2,000 evacuate as strong rains batter Zamboanga City

by Manila Bulletin 

ONLY the rooftop of a house in Barangay Tumaga in Zamboanga City can be seen after rising water level from a river caused severe flooding in the area. (Photo via Liza Jocson)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – More than 2,000 residents were forced to evacuate to safer grounds as strong rains battered this city on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

PAGASA hoisted a Yellow Warning Alert as strong rains brought about by a low-pressure area led to rising water levels in rivers and flooding in city streets.

The State weather bureau raised the alert status to orange due to incessant rains in the early afternoon.

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As of 12 noon, 2,540 individuals from 13 barangays have evacuated to evacuation centers or makeshift areas. The number is expected to rise as more people flee.

Assessment is still being conducted by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

Mayor John Dalipe has ordered the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) and barangay disaster teams to respond to emergency situations.

As of 10 a.m., water level at the Pasonanca diversionary dam has reached the critical level of 77.6 meters. Normal level is at 74.20 meters.

Several infrastructure projects were affected by the severe weather condition.

Barangay officials in Labuan have temporarily closed the Labuan Bridge due to structural damage caused by heavy rains and floods. The bridge is passable to motorists but is closed to heavy vehicles. 

A portion of the road in Barangay Capisan collapsed due to strong rains.

The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) switched off power in more than 100 areas as it responds to places with severe flooding.

Flood, landslide warnings persist as rains continue to batter S. Luzon, VisMin

Published January 12, 2023, 7:58 AM

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

(SATELLITE IMAGE / PAGASA WEBSITE)

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned against flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas due to the prevalence of three rain-inducing weather systems—the low pressure area (LPA), shear line, and northeast monsoon

The LPA was last spotted 380 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte at around 3 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12. 

Although the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression in 24 hours, PAGASA said the combined effect of the LPA and shear line—a weather system brought about by the convergence of cold and warm air masses—may cause scattered to widespread rains and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands.

Those in these areas were warned against floods or landslides during moderate to intense rains.

Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may also affect Bicol Region, Romblon, and the rest of Visayas and Mindanao.

Flash floods or landslides during moderate to heavy rains are also possible in these areas.

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Furthermore, PAGASA said the northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan,” may bring cloudy and rainy weather in the Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Palawan.

The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, may experience partly cloudy to cloudy weather with light amihan rains.

Rainy weekend ahead

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said the LPA and shear line may continue to dampen parts of the country until the weekend.

By Friday, PAGASA expects the LPA to bring rains over a large portion of Visayas and Mindanao as the weather disturbance remains almost stationary near Caraga and Eastern Visayas.

Estareja said that rains will be more concentrated in Southern Luzon and Visayas as the LPA approaches these areas by weekend. 

Meanwhile, cloudy skies and light to moderate rains due to the shear line may prevail over Metro Manila by Friday.

“Over the weekend, expect more rains due to the close approach of the LPA. The trough or extension of the LPA, along with the shear line, may cause flooding in large parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas in Central Luzon and Calabarzon,” Estareja warned.

LOOK: Ladies of ‘One More Chance’ reunite

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

Bea saw, Dimples Romana, and Bea Alonzo

Actress Dimples Romana, Bea Saw, and Bea Alonzo got together recently.

The three stars were thrilled over their reunion that they even shared behind-the-scene photos of their meet-up.

Alonzo said on Instagram: “I had such a great time catching up with my girls! love you forevs! @dimplesromana @beatriz_saw.” 

Saw echoed the same thing, writing: “Always Thursday vibe with these two. love you both @dimplesromana @beaalonzo.”

Romana, on the other hand, congratulated Saw on her pregnancy.

“May bagong mini member ang Thursday Barkadaaaa. Congratulations my dear @ackie_tan @beatriz_saw. Bawi kami ni @beaalonzo sa gift. Today was a beautiful day.”

The “Thursday Barkada” that the ladies mentioned was given birth following the 2007 blockbuster movie “One More Chance.” 

Also part of the squad was John Lloyd Cruz, James Blanco, Janus Del Prado, and Ahron Villena.

Eight years later, the stars reprised their respective roles in the sequel titled “A Second Chance.”

In the movie, the gang gathered on the same day to catch up with one another. 

List of key Golden Globe 2023 winners

by Agence-France-Presse

Steven Spielberg (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Here are the winners in key categories for the 80th Golden Globe Awards, which were handed out on Tuesday.

“The Fabelmans” won for best drama film and best director, putting Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical movie in good position ahead of the Oscars on March 12. “The Banshees of Inisherin” won for best comedy film.

• Film

Best film, drama: “The Fabelmans” 

Best film, musical or comedy: “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Best director: Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”

Best actor, drama: Austin Butler, “Elvis”

Best actress, drama: Cate Blanchett, “Tar”

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Best actor, musical or comedy: Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Best actress, musical or comedy: Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best supporting actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best supporting actress: Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Best screenplay: Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Best music, original score: Justin Hurwitz, “Babylon” 

Best music, original song: “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”

Best non-English language film: “Argentina, 1985”

Best animated feature: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

• Television

Best drama series: “House of the Dragon”

Best drama actor: Kevin Costner, “Yellowstone”

Best drama actress: Zendaya, “Euphoria”

Best musical or comedy series: “Abbott Elementary”

Best musical or comedy actor: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

Best musical or comedy actress: Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Best supporting actor, television: Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Best supporting actress, television: Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Best limited series or TV movie: “The White Lotus”

Best limited series or TV movie actor: Evan Peters, “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”

Best limited series or TV movie actress: Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”

Best limited series supporting actor: Paul Walter Hauser, “Black Bird”

Best limited series supporting actress: Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”

Globe warns vs online offers for SIM registration assistance

by Jonathan Castillo

Globe cautions its customers against offers of SIM registration assistance online and advises them not to share personal information to protect their data security and privacy.

There are already reports of individuals taking advantage of the SIM registration requirement. They offer their services through social media either for free or for a fee and request the name, photo, valid ID, birthday, cell phone number, and address of SIM users.

Such personal information, when in the wrong hands, may be used to impersonate their owners, access their accounts, steal money or other fraudulent activities. Identity thieves may also open accounts in another person’s name, run up debt, or commit crimes, causing damaged reputation and financial problems. 

“We want to remind our customers to be wary of these types of offers and to only use official channels for their SIM registration,” said Irish Salandanan-Almeida, Globe Chief Privacy Officer. “Your personal information is valuable and we urge you to protect it from those who may want to use it for unlawful purposes.”

Instead of seeking help from unknown individuals, customers may register their SIMs for free at https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg. Registration through the GlobeOne app will also start later this month. They may also ask a trusted family member or friend for assistance.

Starting February 2023, Globe will also have assisted registration sites for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and users of basic or feature phones. The list of Globe’s registration sites will be announced through our official websites in the coming weeks.

There are 87.9 million SIMs under the Globe network. So far, over 7 million have registered. 

To make the SIM registration process accessible and convenient for all, the company is offering multiple channels for registration. Customers are encouraged to take advantage of these options and complete their SIM registration before the deadline on April 26, 2023 to avoid the risk of SIM deactivation.

The SIM Registration Act, which requires mobile phone users in the Philippines to register their SIMs with their service providers, is being implemented to address the growing problem of fraudulent activities enabled by anonymous SIM use.

JANUARY 2023 TRAVEL PROTOCOLS: BORDER CONTROLS TO COVER ALL COUNTRIES

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What it's like to travel in and out of the Philippines for the month of JANUARY 2023? All passengers bound for the Philippines must register to E-TRAVEL: https://etravel.gov.ph/ Source of Info: https://iatf.doh.gov.ph/wp-content/up... Philippine Exit Requirements for Foreign Tourists, Balikbayans, Duals, and Filipino Residents Abroad: https://youtu.be/Qb9bm73yQDY Going back to the US? UPDATED & COMPLETE TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE US FOR FILIPINOS & US NATIONALS: https://youtu.be/j00HglOrvNM Filipino Tourists departing the Philippines may be required by Philippine Immigration to secure travel medical insurance. For this, you may check out Safetywing: https://www.safetywing.com/a/24818256 Foreign Tourists, except those covered by Balikbayan Privilege, may be required by airlines and immigration show an exit ticket of not more than 30 days since arrival. You may rent a ticket here to satisfy this requirement for just $14: https://onwardticket.com/jennifer ( FYI - The links above are affiliate codes/links. This means I may get a reward at no additional cost to you when you use them. Thanks in advance because it helps support the channel :) Want to stay longer than 30 days? It’s easy!: https://youtu.be/FONR9zBwYUI Learn Skills here! https://skl.sh/MKR213 NEED TO TRANSFER MONEY TO THE PHILIPPINES? This is what I personally use: https://www.worldremit.com/en/r/JENNI... First transfer is free plus you get a $35 voucher! Hello, I am Jennifer Terri, a 25 year old gal living in Tagum, Philippines. I make Philippine Travel News & Updates. :) Connect with me: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferTerr... These videos and the effort I put into them are 100% free for everyone, and all I ask is that you leave a thumbs-up on any videos that you like and subscribe to my channel . Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferTerri

Ouch! P10,000-device caused P100-M airport crisis

by Ellson Quismorio

A device worth just P10,000 ended up causing P100 million in damages on New Year’s day when the operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was paralyzed by a “trip” within its Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM). 

(Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

This was learned Tuesday, Jan. 10 during a briefing on the disastrous New Year flight cancellations by the House Committee on Transportation chaired by Antipolo 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop.

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The meeting was attended by officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), just to name a few.

During the panel briefing, CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo pinpointed the cause of the CNS/ATM glitch to one its four circuit breakers.

In the immediate aftermath of the NAIA crisis last Jan. 1, aviation officials blamed something else, especifically the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) of the CNS/ATM for the problem. 

Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza was conducting an interpellation on the resource persons when he suddenly became curious and asked: “The UPS and the circuit breaker, how much did you spend for that?”

“The UPS is P13 million and the circuit breaker is P10,000,” answered CAAP Air Traffic Service Officer-in -Charge (OIC), Engineer Arnold Balucating.

“For a circuit breaker that disrupted, caused P100 million worth at least, and you’re spending how much? Again? P10,000?” said Daza in an incredulous tone. A total of 414 flights were cancelled on Jan. 1, a Sunday.

“And you’re now asking for a budget of P13 billion for a new system? There’s gonna be a lot more questions,” the Visayas solon added.

A resource person in the briefing, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, pegged the losses from the airlines at P100 million. But he said the damages suffered by the estimated 65,000 affected passengers were much more worse and hard to calculate.

NAIA’s entire CNS/ATM, which was turned over to CAAP over just five years ago, would cost the government P13 billion to replace.

It was also established during the hearing that on Jan. 5 or four days after the crisis, CAAP sought the purchase of a new UPS–which has a P13-million price tag–under emergency procurement.

Tamayo justified this move by saying that the UPS, which was one of the key components of the CNS/ATM, was already in the middle of its lifespan and thus needed to have “redundancy” in place. He says the new UPS is an “upgraded” version.

This caused 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Gutierrez to comment in Filipino, “We only suffered a flat tire. Why do we need to buy a new motorcycle?”

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“Forgive this representation for finding it quite alarming that we would categorize it as emergency [purchase]…we did not have to really fast-track the purchase of the UPS and simply focus on the fixing of the circuit breaker,” Gutierrez told Tamayo.

Balucating later told the panel that circuit breakers need to be replaced once they become faulty, since they cannot be “opened and fixed”.

Daza said that CAAP’s takeaway from Jan. 1 should be to improve their maintenence protocols.

Higher gear

Published January 11, 2023, 12:05 AM

by Former Senate President Manny Villar

OF TREES AND FOREST

Former Senate President Manny Villar

As we enter a new year, the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. endeavored to write a new chapter in Philippine-China relations. In his speech before embarking on a historic trip to Beijing, President Marcos laid out the fundamental objective of his visit: “I will be opening a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic cooperation with China.” He added that his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping will shift “the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear” and broaden cooperation between the two countries.

The three-day trip was an important one coming as it was amidst the territorial disputes between the two countries. This is complicated by the deep historical ties we have with the United States which has engaged China in an economic and geopolitical tug of war. The state visit, which came after his visit to the US, was seen by experts as indicator of the shape of things to come as far as bilateral relations between the two countries are concerned. 

The first thing that I was really impressed by was President Marcos’ assertion of our country’s sovereignty. He reported that during his talks with President Xi he expressed his administration’s intention to pursue an independent foreign policy. This was, of course, in line with the Constitutional mandate and an important statement to make at the onset. President Bongbong said: “I emphasized how my administration intends to pursue an independent foreign policy, that we are more than willing to cooperate whenever possible in the pursuit of regional peace and our two countries’ national interest.”
This is the perfect follow up to the theme of President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy direction that also insisted on our sovereignty and the insistence that we be treated as equals in the global community. Sustaining this policy position was very critical not just to the status of the new Chief Diplomat but also the position of our country among the community of nations.

During the meeting between the two leaders, Presidents Marcos and Xi agreed to “appropriately manage differences,” and “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region.” This is a clear and unambiguous statement from the Philippines and China that should set the right direction in our foreign relations. The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between the two countries and in fact in the region. Controversies would periodically flare up sending the two countries into a series of diplomatic protests, denials, and assertions of sovereignty over the disputed territory.

The two leaders also agreed to resume negotiations on joint oil and gas explorations in an effort to revive their economies amid the pandemic downturn and address tensions over the South China Sea.
In addition to these accomplishments, the state visit of President Marcos, Jr. generated an estimated $22.8 billion worth of investment pledges which included $13.76 billion for renewable energy, $7.32 billion for electric vehicles and mineral processing, and $1.72 billion for agriculture.

Some quarters have criticized the frequent travels of the President linking it to extravagance. These critics need to realize that official visits to other countries are important because they are essential tools of economic and political diplomacy. The Presidency has a multitude of responsibilities, some domestic, some global. When a president travels it does not mean that he is neglecting his duties at home. The bureaucracy still functions and with advancements in communications technology, the President can always attend to urgent matters when they arise.

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And it is not as if these visits are for sightseeing purposes. Malacañang reported that in his first six months in office, President Marcos’ visits to Indonesia, Singapore, the US, Cambodia and Thailand have generated a total of $23.6 billion in investment pledges. I have been to numerous visits during the term of President Duterte and I can tell you that they are no picnics. The delegations have hectic schedules and meetings with counterparts and more importantly, with the Filipino community in the host country.

The first months of his presidency has demonstrated President Marcos’ knowledge of statecraft. He understands that the requirements of good governance include building a healthy and productive relations with allies. And so rather than baseless criticisms, we should instead give our chief diplomat the support he needs to be successful in foreign relations.

For comments, please send email to: mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com.