House bill makes 'half-rice' a menu mainstay in restos

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Nov 15, 2023 01:08 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• A bill mandating food establishments to make half-cup rice servings an option in their respective menus is being pushed in the House of Representatives. 

(Unsplash)

 

A bill mandating food establishments to make half-cup rice servings an option in their respective menus is being pushed in the House of Representatives. 

House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Janette Garin filed House Bill (HB) No.9536, also known as "Rice Waste Reduction Act of 2023". 

The bill seeks to mandate restaurants, eateries, canteens, and other eating establishments that serve cooked rice to allow the serving of a half-cup of rice. 

In the explanatory note of HB No. 9536, Garin said she “envisions a future where individuals are more conscious of their food choices, establishments prioritize responsible serving practices, and society as a whole benefits from a more sustainable and balanced approach to food consumption”. 

The Garin measure intends to minimize food wastage, promote balanced and sustainable eating habits, and ensure healthier meal portions. 

Any establishment that will violate this proposed Act will be fined P10,000 for the first offense; P20,000 for the second offense; and P30,000 for the third offense. 

The Iloilo 1st district solon is calling on her colleagues in the House to support the legislation. 

"I hope my fellow lawmakers will back this legislation. Marami ang nasasyang na kanin na dapat mas marami ang pwedeng makinabang. Panahon na para maipatupad ito at mabawasan ang rice wastage," she said. 

(There are so many wasted rice that others should have benefited from. It is time to implement this and reduce rice wastage.) 

Citing data from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country has accumulated a total amount of P7.2 billion worth of rice wastage.  

Rice is the Filipino staple food. 

PhilRice further stated that 46 cities have implemented half-cup rice serving option. These include Quezon City, Manila, Davao, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Baguio, and Iloilo. 

"It is high time to implement this measure nationwide as it can play a pivotal role in addressing the country's rice self-sufficiency goals," Garin said. --Dexter Barro II

Protect the environment at all costs

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Nov 15, 2023 04:03 AM

  

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Environmental protection is of paramount concern to the government.

Apart from various laws and policies on the protection of the environment, the Supreme Court issued a continuing mandamus on Dec. 18, 2008, directing key government agencies “to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to SB level (Class B sea waters per Water Classification Tables under DENR Administrative Order No. 34 [1990]) to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation” to deter unabated abuse of the popular body of water that play a key role in our ecosystem. 

Now comes the Green Justice Zone, the first of its kind launched in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, on Nov. 10, 2023. It is aimed at having a strong collaboration between the national government and the local government units for the efficient and effective delivery of justice in environmental protection and natural resource management.

“Establishing a Green Zone is the Justice Sector’s concrete contribution toward affording our people their constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. In our Puerto Princesa Green Zone, the justice sector actors will deliver responsive and real-time justice services to our constituents,” Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo stressed in his message during the launch on Nov. 10, 2023.

The Green Justice Zone in Puerto Princesa is the country’s 12th Justice Zone. Eleven other Justice Zones have been established in the cities of Quezon, Cebu, Davao, Angeles, Bacolod, Naga, Calamba, Balanga, Baguio, Zamboanga, and Tagaytay.

We look forward to the establishment of more Justice Zones around the country, particularly Green Justice Zones, considering the importance of protecting the environment.
The Justice Zone is an initiative of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) aimed at shortening legal proceedings by up to 50 percent. It is anchored on its objective of having a swift and fair administration of the criminal justice system. It was established to strengthen the coordination and communication among the principal agencies of the JSCC by serving as a venue and a mechanism for communication, principled cooperation, and studied coordination with great deference to institutional independence. 

The establishment of a Green Justice Zone is timely as the country grapples with the impact of climate change that is affecting the whole world, further aggravated by mismanagement of natural resources, mankind’s abuses, and commercialism—activities that put too much emphasis on profit without regard for its adverse effects on the community.

If the objective of the Justice Zone, in particular the Green Justice Zone, is implemented to the letter, we are certain to have a safe environment.

In the case of Manila Bay reclamation projects, which have been ordered suspended by President Marcos, the Green Justice Zone will certainly help expedite the review of these projects to determine its sustainability and impact on the environment and the affected communities.

As of now, the cumulative impact assessment being conducted on the Manila Bay reclamation projects is still ongoing and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said last month that it would “take some time” before it could be completed.

But with the creation of the Green Justice Zone, we hope that this will help expedite the cumulative impact assessment, not only on the Manila Bay reclamation projects but on other environment-related endeavors, as well, to ensure we have a sound and sustainable environment.

Let’s protect the environment at all costs.   

235 houses razed in massive Davao City fire

BY IVY TEJANO

  

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DAVAO CITY – A massive two-hour fire hit this city on Tuesday, November 14.

FIREMEN map out a plan to contain a fire in Barangay Tomas Monteverde in Davao City on November 14. (BFP-Region 11 FB)  

Two-hundred thirty-five houses were destroyed in Barangay Tomas Monteverde in Agdao District, leaving hundreds of families homeless.

The Davao City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire in Zones 5 and 6 originated from the ceiling on the second floor of the house of a William Varona at 7 a.m. and spread to nearby homes made of light materials.

The fire was under control at past 9 a.m. but firemen had difficulty putting out the fire due to limited space in the alley on the way to affected areas.

Faulty electrical wiring was the cause of the fire that reached the third alarm. 

Damage to property was estimated at P1.6 million and no injuries were reported.

Affected families were taken to the covered court and assessed by the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office.

Dana Robles, a Sangguniang Kabataan member and resident, asked for assistance for fire victims, who also included fellow SK members.

The Davao City government and other concerned agencies, in collaboration with Barangay Tomas Monteverde, have initiated assistance for fire victims.

BLACKPINK’s Lisa joins Spotify’s Billions Club through song ‘Money’

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Nov 14, 2023 07:24 AM 

BLACKPINK’s Lisa joined Spotify’s Billions Club, a group of artists which has a song reaching one billion streams on the music platform. 

Spotify announced on Nov. 14 that Lisa will be featured on its Billions Club episode. 

BLACKPINK's Lisa (Instagram, screenshots from Spotify video)

“Breaking records and serving while doing so. LISA is the next inductee into the #BillionsClub,” Spotify posted on X (formerly Twitter).  

Lisa was presented with a one-billion streams plaque by Spotify. 

“Congrats on being the first K-pop female artist to have a track reach one billion streams in Spotify history!” Lisa read the card sent by Spotify. 

Lisa is the first K-pop solo artist and first female K-pop artist to have one billion streams for a song through “Money.” 

Lisa’s song “Money” has reached one billion streams on Spotify and set a Guinness World Records (GWR) title. 

Last September, Guinness World Records announced that Lisa’s “Money” set the record for the “first K-pop track by a solo artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.” 

“On 19 September 2023, social media was awash with news that ‘MONEY’ by Lisa (Thailand, b. Pranpriya Manobal) – the "B-side" of her debut single ‘LALISA,’ released on 10 September 2021 – had become the first track by a K-pop solo artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify,” according to GWR. 

It added, “As one of just four tracks by the BLACKPINK rapper/singer available on Spotify, YG Entertainment and Interscope Records cashed in on ‘MONEY’’s viral success and released it officially as Lisa’s second solo single on 9 November 2021.”

“As of 21 September 2023, ‘MONEY’ had amassed 1,002,683,408 streams on Spotify to eclipse BLACKPINK’s best-performing track, ‘How You Like That,’ with 855.7 million streams,” GWR added. 

Cayetano wants MTRCB to uphold Filipino values on digital content

 

PRESS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

 Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday encouraged the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to conduct a study on how it can ensure that Filipino values are maintained in digital content. 

Cayetano made the statement during the plenary debate on the proposed 2024 budget of the MTRCB.

He stressed that with the widespread use of the Internet, the MTRCB’s role in protecting young viewers from indecent content has decreased.

He encouraged the MTRCB to form a research arm that will study how it can expand its mandate under the law to cover various digital platforms, including Netflix. 

“Since nakikita ko sa MTRCB y’ung heart na maging guardian ng values ng ating youth ngayon, let me encourage MTRCB to look at contemporary Filipino values that we can agree on, and [determine] if they (digital platforms) are allowed na kahit ano pwedeng ipakita,” he said.

Cayetano clarified that the aim is not to censor but to ensure that young Filipinos do not consume content that is violent, lewd, or against Filipino morals, especially in today's “much more confusing time” in which illegal drugs, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases have become rampant.

“It’s not more of censorship, but more of giving the young people the right ideas and information, and then they can make their own choices later on,” he said.

He said putting in P10 million to 15 million for the proposed research “will go a long way” in achieving this objective.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who presented to the plenary floor the proposed budget of MTRCB, agreed that the board is operating on “a relatively old law” and therefore “will not be able to address the challenges of the modern times and the digital age.”

“The MTRCB family is listening and I am certain that they will seriously consider the valid suggestions of Senator Cayetano,” Estrada said.

Cayetano said to ensure balanced results, the research should not rely on the personal values of the MTRCB chairperson but rather on the values of Filipino communities.

“We do have to have a standard, and siguro the first standard is the Philippine Constitution, which mentions the Lord Almighty sa preamble pa lang,” he said. 

He said the research can also keep the filmmakers updated as to the type of shows that the Filipino public actually wants.

“Hindi totoo na kailangan parating violence at sex para kumita,” he said.###

Cayetano nais itaguyod ng MTRCB ang Filipino values sa digital content

Hinikayat ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes ang Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) na magsagawa ng pag-aaral o research kung paano nito matitiyak na napapanatili ang Filipino values sa mga digital content na mapapanood online.

Ipinahayag ito ni Cayetano sa isinagawang plenary debate ng panukalang 2024 budget ng MTRCB nitong November 14, 2023. 

Binigyang-diin niya na dahil sa malawakang paggamit ng Internet, nabawasan ang kakayahan ng MTRCB na pangalagaan ang mga kabataang manonood mula sa mga hindi kanais-nais na content.

Hinikayat niya ang MTRCB na bumuo ng isang research arm na magsasaliksik kung paano mapapalawak ang mandato nito sa ilalim ng batas upang masakop ang iba't ibang digital platforms, kabilang ang Netflix.

“Since nakikita ko sa MTRCB y’ung heart na maging guardian ng values ng ating youth ngayon, let me encourage MTRCB to look at contemporary Filipino values that we can agree on, and [determine] if they (digital platforms) are allowed na kahit ano pwedeng ipakita,” aniya.

Nilinaw ni Cayetano na ang layunin ay hindi upang mag-censor kundi upang matiyak na ang mga kabataang Pilipino ay hindi kumokonsumo ng mga palabas na mararahas, mahahalay, o labag sa moral ng mga Pilipino.

Aniya, lalong mahalaga ito ngayong panahon kung kailan laganap na ang ilegal na droga, teenage pregnancy, at sexually transmitted diseases.

“It’s not more of censorship, but more of giving the young people the right ideas and information, and then they can make their own choices later on,” wika ng senador.

Pahayag ni Cayetano, malayo ang mararating ng paglalagay ng P10 milyon hanggang P15 milyon para sa iminungkahing pananaliksik sa pagkamit ng nasabing layunin.

Sumang-ayon si Senador Jinggoy Estrada, na siyang nag-presenta sa plenaryo ng panukalang budget ng MTRCB, na medyo luma na nga ang batas na bumuo sa MTRCB at hindi na angkop sa mga hamon ng modernong panahon at digital age.

"Nakikinig ang pamilya ng MTRCB at sigurado ako na seryoso nilang isasaalang-alang ang mga balidong mungkahi ni Senator Cayetano," pahayag ni Estrada.

Sinabi ni Cayetano na para matiyak na balanse ang lalabas na resulta, ang dapat gamiting basehan ng pananaliksik ay ang values ng sambayanang Pilipino at hindi ang personal na values ng chairperson ng MTRCB.

"We do have to have a standard, and siguro the first standard is the Philippine Constitution, which mentions the Lord Almighty sa preamble pa lang," aniya.

Dagdag ng senador, makakatulong pa nga sa mga filmmaker ang panukalang research dahil magiging updated sila tungkol sa uri ng mga palabas na talagang gusto ng publikong Pilipino.

“Hindi totoo na kailangan parating violence at sex para kumita,” aniya.###

Is it difficult to live and study in Germany if one can't speak German?

 

Charu Pathni

Failed and got up. A lot of times. Continuing to do so :)

Is it difficult to live and study in Germany if one can't speak German, i.e., will I be able to function in terms of everyday routines there with an inability to speak German?

Originally Answered: Is it difficult to live and study in Germany if one can't speak German?

Hello :)

This is my 29th month in Germany and better late than never, I have finally realized (few months ago) that if not knowing a language, trying to learn it with interest is a must.

In Germany, most of the cities one wouldn't find it that difficult to manage only with English. But if one is looking for having some friends, hanging out with people and having a nice time - in short, feel like home; I would personally suggest start trying.

I was no language person, still struggle in fact but the core is when one tries to understand, uses German when you are stuck in a government office and have to finish some work, it is really important that one doesn't start off with "Könnten Sie bitte Englisch sprechen?" (Can you please speak in English?).

Until I was studying, it was all okay. Learning basic things could ride me along but when it comes to finally getting a job and settling in a city, just talking to the cashier at supermarket is not enough.

I personally feel, that although I struggle with the language, if one really needs to find some people and make yourself comfortable, it is important that one learns gradually.

Yes, it isn't an easy language and no you will not remember the simplest of words when needed (a lot of times) but remember one thing - "Es könnte schlimmer sein! ;)" (It could be worse!) :D

All the best :)

BAGONG SUPER TYPHOON "KABAYAN" SIGNAL NUMBER 4 NA⛈️😱⚠️ | LATEST WEATHER ...

Cayetano urges DOTr to integrate train system with commercial spaces

 

PRESS RELEASE

November 14, 2023

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday pushed for the integration of commercial spaces with train stations to make trains economically feasible in the country.

Citing a lack of a railway system that is economically advantageous, the senator made the proposal during the plenary debate of the 2024 budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on November 13, 2023.

“We haven’t found a good economic model ng trains so much so na panay utang [tayo] sa Japan at China (to build our train systems),” he told DOTr officials present on Monday night.

"Kasi kung maganda ang model ng trains natin at economically feasible business-wise, dapat our biggest businessmen ay nag-uunahan na magpropose ng mga train,” he said.

“I’d like the DOTr to take this as a mission to find a way to make trains economically feasible whether in advertising revenue or real estate component,” he added.

Cayetano said a big factor that makes the train systems in Hong Kong and Japan is the ownership of real estate by the train management.

“One of those that are making money is MTR (Mass Transit Railway) in Hong Kong because they own the real estate. The other one that is break-even or earning is the Japanese. When you go to Japan, y’ung pinaka-ordinaryong overhead na train ay may kainan sa ilalim o may bentahan ng mga old records, et cetera. Then y’ung magandang Central Station is a real mall,” he said.

Cayetano said this is not the case in the Philippines, where mall owners have to "lobby to have a train connection" rather than it being a "part of the plan… to bid it out to one of them or for the train corporation to own it."

The senator asked the DOTr officials if they could make this possible in the Philippines especially since it would mean government can lower the subsidy given to train passengers.

In response, Senator Grace Poe, who is the sponsor of the DOTr budget in the Senate, relayed to the chamber that DOTr is looking into the matter as 11 stations are currently identified to have a mixed-use development and would be accessible to the train passengers.

In response, Cayetano expressed confidence in the DOTr on the matter.

“I appreciate the work that you are doing. Let us just do whatever we can do with the present contracts para lang lumiit ang subsidy. And for future plans for example light railway, I’d like to see DOTr be creative and think like a business person,” he said. ###

Cebu Pacific logs P5-B net income in 9 months

BY KHRISCIELLE YALAO

Nov 13, 2023 10:11 PM

  

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Cebu Pacific (CEB), the aviation unit of the Gokongwei Group,  reported a huge turnaround with a net income of P5.03 billion for the first nine months of the year from a net loss of P12.05 billion incurred in the same period in 2022. 

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), CEB reported that its revenues surged by 78.2 percent to P66.9 billion in 2023’s nine-month period from P37.5 billion last year due to an increase in passenger volume because of higher demand for travel.

International flights in particular leapt by 236.2 percent this year, accounting for a 105.2 percent increase in passenger revenues to P46 billion this year from P22.5 billion last year.  

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Passenger volume increased by 48.8 percent to 15.5 million from 10.4 million and, as international travel demand significantly rose in the third quarter, average fares also grew by 37.9 percent to P2,970 from P2,154.

Ancillary revenues also shot up by 88.5 percent to P17.8 billion from P9.4 billion last year driven by the higher passenger volume and flight activity for overseas trips.

Meanwhile, cargo revenues dropped by 47 percent to P2.97 billion from P5.6 billion last year because of lower cargo kilograms flown and yield from cargo services.

Operating expenses of CEB were 24.7 percent higher at P60.7 billion from P48.7 billion, partly influenced by the weakening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar. 

Flying operations expenses increased by 31 percent to P6 billion from P19.6 billion due to a 56 percent hike in fuel consumption and increased flight activity in the nine-month period.

The airline, however, expressed confidence of increasing their flight frequency as they observed higher bookings. 

In the third quarter alone, the airline has flown four million domestic passengers on over 2,000 weekly flights, running at over 100 percent of pre-pandemic level, as well as 228 percent more passengers for international flights to 1.3 million compared to last year.

Travel demand is going up for destinations like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Chine since the final quarter of last year. Flights to Melbourne, Australia; and Hong Kong from Cebu were also resumed while a new flight from Manila to Da Nang, Vietnam will begin in December this year.

“With these improvements and supported with the Group’s latest network plan, by fourth quarter of 2023, international network will further grow to 37 routes with over 490 weekly flights,” said CEB.  

By the fourth quarter of 2023, the airline said it "will be going beyond pre-pandemic capacity levels on a system-wide basis."  

"Improvement in both capacity and seat load factors driven by higher bookings, support the outlook for improvement in the Group’s revenues and profitability margins,” it added.

Magnitude 4.7 quake jolts Sarangani — Phivolcs

BY LIZST TORRES ABELLO

Nov 14, 2023 09:29 AM 

(Phivolcs)

Phivolcs said the earthquake struck at a depth of 26 kilometers (km) beneath the epicenter, which was 19 km southwest of Maitum, Sarangani.

The quake was felt at Intensity III (weak) in General Santos.

Its instruments also recorded the tremor at Intensity V (strong) in Kiamba, Sarangani; Intensity IV (moderately strong) in General Santos City; Intensity III in Pikit in Cotabato, Malungon and Maasim in Sarangani, and Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato; Intensity II (slightly felt) in Don Marcelino in Davao Occidental, Alabel, Glan and Malapatan in Sarangani, and Koronadal City in South Cotabato; and Intensity I (scarcely perceptible) in Tantangan in South Cotabato.

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

However, it does not expect aftershocks due to this.