Plane wreckage found near Mayon crater

By Rhaydz Barcia

February 20, 2023 

(UPDATE) THE wreckage of a plane was spotted near the crater of Mount Mayon Sunday.

An aerial reconnaissance conducted by Ayala Corp. spotted what's left of the plane, including the tail, in the gully, the steepest part of the volcano.Rescuers struggled on Sunday to reach the slopes of Mayon, an active volcano, with the fate of those on board still unconfirmed.

The Energy Development Corp. (EDC)'s Cessna plane carrying four people was reported missing on Saturday after taking off at the Bicol International Airport.The EDC said the missing plane belonged to the company and it was seeking to confirm if the wreckage spotted on Sunday in "very steep terrain and high altitude of about 6,000 feet" was theirs.

The aircraft was piloted by Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr. With him were Joel Martin (aircraft mechanic) and Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santanan, technical consultants of EDC.

The company has informed their respective families about the incident."Our primary concern is the swift and safe rescue of our four colleagues who were onboard the aircraft. We are thankful to Mayor (Caloy) Baldo for mobilizing his team to help us do this," said Allan Barcena, assistant vice president and head of corporate relations and communications at EDC.

The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) earlier said they will focus the search at the foot of Mayon Volcano.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Apsemo, said the missing Cessna plane may have gone down in Barangay Quirangay in Camalig town.

Earlier reports said air traffic controllers at the Bicol International Airport lost contact with the Cessna 340 plane on Saturday.

The aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 left the airport at 6:43 a.m.

The controllers made their last contact with the plane at 6:46 a.m., when the Cessna was in the vicinity of Camalig at an altitude of 2,600 feet.

It was supposed to arrive in Manila at 7:53 a.m.The Philippine Air Force deployed air assets also for search and rescue operations.

Mount Mayon is currently at alert level 2, a restive status.

Baldo said some 218 personnel, 34 vehicles, 11 drones and four K9 dogs were deployed for the massive ground search and rescue operations.

Daep warned the rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, which was complicating rescue efforts.

"There might be a sudden ash explosion and we could be added to the casualties," he told radio DZBB.

An aerial search will continue Monday to locate the missing people.

"We are not discounting the possibility that they could still be alive," Daep said.

WITH REPORT FROM FRANCIS CUETO and AFP

Why is WASH a crucial element of response and recovery from climate disasters?

In this photo taken on January 5, 2022, residents carry bottled water given as aid from a non-governmental organisation in Burgos town, Siargao island, weeks after super Typhoon Rai devastated the island.

Gaea Katreena Cabico, Ann Gabrielle Domingo - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — When Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) struck southern and central parts of the Philippines in December 2021, people’s access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities was compromised, leading to increased risk of water-borne diseases. 

Typhoon-ravaged residents were left with no money to buy drinking water or were forced to rely on water from open springs and on hand pumps contaminated by mud, flood and sea waters. 

According to the International Federation of Red Cross, there were over 400 cases of diarrhea and gastroenteritis, likely resulting from contamination of water sources, in Odette-hit areas. Eight people reportedly died due to diarrhea. 

In the town of Del Carmen on Siargao Island, a child died after drinking contaminated water. While it was an isolated case, according to the town mayor, the incident highlighted the nexus of health and climate change.

“If we didn’t lack water supply due to the emergency, maybe [the death of the child] wouldn’t happen, there wouldn’t be a reaction to drink the water in the tank,” said Jerlyn Rabaca, administrator of Espoir School of Life. Espoir, which is situated on a resettlement area in Del Carmen, is a non-profit organization that provides free education to underprivileged children. 

Damaged water infra 

According to the United Nations Children's Fund, some 2.4 million people needed water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support following ‘Odette.’ The typhoon also damaged 141 water structures and over 410 sanitation facilities. 

“During climate disasters, infrastructure gets damaged. Not just electricity, communication, but most importantly, water,” said Jenica Dizon, country director of Waves for Water Philippines. The presence of Waves for Water in the country began in 2013 as a response to Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded in the world. 

Extreme weather events and other climate impacts contaminate water supply, increasing risk of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea and cholera to which children are particularly vulnerable. 

Dr. Renzo Guinto, who specializes in planetary and public health, has observed this reality in coastal municipalities in the Philippines. Guinto found that Alabat in Quezon province and Ajuy in Iloilo province are more prone to water-borne diseases due to intensifying flooding from sea-level rise. 

In 2050, climate change could be responsible for approximately 32,954 additional diarrheal deaths worldwide among children aged 0 to 15, the World Health Organization estimated. 

The WHO stressed that investing in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a core element in both preparedness and response, and prevention and mitigation of the impacts of future emergencies. 

“It’s paramount to plan for and create more resilient water infrastructure because access to clean water is a human right and a basic need. Without water, there really is no life,” Dizon said. 

Crucial need

With water infrastructure damaged and essential health services crippled by the pandemic, access to clean water is an immediate need to prevent the spread of infectious and water-borne illnesses, and life-threatening dehydration.

In the case of Del Carmen, the town’s mangrove forest protected the residents from large waves brought by Odette, allowing owners of water refilling stations to immediately continue their operations, Mayor Alfredo Coro II said.

However, the water coming from the municipality’s water provider “took a while to be stabilized” after the storm, he said.

According to Coro, children aged five and below, pregnant and lactating mothers, senior citizens and persons with disabilities were prioritized in the provision of clean drinking water after the onslaught of Odette. The local government also focused on providing water supply to island barangays.

Non-profit organizations like Waves for Water played an important role in the response to the storm. Waves for Water deploys clean water filtration systems, water pump generators, and catchment tanks to disaster-hit areas.

DOH, WHO guidelines

Besides ensuring proper facilities, Guinto believes that normalizing WASH practices are crucial elements in disasters and humanitarian settings. 

In July 2020, the Department of Health issued the “National Policy on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Emergencies and Disasters” in recognition of the country’s disproportionate vulnerability to disasters and emergencies. 

The administrative order’s main objective is to “institutionalize and implement the WASH cluster approach at all levels of governance to ensure the coordinated delivery of appropriate, effective and timely WASH services in emergencies and disasters.” 

For the WHO, the top three priorities in promoting WASH for vulnerable communities are ensuring sufficient amounts of safe water, arranging basic sanitation necessities and promoting good hygiene practices. 

The United Nations health agency said the first priority necessitates that each person be provided with 15 liters of water, but this can be limited to 7.5 liters after a disaster. Water sources must also be protected in the case of contamination. 

Toilet facilities should be provided immediately when sanitation structures are damaged due to disasters, it added. Securing toilet facilities prevents the further spread of contamination to community members or water sources. 

If toilet systems are damaged beyond immediate repair, the community should be given designated defecation fields and provided shovels for families to dig small holes into to bury excretions. 

Lastly, good hygiene should still be promoted to prevent disease transmission. To ensure that good hygiene practices are followed, enough water should be provided for rinsing after excretion. The water can also be used for handling infants’ wastes and food preparation. 

While the DOH and the WHO have already integrated WASH into their disaster setting guidelines, Guinto believes that simply providing recommendations is not enough. 

“What needs to be further enhanced is the way we implement these guidelines,” said Guinto, who is also the inaugural director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine. 

“Further, we must find ways to ensure the sustainability of WASH infrastructure after the disaster response phase. When communities return to normalcy, their water systems must not only be restored, but made even much better,” he added.

WASH and education

“After the typhoon, because of what happened, we've also learned that water is important and that now we give value to it and people also saw the need of the island to have clean water,” Espoir’s Rabaca said.

The resettlemtn area of Espoir has a water system with 30 faucets that can be accessed by community members and a dry compost toilet. 

Rabaca also emphasized that access to water plays a big role in the learning of students. 

“We connect water to the education that we are giving by making sure that they go to school healthy, that they go to school after taking a bath. We’re making sure that if they go home, their dishes have been washed, that they can wear uniforms on the next day because they can wash their clothes,” Rabaca said. 

She added that Espoir, in partnership with other private firms, plans to put up a “STEM Lab for Humanities” which will tackle the importance access to access to water inside classrooms.

Thousands flee homes as LPA hits Butuan, Caraga

by Philippine News Agency

BUTUAN CITY (PNA) – Thousands of residents here as well as in the neighboring provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur fled their homes as the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA) brought heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides on Saturday, Feb. 18.

As of the 10 a.m. weather bulletin on Sunday, Feb. 19, the LPA was already in the vicinity of San Vicente, Northern Samar or 40 kilometers east of Masbate City, Masbate.

The probability of a tropical depression within 24 hours is less likely, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration. 

The LPA will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, the Bicol region, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Samar.

In this city, 5,026 families from 38 barangays moved to evacuation centers for safety.

Heavy rains started to lash this city in the early morning of Saturday, flooding most streets, subdivisions, and barangays.

A landslide was reported in Barangay De Oro on Saturday morning but was immediately cleared out in the afternoon.

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The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) here said 2,543 food boxes worth P642,880 were distributed as of Saturday night.

Distribution of food packs in evacuation centers will continue until the flooded areas are cleared.

“We remind our residents in Butuan to be always on alert, especially in times of disasters, to save lives,” the CSWDO said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 19.

In Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office reported that 15 baragays were hit by flooding as of Saturday.

A total of 803 families or 3,516 individuals were directly affected and are temporarily sheltered in 22 evacuation centers.

In Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, four barangays were affected by flooding that sent 216 families or 720 persons to evacuation sites while in Agusan del Sur, 83 families also abandoned their flooded areas in Talacogon. 

Evacuation of residents was also reported in the towns of San Francisco, Prosperidad, Bunawan, and Rosario; and in the province of Dinagat Islands on Saturday.

Landslides were reported in the town of Sibagat in Agusan del Sur, particularly in Barangay Kioya and in Purok 1, Barangay Mahayahay; and in Barangay Tigbao in Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands.

Marcos vows to protect environment, enforce mining law

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, MB

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that his administration would do a “meticulous balancing” to protect the environment and enforce the country’s law on responsible mining.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)

Marcos said this in response to a question about his policy on protecting the environment in the Cordillera, especially regarding mining. 

According to the President, protecting the environment has always been essential to his administration’s policies.

“In terms of protecting the environment, it’s very clear what the position of this government has always been… It has been an important part of all our policies,” he said.

“We are environmentally conscious, moving the economy towards green technologies, moving our production of power towards renewables,” he added.

President Marcos noted that mineral exploration and extraction are essential to his administration’s economic plan.

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However, he said the government wants to avoid unfortunate incidents like what happened in the past few years.

“So it is really a question of enforcing the law in terms of responsible mining, and that is what we will continue to do,” Marcos said.

“We will always make sure that the mining companies who come in, once they are finished mining, that they leave the site in the same condition as it was when they found it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the country can now monetize its forest cover— giving it a peso or dollar value and taking advantage of being more active in promoting, monitoring, regulating, and encouraging the care of its forests.

“All our forest cover is important and must remain — that is giving the Philippines, we fall into the category of a carbon sink country because of our forest cover, and so that is a very valuable asset for the Philippines,” he said.

Prayer sustains our faith

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“HIS disciples asked him in private, ‘Why could we not drive the spirit out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can only come out through prayer.’” (Mk 9,28-29)

This is the concluding part of that gospel episode where Christ was approached by the father of a boy possessed by a mute spirit. (cfr. Mk 9,14-29) According to the father, “wherever the mute spirit seized the boy, it threw him down; he foamed at the mouth, ground his teeth, and became rigid.” It must have been a terrible sight!

But the father complained that when he asked Christ’s disciples to drive it out, they were unable to do so. That’s when Christ retorted, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?”

Somehow Christ was highlighting the need for faith for the disciples to be able to drive the spirit out. “Everything is possible to one who has faith,” he said. And then he asked the father of the boy if he too had faith that the spirit can be driven out. 

That’s when the father said the famous words: “I do believe, help my unbelief!” He somehow captured the usual condition we have in relation to our faith. We like to profess that we have faith, but we also know that our faith is oftentimes wavering.

When Christ finally drove out the spirit from the boy, the disciples asked why they could not do it. That’s when Christ made it clear that “this kind can only come out through prayer.”

Somehow from this episode we can make the following conclusion: for us to share in the very power of God, especially when we are faced with extraordinary challenges and problems, we need to have a strong faith. And for that faith to be a working faith, it has to be sustained always through prayer.

In other words, to live our life with God and share in everything that he has as we are meant to be, we need to pray to keep our faith going. Prayer should be a constant activity for us. It should be like the very beating of our heart.

We have to realize more deeply that it is a basic need of ours to pray. If we understand our life to be a life always with God, as our Christian faith tells us, then we need to pray always.

Prayer is actually more important and necessary than the air we breathe, the food we eat or the water we drink. We should do everything to learn to pray always. On this, St. Paul clearly said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5,17)

In fact, in that Pauline passage, what went before and after it are very interesting. St. Paul says that we have to rejoice always and be thankful in all circumstances because that is the will of God for us. (cfr 1 Thes 5,16.18)

We have to find ways of how to conform ourselves to this clear indication of St. Paul. We have to learn how to pray always, converting everything in our life, including those that we consider as negative or bad elements, into an occasion, a means, a reason for praying.

We need to go beyond that common understanding of prayer that pegs it only to the recitation of some vocal prayers or to spending time in some special places to do meditation or contemplation. While these forms of prayer are important and, in fact, are indispensable, they do not have the exclusive ownership, so to speak, of the ways of praying.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Dost Pagasa Latest Weather Update|Feb.18,2023

Philippine Eagle Foundation to benefit MiceCon

By Ruth Palo, Manila Times

DAVAO CITY: The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) was chosen as the beneficiary of MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions) convention set on March 1-3 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier here.

The city is hosting this year's MiceCon after three years of being postponed.

The PEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the endangered Philippine eagle and its rainforest habitat.

The Philippine eagle, among the four symbolic icons of Davao City, is a strong symbol apt for this year's MiceCon attached in its logo.

Kennedy Kapulong, the former co-chairman of Davao MiceCon 2023, said that the "majestic" Philippine eagle symbolizes the city's "resilience and strength."

Kapulong said that selecting PEF as the beneficiary is in line with the Department of Tourism's (DoT) advocacy for sustainable tourism.

"Likewise, DoT's sustainability efforts and advocacy can be mirrored with the successful initiatives of the PEF to save the national bird. When I was asked for a CSR partner, PEF was the top choice," he said in a statement Friday.

Ann Pelingon, MiceCon Davao's head for corporate social responsibility (CSR), also believes that the foundation matches what MiceCon aims to achieve — resiliency from the ever-changing times.

"Like Davao City, we are known for being resilient. For how many years, the Philippine eagle has been resilient for how many years. It's symbolic and it's just right that the Philippine Eagle Foundation be our beneficiary," she said.

The pandemic, she said, had hugely affected the PEF's operation. Now with the threat of the avian flu, Pelingon said that the center needs financial help.

She said the MiceCon wants to contribute to the foundation's conservation effort of sustaining the population of eagles not only in the city but for the entire country.

"The center really needs funding, especially in ensuring the preservation of the raptor and other endangered animals being sheltered in the center," Pelingon said.

Proceeds from the convention's registration will go to the PEF. In addition, Pelingon said they are also eyeing the delegates to be the center's potential donors.

"At least the delegates, aside from being potential donors, could also help spread the word in the center's conservation efforts," she said.

With MiceCon's goal of having a sustainable tourism industry, Pelingon said the convention is a great avenue for this advocacy.

Pelingon, a former PEF volunteer, believed in the importance of preserving the eagles, which is an indicator of a healthy environment.

She also hoped that many would heed the call for more volunteers in the foundation.

Carla Salvacion, PEF conservation education program team leader, said they are thankful that MiceCon selected the foundation as its beneficiary.

"MiceCon is a huge help not only in raising awareness but also in raising funds for the center to continue its run," she said.

With the theme "MICEConverge: Blaze New Trails," the three-day conference will serve as a gateway to provide more business opportunities and strengthen ties with domestic and international stakeholders.

It is a hybrid event expected to bring in 500 in-person delegates and up to 2,000 online participants from here and abroad.

Highlights of the event include the MICE Youth Challenge and Power Dressing and Glam Makeup Sessions and Workshops where Davao's finest tourism and product services will be on full display with the sub-themes, "Celebrating Nature," "Celebrating Diversity" and "Celebrating Travel and Technology."

LPA seen to cross eastern part of PH landmass, trigger more rains in next 3 days — PAGASA

Published February 18, 2023, 10:03 AM

by Charie Mae F. Abarca

The low pressure area (LPA) spotted near Mindanao remains less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone, but the state weather bureau’s latest forecast scenario showed that the weather disturbance will cross the eastern section of the Philippine landmass and trigger more rains in the next three days.

PAGASA’s Tropical Cyclone Threat Potential forecast showing the LPA’s low likelihood of cylone development. (Screengrab / PAGASA YouTube)

Last seen 285 kilometers east southeast of Davao City, the LPA continues to dump rains over Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, northern Mindanao, Bicol Region, Romblon, Marinduque, and Quezon. 

“[On Saturday, Feb. 18], the LPA will be closest to Caraga Region and eastern Visayas. By [Sunday, Feb. 19] it is expected to be in the Bicol Region, while on [Monday, Feb. 20] it will be in the eastern section of northern or central Luzon, and by that time another surge of the northeast monsoon will begin,” said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Weather Specialist Benison Estareja in Filipino on Saturday, Feb. 18.

By Tuesday, Feb. 21 PAGASA expects the weather disturbance to dissipate while crossing the northern Luzon area.

Along with the LPA, the northeast monsoon, also called “amihan,” will bring light rains and cold winds in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. The lowest air temperature recorded on Saturday was logged in Baguio City: 13.0°C at 4:50 a.m.

Due to the strong to gale force winds associated with the northeast monsoon, a gale warning remained hoisted in the eastern seaboards of southern Luzon and Visayas and the northern and eastern Seaboards of Mindanao; the central and western seaboards of Visayas; the western and southern seaboards of southern Luzon; as well as the seaboards of northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of central Luzon.

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Fishermen with small sea vessels were advised not to venture out into the sea due to rough sea conditions.

PBBM pushes rice yield increase thru hybrid seeds

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, MB

Malacañang said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has started developing a “strategy plan” to promote planting hybrid seeds on 1.5 million hectares of rice land during the dry season.

FARMERS in Western Visayas are set to receive in-bred rice seeds for wet season planting. (DA-6)

The Palace said this in a statement on Friday, Feb. 17, after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. approved the adoption of hybrid rice varieties that will help local farmers enhance their crop production. 

In its statement, Malacañang, citing Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa, said Marcos has ordered to ensure that rice farmers have enough support.

The DA will also launch a financial and credit program to persuade farmers to shift to hybrid rice.

“Sapat na suporta kagaya ng patubig, fertilizer at iba pang ayuda katulad ng (Enough support like water, fertilizer, and other help like) Rice Farmers Financial Assistance,” Mesa said.

“Ang mga ito ay nararapat na maibigay sa tamang panahon (These assistance should be provided to them at the right time),” he added.

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According to Malacañang, the President, also the DA Secretary, is optimistic that the country will attain its rice self-sufficiency target within two years using hybrid seeds.

The DA is looking at expanding production in Regions 6, 8, 12, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon regions have already adopted the hybrid rice technology.

Apart from expanding financial support to local farmers through the loan financing program, President Marcos committed to bringing the best farming practices used by Central Luzon farmers to the rest of the country.

Based on a joint study by the DA and local government units (LGUs), the hybrid system has produced a 41-percent higher yield than conventional inbred seeds for the past two years.

In 2023, the DA earmarked P30 billion in funds under the National Rice Program to provide hybrid and inbred or certified seeds, production-related and post-harvest machinery, small-scale irrigation, and extension and training activities.

This is on top of the P10B-Rice Enhancement Competitiveness Fund sourced from the excess tariff collected under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which aims to improve farmers’ competitiveness.

Makati gov’t orders temporary closure of Wantusawa oyster bar after alleged food poisoning

By James Patrick Cruz, interaksyon 

Composite shows oysters and Makati City's Business Permits and Licensing Office representatives putting up a closure order notice on Wantusawa Oyster Bar (Wantusawa/Facebook; My Makati/Facebook)

The Makati City government ordered the temporary shutdown of Wantusawa Oyster Bar after its customers claimed that they experienced food poisoning early this year.

On February 13, the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office served a closure order against the restaurant for violating the Sanitation Code. 

Mayor Abby Binay issued this order “to restore order and discipline in Makati and protect the interest of legitimate businesses, Makatizens and the general public.”

The restaurant’s management was quoted in a report as saying that the Makati City government implemented the temporary closure as it wait for the result of the water and oyster test. 

As it waits for the resumption of its operations, the oyster bar said it would conduct “maintenance work and repairs to help improve the quality of service we provide.”

Last January, the review section of the restaurant’s Facebook page was flooded with complaints. 

The restaurant’s customers claimed that they experienced stomach discomfort and food-related illnesses after allegedly consuming meals from the oyster bar.

Following this, it released a statement addressing online allegations of food poisoning.

Wantusawa said that it takes customer feedback and reviews “very seriously,” adding it is “taking it to heart.”

“We always strive to provide freshly prepared meals while adhering to critical safety and health standards,” it added.

The restaurant also said that it conducted laboratory tests on samples during the dates it received complaints.

The oyster bar said the results “have shown a negative result for bacteria and thus clearing the possibility of any food poisoning.” 

Wantusawa lamented the alleged continued “social media bullying” despite its efforts, laboratory tests and health clearances.

“In our pursuit of truth and due process, we shall likewise review our options to take any legal action against these purveyors of bullying and untruth,” it said.

Social media users, however, found the restaurant’s statement “insensitive.”

Wantusawa opened in Poblacion in 2018 and has since opened a food truck in Rockwell.

It offers fresh, baked, grilled and fried oysters, as well as shareable seafood plates. It also serves bowls of rice and noodles.