Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has temporarily lifted the suspensions imposed on the Zambales nickel operations of three companies found to have committed environmental violations last year. The MGB granted the temporary reprieve to LnL Archipelago Minerals Inc., BenguetCorp. Nickel Mines Inc. and Eramen Minerals Inc. On July 15, 2014, the MGB Region III office suspended the operations of the three mining firms after their operations caused nickel siltation in waterways and farm lots. It was discovered that the companies had been practicing an unsystematic strip mining method that leads to inefficient recovery of minerals and causes adverse environmental impacts like siltation in bodies of water and generation of dust. The companies were ordered to immediately remove all stand-by stockpiles in open cut areas and store these in designated stockpile areas equipped with proper drainage systems. The firms were also ordered to implement maintenance measures for the duration of the suspension. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The companies were also ordered to pay an aggregate of P3.2 million in compensation for farmers whose lots were damaged by siltation. The MGB said the companies have “substantially met the conditions” stipulated in the suspension order. The bureau, however, set several conditions before the suspension order can be fully lifted. The companies must construct an alternative mine haulage road, fix the damage to coastal areas caused by mining operations, pay in full the claims made by the owners of the fishponds damaged by siltation, conduct Read More …

More than 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had been evacuated from Yemen by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) due to increasing violence and chaos. “DFA successfully evacuated from Yemen on April 6 a group of 243 Filipinos and one Yemeni national. The group consisted of 111 males, 112 females and 21 minors,” DFA said in a statement on Tuesday. BACKSTORY: DFA pleads to Filipinos in Yemen: Come home, conflict to worsen “As the situation in Yemen remains volatile and uncertain, the DFA firmly reiterates its urgent call to the remaining Filipinos there to register with the Crisis Management Team (CMT) … so that they can join what may be the last remaining land evacuation being scheduled in the coming days,” DFA said. DFA urged all Filipinos still in Yemen to contact the DFA CMT in Movenpick Hotel Sana’a and in Al-Sherif Hotel Hodeidah or through the following numbers: +967-73-019-4165 / +967-73-742-6292 / +967-73-384-4958 / +967-73-845-1828. They may also contact the team at the email address cmt-sanaa@riyadhpe.com READ: Filipinos in Yemen told to repatriate due to ‘deteriorating’ security situation Yemen is slowly descending into chaos with Houthi rebels having taken over the capital city of Sanaa and forcing Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi to flee. Saudi Arabia and its allies struck back at the rebels with military air strikes over the past several weeks resulting in the destruction a lot of infrastructure in the country. Hundreds have been reportedly killed from the continuous fighting between the rebels and forces Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Property powerhouse Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) has marked its maiden entry in Malaysia with a $43 million investment in a local property development company. ALI said yesterday it acquired a 9.16 percent stake in Malaysian firm GW Plastics Holdings Bhd through a private placement for a total amount of about P1.9 billion. The acquisition was made through Regent Wise Investments Ltd., ALI’s wholly-owned subsidiary in charge of its international ventures. ALI’s Malaysian investment marks only its fourth international foray and its second in the Asean region following “very small investments” made in China, Canada and Myanmar in previous years, company officials said. “Asean is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Although the Philippines is growing as quickly, we feel that there are also other areas of opportunities in the region that we could possibly participate in. One of those countries which is experiencing fairly good growth rates not only this year but over the previous years is Malaysia. We feel Malaysia is a market that shows a lot of opportunity for us to participate in,” ALI president and chief executive officer Bernard Vincent Dy said in a press briefing yesterday. GW Plastics, which would soon be renamed MCT Bhd, is a property development company specializing in mixed-use projects that include retail, office, hotel, and mid- to affordable residential. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Dy said MCT Bhd currently has a market capitalization of about $450 million and is considered a Read More …

The Department of the Interior and Local Government said on Monday that it will consult the Office of the Ombudsman on how to proceed as regards the Court of Appeals’ order to indefinitely put on hold the suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. In a statement, DILG Undersecretary Peter Corvera said that the agency respected the latest decision of the CA, but would also seek the Ombudsman’s guidance on the matter. “Iginagalang ng DILG ang panibagong desisyon ng Court of Appeals (CA) na pumapanig sa hiling ni Makati Mayor Jun-jun Binay na magkaroon ng writ of preliminary injunction sa pagpapatupad ng suspension sa mayor,” he said. “Bilang isang ministerial agent na nagpapatupad lamang ng mga kautusan mula sa Office of the Ombudsman, ngayon pa lang hihingi na ang DILG ng guidance at clarification mula sa Ombudsman kung paano ipatutupad ng departamento ang writ of preliminary injunction kapag nailabas ito ng Court of Appeals lalo na ngayong meron pang pending na petisyon ang Ombudsman sa Supreme Court,” Corvera added. Earlier today, the CA has indefinitely extended its temporary restraining order against Binay’s suspension. “The court hereby resolves to grant Junjun Binay’s prayer for issuance of writ of preliminary injunction enjoining respondents Ombudsman, DILG and their agents and all representatives from enforcing the joint order dated March 10, 2015 and to respect and preserve the status quo before the issuance of the aforesaid joint order relative to petitioner’s preventive suspension for six months,” the resolution stated. For this extension, the CA ordered Read More …

Easter is about a fresh start. The sins and omissions of the past are of the past and the time has come for change in the hope of better outcomes. In the temperate countries, Easter happens in Spring and Mother Nature celebrates the fresh start with green leaves sprouting out of barren tree twigs and branches. Colorful flowers once again bring life to what was a desolate winter landscape. We make mistakes in the course of our lives that bring us down and make us lose hope. But the secret in living is doing fresh starts. Even our computers need that sometimes and we call that reboot, restart, refresh. But when it comes to running our country, our leaders are deathly afraid of fresh starts. They insist on the same old programs that have failed for decades. Someone (it could have been Einstein, Benjamin Franklin or a Chinese proverb) once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It describes the approach our government has taken through several administrations with regard to national problems. Totally insane! I realize that with a little more than a year left in P-Noy’s watch, he will have little desire to tinker with failed programs. He did nothing for almost five years because it is easier to blame past administrations for continuing failure. There is such a thing as getting comfortable with failure and we have perfected that art and called it resilience. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Read More …