PHL to buy 15 ground radars for more accurate geohazard mapping

 News
Nov 302013
 
PHL to buy 15 ground radars for more accurate geohazard mapping

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau expects to buy 15 ground-penetrating radars next year to help map areas prone to flooding and landslides. The purchase is included in the agency’s proposed budget for 2014 and the new radars will be used to produce a 1:10,000 geohazard map by next year, bureau dorector Leo Jasareno said. The new maps are expected to replace the current 1:50,000 goehazard maps distributed to local governments.  The MGB only has one functioning ground-penetrating radar and has had to hire private surveyors to help with the mapping. Mapping across 1,034 cities and municipalities should be completed by the end of the year, leaving 600 more cities and towns to map in 2014. The mapping of geohazard areas in 1,034 cities and municipalities are seen to be completed by by the end of the year while detailing for 600 cities and municipalities are expected to be completed by next year.  The portable radars, which cost around P6 million each and will help engineers see underground, are part of the P400-million mapping project. The bureau will also map coastal areas prone to erosion to define no-build zones. “If people are conscious about geohazard, fatalities in times of natural disasters would be greatly reduced,” Jasareno said. The MGB will also conduct a hydrological assessment project to find aquifers, or underground sources of water. — JDS, GMA News

Government raises post-Yolanda reconstruction cost to P40.9B 

 News
Nov 302013
 
Government raises post-Yolanda reconstruction cost to P40.9B 

The national government on Saturday raised the projected budget for the rehabilitation of areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda to P40.9 billion.  According to a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras” Saturday evening, the Presidential Communications Operations Office announced the increase in the rehabilitation fund from P38.8 billion after the costs of rebuilding local government buildings and facilities were factored in.    The P40.9 billion rehabilitation fund will be allocated as follows:  67 percent for construction of public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and other facilities 12 percent for livelihood projects 11 percent for local facilities 9 percent for social services, including health services and education The government has identified 171 municipalities in 14 provinces as first-priority areas for reconstruction. The first-priority areas were within 50 kilometers of the eye of the typhoon when it hit, the report said.  The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the typhoon caused P30.6 billion in damage. The typhoon left at least 5,602 dead, and 26,136 injured. Another 1,759 have yet to be accounted for. On Thursday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the P38.8 billion in government funds that has been “approved in principle” by President Benigno Aquino III will be used to bankroll “critical and immediate interventions” that also include housing assistance for displaced typhoon survivors. President Aquino reportedly threshed out the details of the long-term rehabilitation plan for the typhoon-stricken areas in a meeting Friday with Task Force Yolanda Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. — Xianne Arcangel/JDS, GMA News

Some LPG retailers have increased prices ahead of schedule

 News
Nov 302013
 
Some LPG retailers have increased prices ahead of schedule

LPG prices to go up December. Workers arrange empty Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanks at a refilling warehouse in Quezon City on Thursday, November 28. LPG prices are expected to go up by P10 per kilo— more than P100 per 11kg tank—starting December due to high winter demand for LPG in other countries. Asti Flores Some retailers of liquified petroleum gas have reportedly raised prices a day before an expected price hike that will increase the average price of an 11-kilogram tank by P143. According to a report by GMA News reporter Micaela Papa aired on “24 Oras” Saturday evening, some retailers are now selling 11-kg. tanks of LPG for around P870 against prevailing prices of approximately P720 to P760 per tank. LPG retailer Grace Tabo said in the report that LPG refiller Republic Gas Corp. (Regasco) has already raised their prices. “Hindi naman nasusunod yung effective December 1 (ang increase). One week ago, nagtaas na sila. Halos araw-araw,” she said. Regasco owner Arnel Ty, who sits at the House of Representative for the LPG Marketers’ Association party-list, said the higher prices may have been caused by an artificial shortage. He said retailers got less than the usual number of LPG tanks because refillers did not get enough LPG from retailers. “Sa amin, tinaasan kami ng mas maaga, pero di naman namin ito maipasa ng ganoon kabilis. Kaya, normally po, ang mga dealer, nakikita nila na nagkakagipitan na sa produkto, nagtataas na po sila ng (presyo ng) kanilang mga produkto,” Read More …

Philippines’ post-typhoon rebuilding to take five years

 General
Nov 302013
 
Philippines' post-typhoon rebuilding to take five years

Rebuilding areas devastated by a super typhoon that killed thousands in the Philippines will take up to five years and cost more than two billion dollars, officials said Saturday. The comments came as the death toll from Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the country, continued to rise. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 5,632 people had been confirmed dead while 1,759 were still missing following the category five storm earlier this month. “The total rehabilitation will take three to five years, depending on the pace of our support system and the projects we implement,” Eduardo del Rosario, executive director of the NDRRMC, said. He told reporters that President Benigno Aquino did not want to merely repair the damage but wants the new structures to be better than those that were standing before the storm. “Our president wants the rehabilitation to be ‘build-back better communities,” so they can withstand future storms,” del Rosario said. Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said: “We are looking at over a hundred billion pesos ($2.2 billion) of reconstruction, from livelihood, commerce, social services,” as well as infrastructure and power facilities. That figure does not include the huge amounts already spent on immediate relief for the millions of people who were injured or left without food, water or shelter. About 15 to 20 billion pesos will go to providing shelter with some 60,000 to 80,000 families to be re-settled in two to three years, said Singson. This will include Read More …

LTFRB to start processing applications for Xmas special permits

 News
Nov 302013
 
LTFRB to start processing applications for Xmas special permits

Starting Monday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will open the door to applications by public utility vehicle operators for special permits plying popular routes during the Christmas season. LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez on Saturday said his office expects to accept and process applications from Dec. 2 to 9. “Kahit another probinsya ito from Metro Manila, para makabyahe sa probinsya na nangangailangan (The permits will allow public utility vehicles to ply routes from Metro Manila to provinces where there may not be enough PUVs),” he said in an interview on dzBB radio. The special permits allow PUVs to ply routes outside the areas specified by their franchises, but for a limited time. Filipinos are expected to flock to their home provinces in the second half of December, to spend the holidays with their families. Ginez said they will check the applicants to see if their units are roadworthy, and take added steps to ensure passengers’ safety. “Maaga kami magbibigay ng special permit (We want to give the special permits early),” he added. — LBG, GMA News

Washington schoolchildren hold bake sale for Yolanda victims

 News
Nov 292013
 
Washington schoolchildren hold bake sale for Yolanda victims

Schoolchildren in Washington D.C. have raised $1,400 from a bake sale this week to buy emergency kits for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The pupils from the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School (LAMBPCS) turned their earnings to Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. “We sold cookies and empanadas to raise funds for emergency kits,” the Philippine embassy in Washington quoted Maya Woods-Arthur, 12, as saying. Yolanda tore through Visayas and Southern Luzon last Nov. 8, leaving more than 5,600 dead in its wake. Woods-Arthur was one of four children from the Latin American Montessori who turned over the donation. Parent representative Denise Woods and occupational therapist Mya Ford, who accompanied the four children, said some of them even helped with the baking. Zoe Woods-Arthur, 8, said she made chocolate Oreo cookies, mint chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. The donation was turned over to Executive Director Hank Hendrickson of the US-Philippines Society, which has been working with organizations involved in relief efforts. “I cannot tell you how thankful we are for the help we have received, especially from children like you. You chose to help people you don’t even know who live thousands of miles away. It means a lot. Thank you.” Cuisia told the children. During their visit, the pupils also extended their condolences to the Filipino people, writing on the Book of Condolences. The Latin American Montessori offers education in English and Spanish to children from kindergarten to upper elementary. It has two campuses in Washington D.C. Read More …

INVISIBLE SISTERS: WEAVING THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY

 News
Nov 292013
 
INVISIBLE SISTERS: WEAVING THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY

By Gaby Gloria At exactly 3:30 in the afternoon, with most of her household chores done, Nancy Surilla walks to the nearby barangay community center. There, other women from her barangay chat excitedly, sharing stories that range from daily experiences at home to the latest showbiz news. In one hand, each of these women hold golden instruments that are no larger than pencils, and no thicker than chopsticks, and in the other, long, colorful strips of plastic. As they chat, the women weave the golden instruments through the plastic strips, each creating a product that will eventually become a wallet or bag. Shortly after Nancy’s arrival, a young woman arrives and proceeds to teach them a new technique in the art of crochet. Nancy, like the other women in the center, is part of the non-profit organization called Invisible Sisters. Founded in 2009 by American artist Ann Wizer, the Invisible Institute was a simple solution to the complex problems of poverty and garbage. The Invisible Sisters crocheting clutch bags. INVISIBLE trains and employs Filipino women from depressed communities to make crocheted bags out of waste such as the common plastic sando bags normally used in wet markets and commercial establishments. Each week, these women attend a training session where an instructor introduces them to innovative techniques for preparing recycled plastic as raw material and executing various crocheting techniques. When they complete the 48-session program, INVISIBLE hires them to be part of the official production team that supplies sales outlets such Read More …

Kathryn: I dream about Daniel most of the time

 Entertainment
Nov 292013
 
Kathryn: I dream about Daniel most of the time

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla (MNS Photo) With all her projects, endorsements and a college education to boot, it’s surprising that “Got to Believe” star Kathryn Bernardo still finds time to sleep. But the 17-year old admitted that whenever she does get a chance to doze off, she often finds herself dreaming about her co-star and rumored boyfriend, Daniel Padilla. “Hindi ko na mataandaan ‘yung mga panaginip ko, pero oo naman. Kaso bihira lang ako managinip kasi bihira lang ako matulog. Pero I dream about him most of the time,” she said. Speaking about how Padilla shows his affection, the actress likened her on-screen partner to a baby. “Lalapit sa akin si DJ tapos sasabihin niya, ‘I need comfort.’ Tapos ako naman, ‘Aww. Halika dito,’ then I hug him. Oo, parang baby si DJ,” she added. Bernardo then called Padilla a “mama’s boy” when she was asked whether the actor was closer to his father, actor Rommel Padilla, or mother, actress Karla Estrada. “Mama’s boy. Kay Tito Rommel, makikita mo na father and son talaga ang relationship nila. Kay Tita Karla kasi, ‘pag magkasama sila makikita mo na parang mag-barkada lang sila na nagtatawanan at nagkukulitan.” Bernardo also revealed three things that Padilla can’t live without: his friends, his love for television and his car. “Pwede niyang itapon lahat, ‘wag lang TV. Favorite niya ‘yung ‘Adventure Time.’ Sabi niya, pag natutulog siya, kailangan naka-on ang TV,” she said. Referring to Padilla’s new car, a 2013 Dodge Challenger, Barnardo added, “Feeling Read More …

Ombudsman: No eight-page memo tagging Enrile as ‘pork’ scam mastermind

 Entertainment
Nov 292013
 
Ombudsman: No eight-page memo tagging Enrile as ‘pork’ scam mastermind

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, poses questions to Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam mastermind during the hearing on Thursday (Nov. 7, 2013) at the Senate building in Pasay City. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Thursday denied the existence of an eight-page memo tagging Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile as the mastermind of the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. “I’m surprised about that eight-page memo. There’s no such thing as an eight-page memo… I have several memos. I don’t recall about an eight-page memo. Pero ang memo na natatanggap ko, more than 200 pages,” Morales told reporters at the sidelines of Senate deliberations on her office’s budget for next year. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Thursday that an investigative team from the Office of the Ombudsman submitted an eight-page report to Morales last week pointing to Enrile as the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam. According to the Inquirer report, the memorandum prepared by Assistant Ombudsman Joselito Fangon stated that “all facts point to Senator Enrile as the unseen hand directing the compass and the tempo of the whole orchestra.” Enrile and two of his collegues – Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla – have been named respondents in a plunder complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the scam that was allegedly engineered by controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. Morales said her office has not yet recommended any charges against the lawmakers before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft Read More …

Justice done in Marcos confidante’s conviction: PHL

 Entertainment
Nov 292013
 
Justice done in Marcos confidante’s conviction: PHL

Beginning in 2009, Vilma Bautista and her two nephews allegedly began trying to sell the Monet water lily, “Le Bassin aux Nympheas,” (shown above) and three other valuable works that the Philippines government was trying to repossess. MANILA  (AFP) – The Philippines said Tuesday that justice was done in the conviction of a confidante of former first lady Imelda Marcos in New York for plotting to sell valuable looted artworks. The special anti-corruption agency tasked with tracing the wealth stolen by the Marcos family said it would now seek to recover the money and artworks confiscated from Vilma Bautista, a former New York-based social secretary of Imelda Marcos. “New York has seen justice done today,” the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said, as it hailed the US prosecutors for recovering paintings that had been missing since the Marcos family fell from power in 1986. Imelda Marcos, 84, known for her extravagant lifestyle, is alleged to have looted millions from state coffers when her husband Ferdinand Marcos was president from 1965 to 1986. She used this wealth to acquire jewelry, art, real estate and a massive shoe collection. An army-backed popular revolt toppled President Marcos in 1986 and sent him and his family fleeing into exile. But much of their allegedly stolen wealth has not yet been recovered. The PCGG said it had provided key testimony and evidence that led to the conviction of Bautista for conspiring to sell three valuable artworks including a piece by French impressionist Claude Monet. Read More …

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