Port project on Samal Island ‘destroyed’ corals

DAMAGED REEF The ancillary port constructed to unload heavy equipment for the construction of the Samal Island-Davao City connector bridge, as shown in this photo taken on June 8, is embedded on a living coral reef, according to marine biologist John Lacson. —PHOTO BY MARINE BIOLOGIST JOHN LACSON

By: Germelina Lacorte - @inquirerdotnet

Inquirer Mindanao / 05:02 AM July 08, 2023

DAVAO CITY—A marine biologist has raised the alarm over the destruction of corals in the offloading port constructed for the Samal Island-Davao City connector bridge.

Dr. John Lacson said a video has shown that the metal frames of the ancillary port recently built to offload heavy equipment for the construction of the bridge that will link Davao City and Samal Island actually embedded into the living corals of the reef.

“Although direct construction of the bridge is paused, an ancillary project of [the] DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), which is a seaport intended for offloading of heavy equipment, is being built within 25 meters of a reef adjacent to Paradise Reef,” he said.

Lacson the port construction violated the Philippine Fisheries Code which states that it is “unlawful for any person, entity, or corporation to perform activities that damage coral reefs.”

Lacson, a marine biologist with a doctorate on biological science in the University of Texas, said he had regularly visited the area to monitor the health of the reefs but when he first checked on the Paradise Reef on June 3, he noticed the metal structures of the newly constructed port.

Five days later, he decided to have a closer look and saw that the metal frames of the new structure were actually embedded on the corals.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, reached by phone on Friday, told the Inquirer he would look into the concern.

“We just have to investigate. Tingnan namin (Let us see),” he said.

He said he was made to understand that “the construction of the Samal bridge project is being closely monitored by a team composed of [officials of the] DPWH, the local government and other stakeholders every step of the way.”

He added: “We just have to find out if this has gone through their scrutiny,” he said.

This developed as the lawyers of the Lucas-Rodriguez family, who owned the Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort and its adjacent Costa Marina resort on the island, petitioned the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend or cancel the environment compliance certificate (ECC) of the bridge project because of the violations.

In a June 8 letter to Gilbert Gonzales, director of DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the lawyers cited the construction of the port as among the violations. The port was not one of the activities identified in the project’s Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, the basis of the ECC issuance, they noted.

“[The construction of the port] was not listed in the preconstruction process nor was it included in the environment management plan,” the letter signed by lawyer Ramon Edison Batacan of the Batacan Montejo Vicencio and Valdez Law Firm read.

The law firm also cited the destruction of the corals, a violation of Section 96 of the Revised Philippine Fisheries Code: “Coral reefs have been damaged as a result of the construction and as the illegal construction continues in haste, there will be more damage. The activity being outside the identified and allowable [activities] under the EIA, its impacts including severe environmental risks and potential for pollution were not properly assessed. Due to the omissions, there are no mitigating measures in place.”

No action

The law firm said their petition was also sent to concerned agencies and officials, among them the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao, the Environment Ombudsman Program of the Ombudman’s office in Diliman, Quezon City, to Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Secretary Bonoan, but had not been acted until now.

But Bonoan said it was the first time for him to hear about the lawyers’ petition to the DENR.

Lacson, on the other hand, said he had notified former DENR-Davao Regional Director Bagani Fidel Evasco about the destruction of the corals and the latter had asked him for its exact geographic location so that his office could act on the complaint. Evasco, however, had been replaced by lawyer Mercedes Dumagan, who is currently on leave.

Maria Antonette Andolana, head executive assistant to the DENR-Davao director, said by phone on Friday they would look into the complaint.

When in great difficulty

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

 

WHEN we find ourselves in some extraordinary difficulty, we should not hesitate to go to Christ. Let’s beg him for help, but making sure that what should move us to do so is not so much to be rid of the difficulty as to be believe in him as our savior, as our God in whose image and likeness we have been created. In the end, we go to him to be like him, and not just for some self-interest or for some practical purposes.

We are reminded of this truth of our faith in that gospel episode where an official approached Christ begging him to raise the official’s just-recently dead daughter to life again. And when Christ was on his way to the official’s house, a woman suffering from hemorrhage for 12 years, exerted great effort to get near him if only to touch his cloak, convinced that by so doing she would be cured. (cfr. Mt 9,18-26)

In both cases, Christ praised their deep faith in him. We have to remember that it is faith that lets us enter into the spiritual and supernatural world. It brings us to share in God’s wisdom and power. Remember those stirring words of Christ: “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from there, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.” ((Mt 17,20)

Without faith, in spite of our keenest intelligence, we will miss much of the more important aspects of our life as we would only be restricted to the here and now, the material, practical and the temporal. We would miss the real purpose of our life, which is for us to be like God.

We need to exert effort to have the proper intention whenever we ask some extraordinary favors from God. That’s because very often we are moved to run to God only for some practical motives. We forget that in all our dealings with God, the main and constant reason is to adore him and to express our desire to be like him as he wants us to be.

We should be careful not to let our great difficulties set aside the main reason for asking favors from God. This is actually a big challenge for us, since with our tendency to consider only the here and now, we forget to pursue the real and ultimate purpose of our life.

This, of course, will require a certain discipline on our part. That’s why we need to avail of certain practices of piety that would constantly remind us of the main reason for any petitions we make from God.

This is a big challenge that would require us to be sober and to learn how to be contemplative even while we are in the midst of the ups and downs of our earthly life. We have to broaden our understanding of the character and purpose of our life here on earth, and know the purpose, the causes and the reason for our human predicaments.

We just have to remember what St. Paul once said: “To them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.” (Rom 8,28) These words of St. Paul should be at the very core of our attitude when we are faced with our difficulties in life.

Frasco continues to enjoy Marcos' trust despite tourism ad mess

BY BETHEENA UNITE

  

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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco continued to enjoy his trust despite the tourism campaign controversy.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. receives the plaque of appreciation for his late father from the Department of Tourism on June 27, 2023 at the Manila Hotel. (Ali Vicoy)

"Yes absolutely. No question," Marcos said on Friday, July 7, when asked if Frasco still enjoyed his trust despite the issues surrounding the "Love the Philippines" tourism campaign.

The President said he had spoken to Frasco about the matter, and noted that Frasco had already addressed the issue by terminating the contracts that were in question.

He also expressed confidence that Frasco will be able to "fix the problem", and that the new tourism campaign will succeed.

"She has also, since then, put under review all of the other contracts that were in the pipeline," he said.

"Kaya't sa aking palagay (So, I think) she has it under control, she knows what to do, what she has done so far inspires confidence that she will fix the problem and that the campaign of 'Love the Philippines' will be as successful as we hope for it to be," Marcos said.

The Department of Tourism earned flak after DDB Philippines admitted to using foreign stock footage for its content when it launched the tourism promotional campaign video.

The promotional video was shown during the launch of the new tourism slogan "Love the Philippines" on June 27.

Frasco then said that  the new tourism slogan was in recognition of the Philippines’ natural assets, its long history, and its rich culture and diversity.

Trailblazing Heart Evangelista is opening doors for Pinoy designers in global fashion

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Jul 8, 2023 07:51 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• It was no less than Heart Evangelista, wearing a jaw-dropping modern terno by Filipino designer Cheetah Rivera. She had been first photographed in Rivera’s white and blue ombré “Santiago” dress exactly a year ago on the streets of Paris.

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Heart Evangelista (Images courtesy of Facebook)

In the countdown to the highly anticipated Haute Couture Week, its official Instagram page (@hautecoutureweek) chose a Filipina to grace its teaser to mark D-3, or three days before the start of the global fashion event.

It was no less than Heart Evangelista, wearing a jaw-dropping modern terno by Filipino designer Cheetah Rivera. She had been first photographed in Rivera’s white and blue ombré “Santiago” dress exactly a year ago on the streets of Paris.

This time, it served as the backdrop for a “save the date” of the world’s premier fashion event for Fall/Winter 2023, bringing pride to the Philippines not just for her presence, but for also putting Filipino fashion in the spotlight at the biggest stage of couture and paving the way for the entry of other Filipinos to Paris, Milan and New York Fashion weeks and the international fashion scene as a whole.

The post did not bear her name – it really didn’t have to. Heart has risen to become a global fashion icon. And for the Philippines, she is a global fashion pioneer and a trailblazer, breaking into the scene at a scale no other Filipino ever has.

Heart’s face is familiar the world over from the pages of top-tier magazines, from Elle and Instyle to Bazaar and Vogue. Anna Wintour knows her by name. She has posed for a photo with Michael Kors. And she has shared a giggly hug with Christian Loubutin.

To brands, Heart’s face and poses are currency. With her impeccable personal style, head-turning looks, and eye-catching strut, she gets the front seat in high-profile runway shows, sought after by designers to lend her name to their brand. The luxury list is endless: Chanel, Guerlain, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balmain, Prada, Kenzo, Giambattista Valli, you name it.

Alongside, she champions Filipino brands – Neric Beltran, Cheetah Rivera, Maison Glarino, and Mark Bumgarner – making their creations known to the world and bringing global attention to Philippine textiles and design.

The fashion world craves more from Heart, and she is just getting started. The next time a fashion photographer’s camera clicks, whether in Milan, Paris, LA, or Singapore, it would likely be Heart, owning style, grace, and elegance in a single frame.

Public Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 AM | July 07, 2023

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Water levels in Angat, 3 other dams fall below normal — Pagasa

The water level of Angat Dam falls to its minimum operating level at 180.67 meters on Thursday afternoon, July 6, 2023. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN

By Claire Bernadette  Mondares, Manila Times

July 7, 2023 

WATER levels in several dams in the country have dropped to below normal, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Friday.

Angat dipped to 180.45 meters, slightly down from its lowest normal level of 180 meters, Pagasa said. The normal high is 210 meters.

Angat supplies 90 percent of the water supply in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, water level at the San Roque dam dropped to 237.05 meters from its normal of 280 meters as of 6 a.m. on Friday, according to Pagasa.

Water levels at the Pantabangan and Magat dams also dropped from their normal levels at 179.60 and 165.36 meters from 226 and 190 meters respectively.

Hot weather to persist due to easterlies, ridge of high pressure area

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

Jul 7, 2023 09:08 AM

  

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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday, July 7 said most of the country may continue to experience hot and humid weather due to the prevalence of the easterlies and ridge of high pressure area (HPA).

“Most of the country will experience generally sunny weather with hot and humid temperatures, especially around noon,” PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said.

He said the easterlies, or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean, may bring hot and humid weather to Visayas and Mindanao, but may also bring localized thunderstorms.

Aside from the easterlies, Estareja added that the ridge or extension of an HPA, which produces fewer clouds, resulting in less rain and more direct exposure, may also affect most of Northern and Central Luzon.

The HPA is an “anti-cyclone” weather system.

Only the southern portion of Palawan may continue to experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a convergence of winds coming from the northern and southern hemispheres where rain-bearing clouds form.

(PIXABAY)

Based on the PAGASA’s extended weather outlook for key areas from July 8 to 11, maximum air temperatures may range from 34 to 36 degrees Celsius (℃) in Metro Manila, 36 to 37℃ in Tuguegarao City, 25 to 26℃ in Baguio City, 32 to 33℃ in Laoag City, 31 to 32℃ in Tagaytay City, 32 to 33℃ in Legazpi City, 31 to 32℃ in Metro Cebu, 32 to 33℃ in Metro Davao, and 34 to 35℃ in Zamboanga City.

Estareja urged the public to bring heat protection when going outside.

Meanwhile, he noted that a new cloud formation along the ITCZ was monitored approaching Mindanao, which may affect Visayas and Mindanao in the coming week.

Estareja said that while PAGASA does not anticipate a tropical cyclone entering the PAR in the coming days, a shallow low pressure area (LPA) may form within the ITCZ.

He added that while the potential LPA may enter the PAR, the likelihood of it becoming a tropical cyclone is still low.

German business leaders call for new economic partnership with PH

BY BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

  

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German business leaders have called for the establishment of new partnerships and new economic alliance with the Philippines, stating that Germany is clearly “underrepresented” in the Philippines with untapped investment opportunities for German companies.

GERMAN BUSINESS LEADERS CALL FOR NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PHILIPPINES -- Shown in photo (from left) , Board of Investments (BOI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, Dr. Gunther Kegel, CEO Pepperl+Fuchs AG & ZVEI, Dr. Dan Lachica, SEIPI President, Mrs. Silke Sichter, ZVEI Senior Manager ; (from right) Commercial Counsellor Nicanor Bautista, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, Ambassador Irene Susan Natividad, and DTI Undersecretary Kim Bernardo-Lokin discuss new cooperation following the Philippine-German Investment Forum in Berlin on July 3, 2023.

This was raised by members of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and Germany’s Electronics and Digital Industries Association (ZVEI) during the Philippine-German Investment Forum in Berlin on July 3 as part of the three-week investment roadshow by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Europe.

Dr. Volker Treier, member of DIHK, emphasized in an opening message at the forum that now is the time to strengthen Philippine-German ties and to explore cooperation amongst like-minded partners such as the Philippines.

Dr. Gunther Kegel, ZVEI president, urged that Germany must establish new partnerships and find new economic allies.  Referring to Germany’s stated goals of “automation, electrification and digitization.”

The German businessman stressed that Germany is clearly “underrepresented in the Philippines”, and that untapped investment opportunities exist for German companies.

In a statement, the DTI said that senior officials of at least 50 companies, including those from Siemens AG, Gamigo Group, Nivus GmbH, Continental AG, Lufthansa Group, Messer Group, Allianz SE, Telstra Limited, Bayer AG, Bauer Spezialtiefbau Gmbh, Synolytics GmbH, Pepperl + Fuchs and Voith GmbH attended the forum, which was organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Berlin in partnership with DIHK and the Asia Pacific Committee on German Business.

Pascual, together with Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo, and Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) President Dan Lachica, met with Kegel, who is also CEO of  Pepperl+Fuchs.

During the meeting, they discussed the possible outsourcing collaboration in the field of electronics manufacturing between ZVEI, SEIPI, and the Philippine government in creating Original Design Manufacturer (ODM), Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), and electronics manufacturing outsourcing opportunities in the Philippines.

The discussion on collaboration between Germany and Philippines industries was in light of the continuing challenges of the lack of skilled labor, the rising cost of production, and the diversification and de-risking aspirations in Germany.

ZVEI is one of the most important industrial associations in Germany representing the interests of a high-tech sector covering over 1,100-member companies. They employ around 90 percent of the employees and staff of the electrical industry in Germany. Its members include global players and medium-sized and family-owned companies. The sector also has 879,000 employees in Germany with a combined turnover in 2021 of approximately EUR 200 billion.

Meanwhile, Pepperl+Fuchs, a member of ZVEI, is a Tier I automotive supplier involved in electrical explosion protection and sensor technologies. The company’s Factory Automation Division is a manufacturer of industrial sensors.  It makes a range of inductive, capacitive, photoelectric, and ultrasonic sensors, identification systems, barcode and camera systems, rotary encoders, position measurement systems, cord sets, and other accessories. Pepperl+Fuchs employed over 6,000 in 2022 with revenues amounting to EUR 1 billion.

Furthermore, Luc Quisthoudt, Continental Temic Microelectronic GmbH’s Vice President Operations for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Autonomous Mobility, provided insights about the company’s various operations in the Philippines, which spans over 40 years.

These include its 100 percent-owned Philippine subsidiary—Continental Temic Electronics, Phils. Inc. (CTEPI) located in Calamba, Laguna.  Established in 2004, their local subsidiary currently manufactures radar and wheel speed sensors for the Korean and Japanese markets.  Quisthoudt said that CTEPI is committed to staying in the Philippines, highlighting that the Filipino workers are highly skilled, motivated, and tech-savvy.

In the meeting, Pascual emphasized the huge potential of the Philippines to create an enabling business environment for a manufacturing industry given its strategic location that covers the ASEAN market and nearby countries.

Pascual highlighted the Philippines’ economic gains that make the country an ideal market for German exports and a strategic hub for German manufacturing firms that intend to access the ASEAN region.

"From a GDP growth rate of 5.7% in 2021, our country registered an impressive growth rate last year, 2022, of 7.6%—one of the highest in the ASEAN region," Pascual said.

Further, amongst ASEAN economies, the Philippines grew the fastest for the first quarter of 2023 at 6.4 percent as compared to Indonesia’s 5 percent, Vietnam’s 3.3 percent, and Singapore’s 0.1 percent growth.

Pascual also cited several factors that make the Philippines a viable investment destination, such as the country’s large domestic market of 113 million, young and skilled workforce, strategic geographic location in East and Southeast Asia with access to significant shipping lanes, and abundant natural resources, including renewable energy potential of about 250 GW, with ample reserves of green metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt.

Cinemalaya 2023: Everything you need to know about the festival's 19th edition

Ticket prices, new venue, and everything you need to know about Cinemalaya 2023

BY MB LIFESTYLE

  

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BATCH 2023 Meet the directors and some of the cast members competing in this year's Cinemalaya Film Festival (Image from Cinemalaya)

After overcoming the challenges of the past couple of years, Cinemalaya is officially back with its usual lineup of 10 competing films for the full-length category and another 10 for the shorts categories. This year's theme is "IlumiNasyon," which means "to enlighten."

Here’s all the important information to take note of for the 19th edition of Cinemalaya Film Festival.

• Date and venue

With the CCP Main Building undergoing rehabilitation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. brings the cinematic experience to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), located inside the CCP Complex, on August 4 to 13, 2023.

For its 10-day run, the Cinemalaya films will be screened at three meeting rooms, Cinema Rizal (Meeting Room 1), Cinema Bonifacio (Meeting Room 2 and 3), and Cinema Felipe (Meeting Room 4). Fringe events and talkbacks will be held at Cinema Palma (Meeting Room 5). The exhibitions and filmmakers’ profiles will be on display at the Executive Lounge. 

• Ticket prices

Regular:P300
Student: P200
Senior citizen/PWD/government employee: P240
FIC (Films in Competition) pass: P2500 [set of 12 films: 10 full length and two sets of  shorts
Festival pass (all access): P3500

Tickets will be available at PICC. 

• The mainstays

Film enthusiasts and festival fans will continue to enjoy the festival’s mainstays: Retrospective, lookback to winning films of past Cinemalaya editions; Best of the Festivals, which showcases the best films from local festivals; Visions of Asia, featuring award-winning Asian and Netpac films; Premieres, featuring never-before-screen films; and Dokyu, which screens award-winning documentaries.

For more information, clickhere. 

President Marcos eyes solution to flooding and water shortage

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Jul 7, 2023 00:01 AM

  

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Flooding and water shortage are perennial problems that keep hounding the country year in and year out.

This could have long been resolved, or at least mitigated, if only Republic Act No. 6716—the Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Act of 1989—is being religiously implemented.

Under the current administration, President Marcos is taking a step further in a bid to address these perennial problems.

Last month, President Marcos revealed his administration’s plan to construct large water impounding facilities outside Metro Manila as part of his program in addressing these problems.

While previous projects have zeroed in on efforts to control flooding, Marcos is incorporating floodwater management by putting up water impounding facilities. Through this, floodwater will be stored and eventually made to good use during the dry season.

“Let us not waste water because we will need that in the future. That’s why we are also looking for a way to impound the water. We are now looking for areas outside Metro Manila where we can build large impounding facilities,” Marcos said in a video message shortly after his sectoral meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) last month at Malacañan Palace to discuss the government’s flood control programs.

Marcos said that through these water impounding facilities, flooding in Metro Manilla will be addressed; at the same time the rainwater collected may be used for agriculture, particularly irrigation, when the need arises.

To realize his objective, Marcos has directed the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to come up with a comprehensive plan to protect coastal communities and Metro Manila from flooding. The focus of the plan includes ongoing flood control projects in Pampanga, Cavite, Leyte, and Cagayan de Oro City.

In his directive, Marcos cited the need for a comprehensive plan for flood control and management—where the floodwaters should go and what should be done.
We hail President Marcos for eyeing a climate resilient plan that shoots two birds with one stone. We, likewise, hope that everyone in the bureaucracy will play his or her role to realize this plan.