Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
JANUARY 2023 TRAVEL PROTOCOLS: BORDER CONTROLS TO COVER ALL COUNTRIES
Ouch! P10,000-device caused P100-M airport crisis
by Ellson Quismorio
A device worth just P10,000 ended up causing P100 million in damages on New Year’s day when the operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was paralyzed by a “trip” within its Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM).
This was learned Tuesday, Jan. 10 during a briefing on the disastrous New Year flight cancellations by the House Committee on Transportation chaired by Antipolo 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop.
ADVERTISEMENT
The meeting was attended by officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), just to name a few.
During the panel briefing, CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo pinpointed the cause of the CNS/ATM glitch to one its four circuit breakers.
In the immediate aftermath of the NAIA crisis last Jan. 1, aviation officials blamed something else, especifically the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) of the CNS/ATM for the problem.
Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza was conducting an interpellation on the resource persons when he suddenly became curious and asked: “The UPS and the circuit breaker, how much did you spend for that?”
“The UPS is P13 million and the circuit breaker is P10,000,” answered CAAP Air Traffic Service Officer-in -Charge (OIC), Engineer Arnold Balucating.
“For a circuit breaker that disrupted, caused P100 million worth at least, and you’re spending how much? Again? P10,000?” said Daza in an incredulous tone. A total of 414 flights were cancelled on Jan. 1, a Sunday.
“And you’re now asking for a budget of P13 billion for a new system? There’s gonna be a lot more questions,” the Visayas solon added.
A resource person in the briefing, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, pegged the losses from the airlines at P100 million. But he said the damages suffered by the estimated 65,000 affected passengers were much more worse and hard to calculate.
NAIA’s entire CNS/ATM, which was turned over to CAAP over just five years ago, would cost the government P13 billion to replace.
It was also established during the hearing that on Jan. 5 or four days after the crisis, CAAP sought the purchase of a new UPS–which has a P13-million price tag–under emergency procurement.
Tamayo justified this move by saying that the UPS, which was one of the key components of the CNS/ATM, was already in the middle of its lifespan and thus needed to have “redundancy” in place. He says the new UPS is an “upgraded” version.
This caused 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Gutierrez to comment in Filipino, “We only suffered a flat tire. Why do we need to buy a new motorcycle?”
RELATED STORY:
“Forgive this representation for finding it quite alarming that we would categorize it as emergency [purchase]…we did not have to really fast-track the purchase of the UPS and simply focus on the fixing of the circuit breaker,” Gutierrez told Tamayo.
Balucating later told the panel that circuit breakers need to be replaced once they become faulty, since they cannot be “opened and fixed”.
Daza said that CAAP’s takeaway from Jan. 1 should be to improve their maintenence protocols.
Higher gear
Published January 11, 2023, 12:05 AM
OF TREES AND FOREST
As we enter a new year, the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. endeavored to write a new chapter in Philippine-China relations. In his speech before embarking on a historic trip to Beijing, President Marcos laid out the fundamental objective of his visit: “I will be opening a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic cooperation with China.” He added that his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping will shift “the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear” and broaden cooperation between the two countries.
The three-day trip was an important one coming as it was amidst the territorial disputes between the two countries. This is complicated by the deep historical ties we have with the United States which has engaged China in an economic and geopolitical tug of war. The state visit, which came after his visit to the US, was seen by experts as indicator of the shape of things to come as far as bilateral relations between the two countries are concerned.
The first thing that I was really impressed by was President Marcos’ assertion of our country’s sovereignty. He reported that during his talks with President Xi he expressed his administration’s intention to pursue an independent foreign policy. This was, of course, in line with the Constitutional mandate and an important statement to make at the onset. President Bongbong said: “I emphasized how my administration intends to pursue an independent foreign policy, that we are more than willing to cooperate whenever possible in the pursuit of regional peace and our two countries’ national interest.”
This is the perfect follow up to the theme of President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy direction that also insisted on our sovereignty and the insistence that we be treated as equals in the global community. Sustaining this policy position was very critical not just to the status of the new Chief Diplomat but also the position of our country among the community of nations.
During the meeting between the two leaders, Presidents Marcos and Xi agreed to “appropriately manage differences,” and “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region.” This is a clear and unambiguous statement from the Philippines and China that should set the right direction in our foreign relations. The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between the two countries and in fact in the region. Controversies would periodically flare up sending the two countries into a series of diplomatic protests, denials, and assertions of sovereignty over the disputed territory.
The two leaders also agreed to resume negotiations on joint oil and gas explorations in an effort to revive their economies amid the pandemic downturn and address tensions over the South China Sea.
In addition to these accomplishments, the state visit of President Marcos, Jr. generated an estimated $22.8 billion worth of investment pledges which included $13.76 billion for renewable energy, $7.32 billion for electric vehicles and mineral processing, and $1.72 billion for agriculture.
Some quarters have criticized the frequent travels of the President linking it to extravagance. These critics need to realize that official visits to other countries are important because they are essential tools of economic and political diplomacy. The Presidency has a multitude of responsibilities, some domestic, some global. When a president travels it does not mean that he is neglecting his duties at home. The bureaucracy still functions and with advancements in communications technology, the President can always attend to urgent matters when they arise.
ADVERTISEMENT
And it is not as if these visits are for sightseeing purposes. Malacañang reported that in his first six months in office, President Marcos’ visits to Indonesia, Singapore, the US, Cambodia and Thailand have generated a total of $23.6 billion in investment pledges. I have been to numerous visits during the term of President Duterte and I can tell you that they are no picnics. The delegations have hectic schedules and meetings with counterparts and more importantly, with the Filipino community in the host country.
The first months of his presidency has demonstrated President Marcos’ knowledge of statecraft. He understands that the requirements of good governance include building a healthy and productive relations with allies. And so rather than baseless criticisms, we should instead give our chief diplomat the support he needs to be successful in foreign relations.
For comments, please send email to: mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com.
Torrential rain, flood continue to batter Eastern Visayas
Published January 11, 2023, 11:02 AM
by Marie Tonette Marticio, MB
TACLOBAN CITY – Hundreds of families fled their homes and work and classes remain suspended in some areas in Eastern Visayas due to incessant rain and flood on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone appealed to the Department of Agriculture to provide rice-certified seeds to farmers as all of the crops in their province have been destroyed by flooding.
He called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development to distribute food to 12,101 individuals staying in evacuation centers.
All national roads in Eastern Samar are passable to all types of vehicles except in Barangay Bigo, Arteche, which remain flooded as of Wednesday morning.
Motorists from Arteche bound for Jipapad and vice versa may take the alternate route via Barangay Imelda, Lapinig- Jipapad Road.
Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Ongchuan extended the suspension of classes on all levels due to the inclement weather caused by a low-pressure area.
Landslides triggered by heavy flooding were reported in the municipalities of Catubig, Mondragon, Las Navas, Catarman, Laoang, Lope de Vega, and Mapanas.
In Catubig, some residents rode boats on flooded streets as well as local government unit personnel who rescued families trapped in their homes.
Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan ordered the suspension of classes on all levels in public and private schools and work in all government offices.
Several vehicles were stranded by flood in a portion of the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Tulay in Santa Rita, Samar on Tuesday due to non-stop rain.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, the road was passable to all types of vehicles.
The municipalities of Caibiran, Cabucgayan, Maripipi, Almeria, Culaba, Kawayan, and Naval in Biliran province suspended work and classes.
Naval Mayor Gretchen Espina said some families from landslide-prone areas fled to the evacuation center in Barangay Larrazabal.
A section of the Biliran-Naval Road is impassable to all types of vehicles due to the Catmon Detour Bridge submerged by continuous heavy rain as of 7:40 a.m. Wednesday.
Motorists were advised to use the alternate routes Naval-Caibiran Cross Country Road-Caibiran-Cabucgayan-Biliran for light vehicles and Naval-Almeria-Kawayan-Culaba-Caibiran-Cabucgayan-Biliran for heavy vehicles.
PH gears for $2-B export of durian, other tropical fruits to China
by Jel Santos, MB
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now preparing for the country’s $2.09-billion fruit export to China, which primarily includes durian and other tropical fruits.
During the recent state visit to China, the protocols for “phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China” were covered by the 14 bilateral agreements signed as the Philippine delegation led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos met with Chinese officials, according to the Office of the Press Secretary.
“There has been created what we are now calling the ‘Durian Protocol’ because they are opening their trade to imports of durian and other agricultural products from the Philippines, so that we can regress the imbalance in our imports and exports from China,” Marcos disclosed after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 10, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez, who serves as DA’s deputy spokesperson, revealed that the steps to begin the durian export to China are now being finalized.
“Iyon pong formal na pagmi-meeting namin with our delegation sa China po ay mangyayari pa po iyan sa Friday together with the Executive Committee, pero ang pagkakaalam ko lang iyong pina-finalize ngayon is iyong export natin po ng Durian doon sa China (Our formal meeting with the Philippine delegation in China will be held this Friday, together with the Executive Committee, but as far as I know, we are now currently finalizing our durian export to China),” the official said.
On Monday, Jan. 9, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa called for a special meeting with the Regional Executive Directors (REDs) and Bureau of Plant Industry officials to discuss plans for the export project.
The DA is set to prepare for the expansion of durian production in the country to meet the demands of the Chinese market for fresh durians. During the meeting, Panganiban directed the concerned REDs to identify the potential areas for expansion and formulate the necessary work and financial plans to sustain the durian export.
Aside from durian, also part of the fruit export deal with China are coconuts and bananas.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
PHILIPPINES HIGHEST MOUNTAIN - BecomingFilipino Mt. Apo Adventure Climbing
Mt. Apo. the highest mountain in the Philippines. This is the first day of our climb up into the bukid and forests of Davao Mindanao.
Our trail is called the "Santa Cruz Circuit". It starts off in Barangay Kapatagan, where we ride a truck up to the jump off for the start of our trekking. From there, we walk through some local Sitios, and find ourselves in beautiful forest.... Including a GIANT FERN FOREST! It was so beautiful walking through this unique forest of fern's. This is just the beginning of what will be an epic adventure to the top of the Philippines! I really loved the vibes, and the awesome local porters.
Mt. Apo. Mindanao.
Be prepared for more responsibilities
.jpg)
By Fr. Roy Cimagala *
IT’S quite clear that when we do some good, we should expect that our life can get more complicated. We are reminded of this fact of life in that gospel episode where Christ went to Peter’s house and cured his mother-in-law. Because of that, many more sick people went to see Christ for a cure. (cfr. Mk 1,29-39) In fact, it is said that the whole town went to him.
Try to imagine how it was with Christ! Of course, Christ is Christ. He never runs out of strength, compassion, patience, etc. Still, we could not deny that his life got complicated.
The same fact of life was also highlighted in that parable of the three servants who were given some amount of money and told to do business with it. The first two who made money of the initial amount were given the responsibility of taking care of cities. (cfr. Mt 25,13-40) Obviously, when we do something bad, we would also complicate our life. But that’s another story.
Well, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. And so, we should just be prepared for it. Anyway, God is always around and is all ready to provide the help needed. We should not worry too much and just try whatever we can to handle the unavoidable complications.
Just the same, in that gospel episode, in spite of the many cures Christ made, he did not forget to pray, even making the effort to go to some isolated place to do his prayer calmly. And neither did he forget to carry out the more important responsibility to go to the other towns to preach and continue doing good.
This is a lesson for us to know how to handle the competing goals we have to pursue in life. We need to have a good sense of priority, and learn how to properly orchestrate the many responsibilities we have without getting lost or confused.
The secret here, I think, is to always refer everything to Christ. First of all, because we need to ask for grace that would enable us to do things they way he does them. And we, of course, need to follow his example.
Such effort would surely involve a certain detachment, since we tend to get attached to our own way of doing things rather than Christ’s way. Quite often, we get sentimental in these affairs, our emotions getting the better of us, and so we tend to fall into some disorder, since our reason and much more, our faith, that are supposed give us the better light, would be set aside.
Given this condition in our life, we should see to it that we live order in the best way we can. We need to be clear about the goals to pursue, and the different tasks we need to carry out. We have to be most careful with the use of our time. There are only 24 hours in a day, and we need to attend to more than a hundred things daily, including the rest that is due to us. We cannot afford to be wasteful of our time.
To be sure, we need to constantly examine and rectify our intentions, because with all the distractions that we are exposed to these days, we can easily stray from the right path dictated by our prudence. Thus, a lot of pit stops during the day are needed to see if we are still on track.
* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
𝗗𝗱𝗢 𝗘-𝗚𝗼𝘃 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗖𝗦𝗖 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗔𝗚-𝗔𝗦𝗔 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
Another winning streak of the province stands out at the national level after the e-Gov Technical Team of the Provincial Information and Communication Technology Office (PICTO) bagged the 2022 Honor Awards Program’s Search for Outstanding Government Workers under the CSC PagAsa Award (Group Category).
On January 9, 2023, Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga personally handed over the certificate of commendation to the team right after the regular flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol Grounds.
Gov Gonzaga congratulated the team headed by PICTO PG Head Joyzel R. Odi and expressed her gratitude and gladness for the feats of the province.
Since 2015, the team has developed multiple information and communication technology (ICT) computer systems that foster the delivery of public service at various levels: Government to Government (G2G), Government to Citizens (G2C), Government to Business (G2B), Government to Internal Processes (G2I), and Government to Pandemic Response (G2P).
Among the ICT solutions established and duly recognized nationally were the following: DDO iPortal, Document Management System, Blood Distribution Management System, Funds Utilization Management System, CallDdoc, 1DdO Helpline, and Household Profiling and Needs Assessment System.
In addition, aside from the cash incentive worth P60K given by the province, the CSC also grants P100K for each group members.
It is worth noting that the eGov Technical Team laid a vital cornerstone for digital literacy and governance in the province for employees and the Davaoeños as a whole.
HAP is the highest annual recognition rite conducted by the CSC that recognizes government offices, officials, and employees who have excelled and shown great dedication and commitment to public service.
(R. Hortizano, Photos by Jonie Cadiz)
ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH YOUR LIFE?
Sometimes, we feel our life is turning miserably. Our negativism doesn't allow us to keep our eyes, ears - and, most important! - our minds, hearts and souls opened. We're reaching our breaking point.
This breaking point can be the prelude to our strongest moment. Can be! Must not! But if yes, then it is when we reach our breaking point, we discover our real strength. Allow me to ask you, my dear readers: "What happens to you or with you when you reach your breaking point?" Do you face it or do you run away? I'll be giving you a very simple answer: If you face it - you break it. If you run away (and/or close your ears, eyes and mouth) - it breaks you!
Are you in love with life?
Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that, at the same time, seemed especially desolating and painful with a particular satisfaction. Indeed, everything I have learned, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness.
If it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from your earthly existence, the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable.
By observation, we can feel that many of us need help to manage our everyday life. We need something that would keep us going as we journey through life. Many times we can also learn from other people and their experiences.
And here is one more thing: Affection is the humblest love - it gives itself no airs. It lives with humble and private things: soft slippers, old clothes, old jokes, and the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor. The glory of affection, the disposition of mind, the good will and tender attachment, that can unite those who are not "made for one and another"! .
The love of your life is the person you are most comfortable with, who you naturally feel that you can be yourself around. This is someone who makes you feel loved for who you most essentially are. When you are loved at this level, you transform into the best possible version of yourself you can be.
Too often we stop ourselves from dreaming and fantasising about the future for fear of disappointment. Yes, life doesn’t always deliver what we hope and we must understand this. But to progress and have goals, we first need to dream and imagine what could be. When we dream we learn about what we truly value in life.
Listen to some ambient music in bed before you fall asleep and just see where your mind goes. Think about what happiness means to you and notice what that involves. And then think about what action steps you need to take to move closer to reaching your dreams.
For me life has been a thing of ups and downs in approximately equal measure. I don't have something sensational to report every day about my progress. Often, I wonder if fulfillment in life is necessarily tied to change for the better. But one thing is for sure: I keep staying in love with life.
PhilHealth extends accreditation deadline for health facilities
by Analou de Vera, MB
Health facilities can still file their application for renewal of accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) until the end of this month.
“Please be informed that PhilHealth will extend the period of filing of application for renewal of accreditation for CY 2023 of health facilities until Jan. 31, 2023,” PhilHealth said in a statement on Monday, Jan. 9.
This move is aimed at ensuring “continuous access to quality health services by all Filipinos,” it said.
“Only applications with the complete documentary requirements submitted to the respective PhilHealth Regional Offices on or before the said period shall be accepted,” it noted.
“Applications received for renewal of accreditation beyond this period shall result into a gap in accreditation,” it added.
The state health insurer said that health facilities may coordinate with PhilHealth regional offices if they have clarifications.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)