Mati City formally opens fish port

BY IVY TEJANO

Oct 23, 2023 10:56 PM

  

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DAVAO CITY – The Mati city government formally opened on Monday, October 23, the fish port complex in Purok Calagundian in Barangay Central.

MATI City fish port. (FB)  

According to the City Information Office (CIO), the first phase of the port provided various facilities such as reclamation, concreting, drainage and sewerage systems, water and electrical distribution networks, fencing, administrative offices, and a trading or market hall.

In her message, Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat said the fish port will meet the needs of about 200 commercial fishing vessels and improve the fishing industry in Mati City and bordering cities.

The establishment is estimated to handle and process 4,000 tons of fish yearly, exceeding the required seafood demand for Davao Oriental. The fish port is also expected to be a self-operating economic enterprise, generating a P5 million annual income in the next five years.

Rabat thanked the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) and other officials who became instrumental in funding and completing the fish port. 

They were former President Rodrigo R. Duterte,  President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Davao City Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte, and Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Leo Tereso Magno.

Rabat said the significant opening of the fish port complex only underscores the local government's abundant plans, projects, and programs for the city.

The construction of the multi-million fish port was initiated and funded by the PFDA, with a budget of P75 million, in 2021. The structure is still in its initial phase and the second phase will soon commence with an additional P150 million solely from the PFDA.

Rabat said that the fish port would serve as a hub for systematic activities in commercial fishing in the province and function as a terminal point for unloading, loading, and selling fish and other aquatic products.

“All will be done with sanitary methods to prevent harm to the ocean and preserve the quality of seafood products,” Rabat said, adding that the operation of the port is anchored on City Ordinance No. 561, the City of Mati Fishport Operation and Management Ordinance of 2023.

She said registered fishing boats in the city through the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) Fish-R and Boat-R would be allowed to use the facilities and unload fish without charge.

The opening of the facility was graced by Rabat, Mati Vice Mayor Lorenzo Leon G. Rabat, City Administrator Allan Andrada, city councilors, the PFDA led by General Manager Glen A. Pangapalan, and Davao Fish Port Complex Port Manager Albert Aguinaldo. 

A fusion of art and design

Dexterton and Kohler celebrate creativity, innovation, and style

BY JANE KINGSU-CHENG

Oct 23, 2023 09:41 PM 

Dong Ronquillo, Arlene Sipat-Sutton, Ana Amigo-Antonio, Audrey Go, Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, Chat Fores, Stephanie Zubiri

Home and design enthusiasts, as well as architects and interior designers, gathered at Dexterton in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig last Oct. 13, 2023. This was to celebrate Kohler’s 150th anniversary and their new showroom at Dexterton. 

Mary Ann Rabonza, Leo Leong, Ivy Almaria, Bee Hong Tan, Cynthia Almario, Audrey Go, Yolanda Bernardo, Noel Bernardo

The theme, “Come All Creators,” invited everyone to see up close the new innovations of Kohler, one of the global leaders in kitchen and design. The venue also featured limited-edition collections of the Kohler artist edition collection, celebrating the fusion of art and innovation. 

Apples Aberin, Marie Lozano, Dong Rongquillo, Pie Alvarez, Stephanie Zubiri,
Phoemela Baranda, and 

Justin Pitt, Miles Roces, Apples Aberin, Cristalle Belo-Pitt, Jeff Saez, Scott Woodward

Guests were also invited to bid on two limited K150 artist edition pieces, which included the "Falling Gently Collection" by renowned street and graffiti artist ELLE, and  “A World on Strings” by Chinese artist Ziling Wang. The Gynecologic Oncology Department of the Philippine General Hospital is the chosen beneficiary.  

Leolino Almeria, Dominic Galicia, Tina Periquet-Galicia, Arlen de Guzman

"We take immense pride in being part of Kohler’s 150th anniversary celebration, and our primary goal is to share with our clients the same artistic fulfillment and creativity that Kohler exemplifies," shares Dexterton Vice President and Creative Director Audrey Go. 

Kat Clemente, Alessandro Trinidad, Audrey Go, Garlic Garcia, Camille Diego

What German words do not exist in English?

 

Micha Boettiger

Freelance Copywriter, Transcriber, Translator

Originally Answered: What German word does not exist in other languages?

There are a lot of them, but the long compound words are boring, and kind of a cheat. After all, they’re ideas that can easily be translated, just into multiple words in other languages.

Let’s look specifically at a lexeme that doesn’t translate.

Let’s talk about “doch”

“Doch”, functionally, is a word that is used to refute something in a positive sense. That means, it’s the opposite of “not”.

To translate it, you have to select from an entire list of words in English, and in other languages that I’m familiar with so far. Depending on its usage, it can mean “anyway”, “after all”, “but”, or “ya-huh!”(in the immortal sense of children arguing on a playground). It can also be used as an amorphous mood (in the linguistic sense of mood) marker. Examples as follows.

Examples: (doch-words in bold)

Er wollte ein Haus kaufen, doch er hatte kein Geld. - He wanted to buy a house, but he didn’t have money.

Zuerst wollte er die Stelle nicht, dann hat er sie aber doch angenommen. - At first he didn’t want the position, but then he accepted it after all.

Sie war krankgeschrieben, aber sie ist doch zur Arbeit gegangen. - She was sick, but went to work anyway.

Das ist doch blöd - Well this sucks. (Just like with “well” in English with this usage, the word doch doesn’t carry explicit meaning here, it just adds tone)

Doch, ich war dabei. - Yes, I was there! (as a response to someone claiming you weren’t)

“Be rich in the things of God”

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

ONCE again, we are reminded in that gospel episode where a man asked Christ to arbitrate in his matter of inheritance with his brother (cfr. Lk 12,13-21) that we should be focused more on the things of God rather than on our earthly affairs.

Not that our earthly affairs are not important. They are, but only as a means or an occasion to lead us to God. Our usual problem is that we get trapped in the drama of our temporal affairs without referring them to what has eternal value, and that is, to be with God, to be like God. That is how we can be rich in the things of God.

We need to see to it that in our temporal affairs, even as we take care of their technical and other human and natural aspects and requirements, we should build up things like the virtues of honesty, integrity, patience, compassion, etc., because these are what would make us rich in what matters to God.

We have to have the good sense of living the basic social principles of the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity that would constitute the proper sense of responsibility for us. And we have to understand that by the common good, we mean God first before we think of any good for man.

To be rich in what matters to God is not so much a matter of how much wealth and possessions we have as it is of how much love we have for God which is always translated in our love for the others, expressed in deeds and not just in intentions.

We may be rich or poor in our worldly standards, but what should be pursued with extreme care and seriousness is that our heart gets filled with love for God and love for the others.

Yes, one can be rich materially—he can be a millionaire or a billionaire—but he should see to it that he fits the category of what one of the beatitudes regarded as “poor in spirit” because in spite of or even because of his great wealth, his heart is fully for God and for the others.

This, of course, will require tremendous struggle and constant purification and rectification of our intentions and ways, given the fact that we are always prone to get attached to the things of this world and to the ways of greed, envy and the like.

We have to continually check ourselves especially these days when we are bombarded with many tantalizing and intoxicating things that can capture our heart and remove God from it. It always pays to lead a very simple and austere life in spite of the great wealth that we may have.

And to be clear about this also: that the more wealth we have, the greater also would be our responsibility to show our love for God and others with deeds. The scope and range of that love should grow exponentially, so to speak.

We should be wary of our tendency to get complacent in this duty of living true Christian poverty and detachment. We really have to fight tooth and nail against this tendency because the likelihood for us to fall for this sweet poison of the new things today is high.

At the end of the day, we should be able to say that with our struggles and rectitude of intention, we are truly getting rich in what matters to God!

Envoys raise concern over China’s latest maneuvers off Ayungin Shoal

BY RAYMUND ANTONIO

Oct 22, 2023 08:05 PM

  

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Ambassadors from several countries expressed their concern and alarm over the collision incident between a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel and Philippine vessels in the disputed West Philippine Sea as they backed the Philippines’ position of upholding maritime order based on a United Nations (UN) convention.

BRP Cabra's (right) port side is bumped by Chinese maritime militia vessel (CMMV) 00003 during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal on Oct. 22, 2023. (Courtesy of National Task Force for West Philippine Sea)

The ambassadors of Japan, Australia, European Union, Germany, and the Netherlands took to X (formerly Twitter) to sound the alarm on China’s maneuvers in the region.

The United States and Canada have earlier condemned China for its conduct. 

“Seriously concerned about and alarmed by the collision between Chinese and Philippines vessels. (Japan) strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. We stand with/by PH’s position; upholding maritime order based on UNCLOS & 2016 Arbitral Award,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko wrote.

German Ambassador to Manila Andreas Pfaffernosche reiterated the international community’s call for China to uphold maritime laws in accordance to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the landmark convention that was the basis of the Philippines’ arbitral win over China’s nine-dash line claim.

“(Germany) is very concerned about recent confrontations in the South Cina Sea involving Chinese coast guard ships and maritime militia vessels in the exclusive economic zone of the (Philippines),” he said.

“(Germany) calls on all parties to act in accordance with UNCLOS-rules and to respect the 2016 arbitral award,” he added. 

Australian Ambassador Hae Kyong Yu also called out China’s “dangerous manoeuvres” in the disputed waters.

“Australia is concerned by China’s dangerous manoeuvres that damaged (Philippine) vessels and disrupted a (Philippine) resupply mission in the (Philippines’) EEZ,” she said.

“The South China Sea is a vital international waterway for us all. We again call for peace, stability & respect for UNCLOS,” the envoy added.

EU Ambassador to Manila Luc Veron blasted the “very disturbing” incidents, referring to recent and successive tensions between the Philippines and China.

“These incidents, their repetition and intensification are dangerous and very disturbing. We join the Philippines in its call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea,” he wrote.

Netherlands Ambassador to Manila Marielle Geraedts echoed her colleagues’ concerns as she retweeted the post of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS).

“Another worrying incident. Glad nobody got hurt. The Netherlands stands with the Philippines in its call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea,” she wrote.

The Netherlands is home to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which handed to the Philippines its landmark 2016 arbitral tribunal win against China’s sweeping claims that overlaps on the territories of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Vietnam.

The ambassadors’ statements came after the NTFWPS reported that a CCG vessel collided with a Philippine Army-contracted resupply civilian boat and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel while on a resupply mission to a grounded Philippine vessel in the Ayungin Shoal.

What are some lesser-known culinary gems from Southeast Asia that offer a diverse range of flavors?

Datu Ulap

In the Philippines, the southern region of Mindanao is a culinary gem even many Filipinos outside of the southern region do not know about.

• The region of Bangsamoro in particular, is known for its use of chilis, palapa, turmeric, burnt coconut, malagkit, and curry dishes such as rendang and kulma.

• Zamboanga is known for local specialties such as spanner crab and satti, a local version of satay.

• The Tausug are known for their unique dishes such as tiyula itum and piyanggang.

• Dulang are traditional feasts of the Maranao people, prepared for guests during celebrations.

• In recent years, vloggers have highlighted the local cuisines of Bangsamoro and even visited Quiapo Muslim Town in Manila where many Maranao, Maguindanao, and Tausug residents live. 

Indonesia has some regional cuisines not well known by the rest of the world outside of Maritime Southeast Asia. Padang cuisine comes from the Minangkabau people in West Sumatra.

• Padang cuisine, or Masakan Padang, is well-known around Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and is known for its use of coconut milk and chilis, and its halal-friendly nature reflects the Islamic heritage of the Minangkabau people.

• Nasi Kapau is one example of the variety Padang cuisine offers and is a common item in Minangkabau restaurants. Steamed rice comes with various choices of dishes.

• Nasi Padang is similar to Nasi Kapau, though Nasi Padang originates from Padang while Nasi Kapau originates from Nagari Kapau, Bukittinggi. Nasi Padang is served with a variety of small plates.

Is it still useful to learn German?

 

Epiphanie Bloom

Yes. You will be able to communicate with people in Germany, Austria and half of Switzerland, as well as immigrants from those places. I understand that Germany has a thriving publishing industry, so you will be able to gain access to that market. And if you have an interest in technology and/or philosophy, Germany is strong in this area. As one of the most successful economies in the EU, knowing the language will open doors to employment. Also, Germans are openminded people for the most part!

Phivolcs observes increased lava effusion, seismicity in Mayon

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Oct 22, 2023 10:16 AM

  

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The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Sunday, Oct. 22 said a phase of increased lava effusion and a heightened number of seismic activities were observed in Mayon Volcano.

(Ali Vicoy/ Manila Bulletin) 

Phivolcs said there was an "abrupt intensification of incandescence" at the summit crater as captured by Mayon Volcano Observatory and Mayon Resthouse at 10:10 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Meanwhile, the Mayon Volcano Network also recorded increased seismicity from 31 to 70 volcanic earthquakes including 65 tremor events with a duration of two minutes to 4 hours and 31 minutes, said Phivolcs. 

Phivolcs said there was also one Pyroclastic Density Current (PDC) event and 51 rockfall events being recorded.

The lava still flows at a length of approximately 3.4 kilometers along Bonga, 2.8 kilometers along Mi-isi, and 1.1 kilometers along Basud Gullies, said Phivolcs.

Meanwhile, the sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission has an average of 727 tons per day as of Oct. 21.

Phivolcs noted that hazardous eruptions may be expected in the following days or weeks, as Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 which means that it is "currently in a relatively high level of unrest." 

Phivolcs warned the public against the danger of PDCs, lava flows, lahars, rockfalls, and sediment-laden streamflows among other volcanic hazards. (Lizst Torres Abello) 

Airlines roll out Undas measures, advisories

Rudy Santos - The Philippine Star 

October 22, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Airline companies have rolled out travel safety measures and issued advisories and reminders to passengers for the coming observance of Undas, or All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.

Philippine Airlines spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said PAL wishes to remind passengers flying out during the long holiday period, which also covers the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 30, to check their terminal assignments.

In Manila, PAL international flights operate in and out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 while PAL domestic flights operate at NAIA-2

For domestic travel, the airline advised passengers to be at the airport two hours before their flights while for international flights, they should arrive three hours before their flights.

“For convenience, check in online 24 hours before your flight,” PAL said.

“Know the baggage allowance of your ticket,” it added.

For outbound international travel, passengers should know the travel requirements of their destinations, according to the airline.

“For travel to the Philippines, you are required to fill out E-travel, as required by the Inter-Agency Task Force,” PAL said.

The airline has also opened a pay lounge at NAIA-2 for domestic passengers.

“This means that if you are traveling on Economy Class and are non-PAL Elite and non-Premiere Elite, you may still experience the PAL Domestic Mabuhay Lounge by using the pay lounge,” PAL said.

The pay lounge is on top of the Domestic Mabuhay Lounge for Business Class/Elite/Premiere Elite passengers.

CEB check-in

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific Air advised its passengers to check in online via the official CEB mobile app or via the Manage Booking section of the CEB website to avoid long lines at the airport.

Both options are available from seven days up to one hour before the scheduled time of departure for domestic flights and up to four hours before the scheduled departure for international flights.

The airline also encouraged passengers to allot time for traffic going to the airport.

“Passengers must be at the NAIA-3 and 4 at least three hours before departure for domestic flights, and four hours for international flights. Passengers traveling to Dubai are allowed to check in as early as seven hours before departure,” it said.

“All check-in counters close one hour before the scheduled time of departure to ensure that there is ample time for all necessary pre-flight procedures. After checking in, we encourage passengers to immediately go through immigration and final security to avoid delays. Boarding commences 45 minutes before the scheduled departure,” it added.

Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) spokesperson and head of corporate communications Carmina Romero said the airline’s international passengers bound for non-visa destinations may start using kiosks near Aisle E at NAIA-3 to complete their check-in process.

“They only need to scan the barcode from their itinerary receipt or enter their booking reference numbers,” Romero said.

“Passports can also be scanned through the kiosk for verification,” she added.

International passengers previously needed to check in at the counter to verify their travel documents before printing their boarding passes.

Passengers with no check-in bags may go straight to the boarding gate after they have their boarding passes printed. Other travel documents that need further verification may be checked at the bag drop counters.