Visayas, Mindanao internet to get boost

By Francis Earl Cueto, Manila Times

THE Marcos administration plans to improve the internet connection in Visayas and Mindanao with the help of mega-billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network.

Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy on Monday said Starlink is ideal for such an upgrade because it uses low-orbit satellites.

"The scope of coverage is far greater and can reach areas that can't be reached or are hard to reach," Uy said in a press briefing.

He said telecommunications companies or telcos usually find it hard to set up in "missionary routes" or areas that have few users.

A network of low-orbit satellites like Starlink's is ideal for such a venture, he said.

"So far, the coverages are [in] the northern part of the Philippines and not much in the southern part where we badly need satellite connectivity. That is why a new satellite might be launched that would cover central Philippines," Uy said.

He did not say if the project will be handled by the government or a private firm, but that it is targeted to be done by the end of the year.

Uy said that right now he is reviewing the projects of the agency since there are numerous problems that need to be dealt with first.

Among them is the strengthening or reviving of the free public WiFi.

"We are studying it; we have to sit down and work on it. There are many and different issues that need to be resolved first," he said.

The free WiFi project has been saddled with problems, including the nonpayment to the subscriptions for connectivity, and hardware and contractor issues.

Uy vowed that the DICT "will continue to make the free public WiFi more effective."

DoT chief kicks off listening tour

By Tricia Antido, Manila Times

On her first day in the office, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco personally visited the offices and greeted the employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT). Photo from Facebook page of the Philippines Department of Tourism. 

On her first day in the office, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco personally visited the offices and greeted the employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT). Photo from Facebook page of the Philippines Department of Tourism.

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco will start her "listening tour" this week to see and hear the concerns and challenges faced by regional offices of the Department of Tourism (DoT) and stakeholders.

She emphasized that the goal of the Department of Tourism is to help the economy rise and recover.

Garcia-Frasco thanked DoT personnel for their warm welcome and gave assurances that all stakeholders will be given equal opportunities through the tourism program that will be made available nationwide.

Speaking before undersecretaries, directors, division chiefs and employees on Monday, July 4, 2022, Garcia-Frasco vowed to address the tourism issues brought on by the pandemic, noting that the sector was one of the hardest-hit industries in the Philippines. She said that under her term, the department will give attention to tourism sites, promotion of local products as well as Filipinos. The Tourism department will also prioritize reaching all regional offices and their partners in local government units.

"I have full trust in the workforce of the Department of Tourism because you have been forged in the fire of the pandemic. We've been through it, we have survived, and we have thrived. There is no other challenge that we could not possibly surmount. And so, I ask for your support, I ask for your unity, I ask for your commitment to the Filipino people, that our brothers and sisters may be given equal economic opportunities through tourism programs that are made available in sites, provinces, cities, municipalities nationwide," she said.

Gov Dorothy Gonzaga to prioritize health care, education, infra, among others

 

Davao de Oro Province—A new face of governance officially sets Davao de Oro province on a trajectory of progress and development focusing on the welfare of the people of the whole province in terms of health care, education, infrastructure, and commendable public service.  

On July 4, 2022, Governor Dorothy Montejo Gonzaga gave her message during the Monday convocation at the provincial capitol lobby before the whole workforce of the provincial government instilling them with three attributes for exemplary public service for the people: faith, hope, and love. 

In the governor’s message, the administration will give priority to adequate health care service to Dabawenyos in the four (4) provincial hospitals in the province: DdOPH Pantukan, DdoPH Montevista, DdOPH Maragusan, and DdOPH Laak.  

The administration will also revisit the scholarship program of the provincial government and plans to maximize its resources thereby extending the scope of the program for the admission of more grantees, making equitable access and opportunity for tertiary education, “Mas maayo gyud ug makapa-eskwela ta because when they’re educated, their lives will really change.” said Gov. Gonzaga.

Moreover, the administration will also maximize the available resources of the PLGU, from the machinery to its budget, for the establishment of more infrastructure projects.  

“I'm really thankful and proud seeing all of you (employees) in attendance today, kay mao ra gyud na ang kapital sa atung pag panerbisyo, our love for the service” added Gov. Gonzaga.

Earlier, a flag-raising ceremony was held at the capitol park followed by a Holy Mass attended by the employees of the PLGU-DdO, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Board Members, and the Bureau of Fire Protection. (Jasteen Abella PAO-IPRD, photos by J. Cadiz and A. Dayao)

Butterfly Symbolism and Meanings Spirit Animal Guide

When we find ourselves helpless

By Fr. Roy Cimagala* 

SITUATIONS like this can happen in our life. In fact, we have to expect them. With our many limitations and the varying conditions we are subject to, there surely will be times when we find ourselves helpless in spite of all the effort we do to find solutions to our problem.  

In the gospel, there was this official who approached Christ to importune for help for his dead daughter. “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” (Mt 9,18) He must have been hoping against hope that something can still be done for his daughter. And he did the right thing. He approached Christ.

This is the lesson that we too should learn, especially when we find ourselves in similar situations. We should develop the instinct of going immediately to Christ. Let’s avoid rotting in sadness, lamentations, victim complex, etc. We know that what is impossible for us is always possible with Christ. What cannot anymore be solved by us can always be solved by Christ, if not here and now, then in the hereafter.

Thus, we need to strengthen our faith so we can be quick to entrust ourselves to the workings of the spiritual and supernatural realities that also govern our life. We have to remember that we are not ruled simply by biological laws or physical, chemical, social, political, economic laws. There is a higher law that governs us and that would enable us to transcend our human and earthly limitations.

This is the law of grace, a law that is spiritual and supernatural in nature. It is the law that enables us to go beyond our human limitations without, of course, compromising our humanity. It is the law that enables us to enter into the very life of God who created us to be his image and likeness.

We have to learn to feel at home with this particular condition of our earthly life. We have to acquire the relevant attitude and skills to be able to live with this condition. It is when we seem to reach our human and earthly limitations that we have to abandon ourselves to the more powerful and merciful dynamic of God’s providence over us.

We should always go to Christ. He always has the solutions to our problems, the answers to our questions. He always gives them, albeit not in the form we want, but always in a way that would be beneficial to us.

In all our affairs and situations in life, we should always go to Christ to ask for his help and guidance, and to trust his ways and his providence, even if the outcome of our prayers and petitions appears unanswered, if not, contradicted.

This should be the attitude to have. It’s an attitude that can only indicate our unconditional faith and love for God who is always in control of things, and at the same time can also leave us in peace and joy even at the worst of the possibilities.

We just have to remember that Christ never abandons us and is, in fact, all ready and prompt to come to our aid, albeit in ways that we may not realize, at first, just like what happened in that story of the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. (cfr. Lk 24,13-25)

We should not allow our feelings of sadness to be so dominant and pervasive that we shut off Christ’s many and often mysterious ways of helping us. 

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Sara opens OVP satellite offices in regions

Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR

By Kaithreen Cruz, Manila Times

(UPDATED) THE Office of the Vice President (OVP) has opened satellite offices in six regions to bring the services of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio closer to the people.

The offices are in Region 1 (Ilocos), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 11 (Davao Region), and Caraga.

The OVP office in Region 1 is located in Dagupan City, the office in Region 9 is in Zamboanga City, and the one in Region 11 is in Davao City.

The office in Region 7 is located at Escario Central, Camputhaw in Cebu City, the one in Region 8 at JT Commercial Complex, Barangay 74, Lower Nula-tula, Tacloban City in Leyte, and the one in Caraga at Villa Bali, corner Balilahan-Tandurpass, Barangay Mabua, Tandag City in Surigao del Sur.

"Sa aking unang buong araw bilang bise presidente, nagbukas po tayo ng mga satellite office sa iba't-ibang bahagi ng bansa upang matulungan ang ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng madali at agarang access sa mga serbisyong mula sa Office of the Vice President (On my first full day as vice president, we opened satellite offices in different parts of the country to provide easy and immediate access to the services of the OVP)," Duterte-Carpio said.

The establishment of satellite offices is one of the projects she promised during her campaign.

Duterte-Carpio said the offices will also consolidate support from parallel groups in the regions to help build and develop communities.

In a media briefing held a day after the Vice President's inauguration, she said she will reside in Davao City but will spend her work days in Metro Manila.

Duterte-Carpio to focus on entrepreneurship, peacebuilding

Duterte-Carpio will also be joining former Education secretary Leonor Briones in a ceremony today, July 4, for the turnover for the Department of Education.

Bill on absolute divorce filed in House of Representatives

By Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino, Manila Times

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman filed a bill that seeks to legalize divorce in the country.

House Bill 78 or the proposed Absolute Divorce Act was filed in the 19th Congress because the Senate failed to act on a similar bill in the 18th Congress.

Under the bill, the grounds for absolute divorce are physical violence or grossly abusive conduct, moral pressure to compel a spouse to change religious or political affiliation, attempt to corrupt or induce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner, to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such corruption or inducement; final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than six years, drug addiction, habitual alcoholism or chronic gambling, homosexuality, bigamy, attempt against the life of the spouse and abandonment.

Under the bill, there must be a six-month cooling-off period after the filing of a petition for absolute divorce before a court can start trial of the petition "[e]xcept for grounds under summary judicial proceedings."

During the six-month cooling-off period, the court "shall exercise all efforts to reunite and reconcile the parties."

The bill's requirement of a cooling-off period does not cover cases involving violence against women and their children "or attempt against the life of the other spouse or a common child or a child of the petitioner."

The 19th Congress will open in July.

Weaker peso favors exports, consumption

 A money exchange kiosk displays the exchange rate of the Philippine peso to the US dollar last April. PHOTO BY AARON RONQUILLO

INSTEAD of being alarmed by the peso's depreciation against the US dollar, economic managers and other policymakers should try capitalizing on the advantages. That may seem odd for some people because politicians often equate a strong peso with a healthy economy. But in actuality, changes in every economic indicator benefit some people and at the same time, hurt others. That is why interpreting changes in the economy can be challenging. As the late American economist Edgar Russell Fiedler quipped: "Ask five economists, and you'll get five different answers — six if one went to Harvard."

Clearly, Filipino families, receiving remittances from relatives working abroad, are better off when the peso is weaker. The dollars they receive buy more pesos. That is good for the Philippine economy, which is largely driven by consumption that contributes about 70 percent to gross domestic product (GDP).

A rebound in consumption could hasten economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The more worrisome indicator now is high inflation, which constricts spending both in the private and public sectors. That is natural since higher prices discourage people from buying or make them buy less.

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As many have heard, inflation is pushed up by skyrocketing fuel prices, which is linked to the war in Ukraine. Because of the economic sanctions imposed on the aggressor, Russia, it cannot sell its oil to the global market. Russia is the third-largest oil producer in the world after Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Complicating the problem is the peso's depreciation because the Philippines imports fuel. Worse, rising pump prices make basic goods more expensive, particularly food that need to be transported from farms to markets.

But as mentioned earlier, there is a good side. A weaker peso — or more accurately, a stronger US dollar — favors exports and local consumption of domestic goods.

One way to capitalize on the peso's value is to reduce the balance of trade, resulting in higher GDP growth. For now, the Philippines is a net importer, meaning Filipinos buy more things from abroad than what they export. If exports can grow, that will benefit local manufacturers that sell abroad.

88% of Philippines with increasing Covid cases

NEARLY nine in 10 areas in the Philippines are currently experiencing rise in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, with 57 areas being flagged by the Department of Health (DOH) for recording positive growth rates in the last two weeks.

In its latest national Covid-19 situationer report, the DOH said a large majority of the country's provinces and cities saw continued case increases.

"National and all regions observe continued case increases in the recent weeks with 88 percent of provinces, HUCs (highly urbanized cities), and ICCs (independent component cities) across all island groups showing positive growth in cases," said the DOH.

It noted how the average daily reported cases have gone up to 914 for the period of June 25 to July 1, from 599 for June 18 to 24.

"National case trend show continuous increase with seven-day average cases higher by 53 percent from the previous week," said the DOH.

In particular, the health department flagged 57 areas in different parts of the country outside the National Capital Region (NCR) after recording positive one-week and two-week growth rates.

"There were 32 Luzon areas, 14 Visayas areas, and 11 Mindanao areas showing positive growth in cases in the recent one and two weeks," said the DOH.

Flagged in Luzon are Baguio City, Abra, Apayao, Mountain Province, La Union, Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, Lucena City, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Puerto Princesa City, Romblon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Angeles City, Pampanga, Albay, Naga City, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate.

In Visayas, flagged were Iloilo City, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Tacloban City, and Biliran.

Flagged in Mindanao are Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Cotabato, Agusan del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi.

In Metro Manila, the DOH said there remains a sharp increase in cases with the average daily cases up to 442 for the period of June 25 to July 1, from 291 for the period of June 18 to June 24.

"NCR cases show continued increase in the recent weeks, currently higher by 52 percent from the previous week," said the DOH.

Despite the increasing number of cases in most parts of the country, the DOH reiterated that the country remains at low risk classification from Covid-19.

This, as the case increases have not translated to rise in other metrics, particularly the average daily attack rates and healthcare utilization rates.

"All regions remain at low rise case classification with average daily attack rates at low risk; while health care utilization rates also remain at low risk in all regions," said the DOH.

Total Covid-19 beds utilization remains at low risk at 19 percent occupancy rate.

Similarly, national ICU utilization remains at low risk at 15 percent utilization rate.

"Severe and critical cases at 10.62 percent or 648 cases of the total Covid-19 admissions," said the DOH. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

IF IFS AND ANDS WERE POTS AND PANS...

A phrase that advises against wishing for impossible or absurd things to happen. The full phrase is "If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands." A: "If only my parents would give me a car, life would be so much easier." B: "Yeah, well, if ifs and ands were pots and pans, right?"

A still longer version: If wishes were horses, then beggars could ride / If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side / If ifs and ands were pots and pans / There would be no work for tinkers. Dandy Don Meredith often recited a similar a somewhat similar phrase about wishful thinking that involved candied nuts

Well, life doesn't only consist of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Life has ups and downs and everyone tries to survive in his own clock-shell surrounded by a dangerous  ocean. Life is stuffed with plenty of excuses, and we are sometimes unable to apologize and say a meaningful "sorry" at the right moment.

Excuses don't know the question of age. I still have two significant examples to share:

The church was crowded. confirmation. A woman came too late. Traffic jams. In need of help, the woman looked to the left and then to the right. It looked like a young man liked to help her. He murmured, "Show up a bit, the LOLA likes to sit down". The situation looked problem-free at that moment. But after taking a deep breath, the LOLA realized the young man's comment. She was just 38 years "young"! With uneasiness she looked at the youngster, who started smiling at her. How old could he be? 14 or 15? A very big difference already to her age. Then suddenly, the young man realized his inappropriate remark and stuttered, "Sorry Madam, please excuse me! If I would have only known...!"

Choked with emotions, I also listened to the story of my former editor colleague in Germany several years ago. Her mother had expelled her from life. Only while laying on her deathbed, her mother did offer a plea in extenuation because of her lifelong fault. 

Excuses because one is embarrassed or with a simple alibi can be  found at every corner. Did you, my dear reader, count already, how many times you used the term "IF"?

Just to mention this example, which I noticed several times from my students. " If I could pass my German language exam, my partner would be very proud of me!" Sure, not only he, but also me, as your German language professor in Davao City. 

"If there would be a God, there wouldn't be so much misery, poverty, and war on earth!"

Well, if that's the way it's got to be...? If there is no other way? 

Maybe, you still remember Elton John's song from 1976: "Sorry (in the right moments!) seems to be the hardest word..." That depends!