Timogtimog, President of Liga Ng Mga Baranggay (LNMB), led the ceremonial turnover of the road concreting project funded from the Baranggay Development Program (BDP) which was officially received by Brgy. Captain Apolinario F. Ayunan Jr. and other Brgy. Officials and Staff.

Present at the said ceremony were Engr. Jessica Santiago, DILG Davao de Oro representative, 1LT Bartolome Embisan III, 1001st Brigade representative, PLTCOL Ferdinand Casiano, Provincial Police Office representative, and PLT Jandy Lou Esteban, Revitalized Police Sa Baranggay (RPSB) representative. (Jaynus Fernandez, PAO-IPRD Photos from J. Cadiz & G. Mativo)

𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘎𝘺𝘮𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 "𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘕𝘏𝘚"

 

Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy spearheaded the ceremonial turnover of the "𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝑮𝒚𝒎𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔" worth Php3.5M which was formally received by Chuchie Ferrando-Yog, School Principal IV/DCP, duly represented by Beverly A. Ordonio, OIC Head Teacher I and Maria Evelyn C. Tanutan, Master Teacher I, together with other teaching personnel. 

Head Teacher Ordonio extends her words of gratitude to the government as the said projects would be a great help not only for holding school-related activities or programs but also for any big events in the community.

"The Mabini NHS is very much happy to accept the projects ... Nakahinumdom ko sauna nga wala pay bleachers , among mga studyante  magtindog maskig init kay dili sila magdala ug bangko. So with these bleachers, this would provide a degree of separation between spectators and participants, especially during the school programs. With this, they can still have a comfortable spot to sit on and they will be gathered in one place ... The Mabini NHS promised to take care of these ... we see to it that this would be well-maintained and the next generation can use it" Ordonio said.

Present on the said event were Mayor Reynaldo Dayanghirang of Mabini, and Brgy. Captain Asalain Pilarito Buntag of Brgy. Cuambog, duly represented by Brgy. Councilors Maribel Fernandez, Reynante Salaza, Alberto Pancho Jr and other Brgy. officials. (Jaynus Fernandez, PAO-IPRD Photos from J. Cadiz and G. Mativo)

PH jumps to 33rd place in Nikkei Asia’s latest Covid-19 Recovery Index

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

Makati CBD skyline

The Philippines was ranked 33rd in the Covid-19 Recovery ranking by Tokyo-based news magazine Nikkei Asia.

Based on its June 3 report, the country made a big jump in this latest ranking as Nikkei Asia said that the Philippines “had occupied last place in the index during 2021” or placed 121st on its recovery index in October last year. Nikkei Asia ranks 121 countries based on its infection management, vaccine rollouts, and social mobility. 

“The higher the ranking, the closer a place is to recovery, characterized by lower infection and death rates, better inoculation coverage, as well as fewer movement restrictions,” said Nikkei Asia.

“Vietnam and the Philippines logged their best performances in Nikkei’s Covid-19 Recovery Index for May, as both countries managed to ease restrictions while keeping infections low,” it also stated.

Nikkei Asia noted the consistent decline in new cases in the Philippines, with low to no confirmed deaths in recent weeks.

It also cited the move of the Philippine government to reopen the country’s borders to fully vaccinated international tourists.

“Domestically, business has largely resumed and the government is encouraging all schools to hold face-to-face classes again this month,” said Nikkei Asia.

Nikkei Asia sourced its figures from Our World in Data, Google Covid-19 Community Mobility Reports, Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker, Cirium, and Nikkei Asia Research.

The Department of Health (DOH) welcomed the result of this latest ranking.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that “this remarkable recovery reported by independent external observers is being balanced by safety protocols managed by the Department of Health and our partners.”

“The DOH has always been aware that the Covid-19 pandemic response is more marathon than sprint. We are carefully pacing ourselves using the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, led by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” said Duque.

Duque also cited the Filipinos’ “diligent” compliance with the minimum public health standards such as wearing of face masks, isolation, vaccination, and ensuring proper ventilation.

He also cited the capabilities of both the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and Philippine Genome Center (PGC) in detecting new variants and subvariants of Covid-19 virus.

“As the current administration ends, we are confident that the next administration and its incoming Secretary of Health will continue or even improve our march to recovery in the new normal,” he added.

THAT TELLS ME ALL... ... I need to know!

Know-it-alls, who prefer an oppressing or suppressing crab mentality should be really out of place. They poison us and our dignity and our feelings of our own worth. Unfortunately we can find these people at any corner.

I stayed in many places worldwide - places with people belonging to different kinds of religion. I really don't care which belief people are in. Most importantly, they believe in God or Allah and they live a Christian life. I am always very happy when I find churches or prayer places - always open and filled up with praying and worshipping people.

Yesterday I was invited to a Moslem wedding.

I am always very happy, when I meet hopeful and promising Christians: priests, pastors, lay people, friends, family members, who know how to share and inspire, and also know how to be patient while starting with a -maybe - "new beginning".

I am also very happy, because I still observe infinite and endless good things every day coming into my life. Slowly but surely, I started to pay attention to such things. I observe several people, who don't! I really try to do preliminary exercises for instance, for amazing things or just for a simple gratitude. With these attitudes I'll be winning each battle a thousand times against those people who live believing that God's creation goes to the dogs and kicks the bucket.

I am really happy if I meet people who understand the real meaning of responsibility. Responsibility to a child, to the family, to a company and its employees, to a public service, an association or a registered society, or anything that supports, sponsors and promotes my surroundings without being egoistic, indifferent or listless. "I don't give a damn!"

I am always happy to notice people around me, who mean and act "YES" if they say "YES"!

I am always happy to notice something that is taken for granted: parents have time for their children and patience with the youth (really a difficult task sometimes!); someone who takes time to visit a sick neighbour or friend; someone who asks the address of a possible lonely fellow...

Every time period is in God's hands. Let's fulfill these periods and let's also allow our loved-ones at our side to live the same way.