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(AsiaNet)SoftBank Releases Web Movie to Convey Excellence of Smartphones
TOKYO, June 1, 2016 (PNA/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet) -- Smartphone Connects Elderly Woman on Remote Island in Okinawa with Her Grandchildren in Osaka - SoftBank Corp. released a web movie on May 25 to convey the excellence of smartphones to consumers.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/yY12m7tjghI

A heart-warming story in the movie features an elderly woman living on Tarama Island, a remote island in Okinawa Prefecture, where the penetration rate of smartphones is low.

She missed her grandchildren living in Osaka, located far from Tarama, because she can see them only once a year. SoftBank produced communications devices on an experimental basis that helped her have the virtual experience of using a smartphone to see how her grandchildren were growing. With the help of her son and his wife, the woman can regularly see her grandchildren now, using these devices even though they are far away from each other.

(Photo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M103854/201605311144/_prw_OI2fl_dJIYw587.png)

(Other photos: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/opn/release/201605311144/)

- Movie themed on "Analog Innovation" In response to requests from those who say, "We can't use a smartphone and can't see how our grandchildren are growing," SoftBank updated analog tools that elderly people are used to using. "Analog Innovation" allowed the elderly woman on Tarama Island to have the virtual experience of using a smartphone.

- One family experiences "Analog Innovation" on Tarama where smartphones are not prevalent The story in the movie is set on Tarama Island, one of the areas where the penetration rate of smartphones is low. An elderly woman living on the island uses an ordinary mobile phone but has never sent an email. SoftBank updated analog tools she was used to using into new communications devices that even those who are not familiar with digital devices can easily use, teaming with her son living in Osaka, to help the woman familiarize herself with smartphones.

- Video showing her "Analog Innovation" experience released online on May 25 The documentary video showing the Tarama family's "Analog Innovation" experience was released online on May 25. Viewers can see how the elderly woman on Tarama Island uses new communications devices to regularly communicate with her grandchildren she had previously been unable to contact frequently.

Special website: http://www.softbank.jp/corp/special/personal-innovation-act/Story of the video: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M103854/201605311144/_prw_OA1fl_Z6QjWnVk.pdf

Source: SoftBank Corp. (PNA/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet)

Relieved North Cotabato police chief to head Cotabato City police office
COTABATO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 12 office has recommended the designation of former North Cotabato Provincial Police Office head P/Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum as officer-in-charge of this city’s police force.

The controversial Tagum figured prominently in the infamous dispersal of some 6,000 protesting farmers last April 1 along the national highway in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, due to the severe effects of the drought-spawned El Nino weather phenomenon.

At least three farmers died and nearly a hundred farmers and anti-riot police personnel were injured during the bloody clash punctuated by a harsh stone â€" throwing instance and indiscriminate firing of guns.

Tagum claimed that members of the left-leaning New People’s Army infiltrated the line of the demonstrators resulting in the exchange of gunfire during the confusion.

A government investigating body has yet to decide on the fate of Tagum, who together with North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza and several other top provincial officials, are being held liable for the gory outcome of the incident.

In a communiqué dated May 30, P/Sr. Supt. Noel Armilla, PNP - Region 12 deputy chief for administration, has informed Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. over the reassignment of Tagum as city police director.

Early on, P/Chief Supt. Noel Armilla, PNP-Region 12 commandant, has primed Guiani in a separate dispatch on his preference for Tagum to lead the city police force, thereby also terminating the sequential assignments of P/Sr. Supt. Emmanuel Peralta and P/Supt. Noel Kinazo as OICs of same police unit.

Guiani said he has yet to weigh matters over Tagum’s new assignment here. (PNA)
LAP/NYP/

Australia share market closes lower
SYDNEY, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- The Australian share market closed lower on Wednesday on the back of stronger than expected economic figures that reduced the chances of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

At 4:15 p.m. (AEST), the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 55.4 points or 1.03 percent at 5,323.2 points, and the broader All Ordinaries index was down 52.6 points or 0.97 percent at 5,395.2 points.

IG market analyst Angus Nicholson told AAP shares were already under pressure following falls on the Wall Street and major European markets, before stronger than expected economic growth numbers triggered selling of high yielding stocks, including the big four banks, that had recently rallied on expectations of another Reserve Bank rate cut.

"GDP (gross domestic product) came in much higher than many expected, we saw the market' s pricing for a rate cut in August decline below 50 percent," Nicholson said.

"A lot of the rallies we have seen in the past week or two have been driven by people looking for high dividend paying stocks, piling into the banking stocks in particular, because in a low rate environment there is a real incentive to hold the stocks that pay good dividends."

At the close, ANZ lost 1.10 percent, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was down 1.20 percent, the National Australia Bank fell 1.44 percent, and Westpac was down 1.07 percent.

BHP Billiton lost 3.09 percent, rival Rio Tinto was down 2.01 percent while gold miner Newcrest closed the day 2.05 percent higher.

Oil Search was down 1.33 percent, Santos was down 3.97 percent and Woodside Petroleum closed the day 1.79 percent lower.

Wesfarmers lost 0.49 percent while Woolworths was down 1.45 percent.

Qantas closed the day 0.65 percent higher, while Telstra closed the day 1.25 percent lower. (PNA/Xinhua)

5 including 4 suicide attackers killed in Afghan eastern Ghazni city
GHAZNI, Afghanistan, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Five people including a policeman and four suicide bombers were killed and a judge injured as Taliban militants stormed a provincial court in the eastern Ghazni city on Wednesday, provincial police chief Aminullah Omarkhil said.

"The attack which occurred at around 10:30 a.m. local time and followed by gunshots left four attackers and a police dead," Amarkhil told Xinhua.

However, he admitted that the head of the court also sustained injuries in the attack.

Going into detail, the official said that one of the suicide bombers after killing the guard of the court gate by pistol blew himself up and enabled three others to enter the court compound.

As they entered the court compound, the three militants indiscriminately fired their guns triggering gun battle which lasted for a while. All the three insurgents were killed, Amarkhil asserted.

The situation is under control, the police officer said.

Meantime, Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban in contact with media claimed the responsibility for the attack, insisting heavy casualties inflicted to the court employees. (PNA/Xinhua)

DSWD to launch new ‘Listahanan’ database in Puerto Princesa
By Celeste Anna R. Formoso
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to launch in this city its new Listahanan database end of June.

SWD-MIMAROPA Regional Coordinator Ernie Jarabejo said Wednesday the new database shall involve the use of two modes in data gathering: the paper and pen Family Assessment Form (FAF) for rural barangays, and the FAF mobile version installed in android tablets for urban barangays.

The FAF is critical to determine the socio-economic status of families that contains verifiable indicators, such as household composition, housing structure, demographic profile, access to basic necessities, Person with Disability and Indigenous People, said Jarabejo.

Gathered data are encoded into a computer-based system and subjected to Proxy Means Test (PMT), a statistical model that estimates household income using proxy variables indicated in the FAF.

The estimated income will be compared to the poverty thresholds, wherein households, which income below the set provincial poverty line is considered poor.

From the 569,316 households assessed and validated, it appears 207,863 or 36.5 percent are identified poor in MIMAROPA or Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan provinces.

Palawan shares the highest percentage in the regional results at 40.2 percent or 83,520 poor households, while Oriental Mindoro has 25.7 percent share or 53,323 households.

Meanwhile, Occidental Mindoro has 18.3 percent or 37,983 households; Romblon has 9.6 percent or 19,860 households; and Marinduque has 6.3 percent share or 13,177 households.

The variation of shared percentage of poor households is parallel to the geographical size and the total population enumerated per province.

“Household assessments were conducted from March 2015 until the end of December 2015 administered by 1,772 field staff covering five provinces, two cities, 71 municipalities and 1,459 barangays in eight congressional districts,” said Jarabejo.

Listahanan is the government mechanism of identifying who and where the poor are, which started in 2009. It aims to have an objective selection of potential beneficiaries for social protection programs intended for the poor. (PNA)
LAP/CARF/eds

Angeles Ciy mayor to attend APEC Forum in China
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, June 1 (PNA) -- City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-Level Urbanization Forum 2016 set to be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China on June 2 and 3, this year.

The forum, hosted by the China National Development and Reform Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is aimed at exploring opportunities for cooperation, promoting trade and investment, creating jobs, safeguarding social equality, with a view to achieving people-oriented urbanization and inclusive growth.

Participants of this forum are high ranking government officials and agencies of APEC member economies, mayors, scholars and experts, entrepreneurs and media representatives and other major stakeholders and resource speakers.

Pamintuan was invited to share his experience as a local chief executive and his efforts and achievements in making Angeles City a livable city and how he practices inclusive growth as a policy in his administration.

In recent years, Pamintuan is among the few Philippine mayors invited by national and international organizations to share his experience and good practices in governance.

Among these fora and conferences include the World Cities Summit in Singapore and New York; Assesses of Decentralized Cooperation for Development in Brussels, Belgium; APEC City Mayors’ Forum in Cebu, Philippines; Talk on Public Spaces, Manila Philippines and the South-South City Leaders Forum, organized by the Asian Development Bank. (PNA)
FFC/zst/MDDR/ps

DSWD reports 82% well-being improvement on 4Ps beneficiaries in Region 9
ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that 229,375 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households are now with improved well-being level representing 82 percent of the total population of 4Ps beneficiaries in the region.

Atty. Araceli Solamillo, DSWD regional director, said Wednesday that the 4Ps households were identified as self-subsistent families after undergoing the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) Assessment last year.

Solamillo said this means that these beneficiaries are now exposed and can readily access to resources and alternatives provided by the government to make ends meet.

“It is inspiring to note that while most of the Pantawid families started on survival when they entered the program, on the fifth year, 82 percent have moved up to subsistence level, while a good number of 15 percent of the once identified as poorest of poor households are now with sufficient capacity to live a decent and dignified life,” Solamillo said.

Solamillo said SWDI is a tool that aims to determine the level of well-being of Pantawid beneficiaries so that appropriate interventions will be provided to them not just by DSWD, but by other social protection programs implementers as well.

Through the administration of the tool last year, the department was able to identify 6,336 4Ps households are still in level 1 (survival level), 229,375 in level 2 (self-subsistent level) and 43,501 are now in level 3 (self-sufficient level).

Following the SWDI result generation, Solamillo said DSWD now makes available the SWDI data to its partner agencies which they can use as a baseline data for planning and implementing interventions to enable beneficiaries to pass through survival, subsistence up to self-sufficient standard of living.

Survival is a set of condition where there is lack of inner and external resources which make households unable to resolve problems and survive in a daily basis.

Subsistence is a condition that opens some resources and alternatives to the beneficiaries to surpass basic needs daily, while self-sufficiency means the households have already other sources of income and can already stand without interventions from the government.

“The SWDI is a comprehensive assessing tool where we can identify the gaps in the services that we provide the Pantawid beneficiaries, and through identifying these gaps, we can tap or partner with other agencies that can give them the appropriate intervention, like livelihood and employment so that they can elevate further to self-sufficiency level.” Solamillo added. (PNA)
BNB/TPGJR

Vietnam gains 19 Olympic berths by far
HO CHI MINH CITY, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Vietnam has earned 19 berths in the upcoming Rio Olympic Games after judoka Van Ngoc Tu was given a ticket to Rio, the Vietnam Judo Federation said Wednesday.

Van Ngoc Tu, born 1987 in the southern province of Soc Trang, is dubbed "Southeast Asia's Judo Queen" and this is the second straight time she has secured a slot at an Olympic Games, after London 2012.

By far, Vietnam secured Olympics qualifications in badminton, rowing, shooting, fencing, race walking, weightlifting, gymnastics, weightlifting, judo. (PNA/Xinhua)

Bad weather delays Australia-led search for MH370
CANBERRA, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Bad weather in the Indian Ocean has delayed Australia-led search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the government's Joint Action Coordination Centre (JACC) said on Wednesday.

The search for the missing Boeing 777 jet was supposed to begin wrapping up in June, however unforeseen inclement weather has delayed progress in searching 120,000 square kilometers of sea floor.

So far, more than 105,000 square kilometers of the search zone has been combed, but the JACC said the remaining 15,000 square kilometers could take until August to complete due to the poor winter weather.

"Poor conditions have prevented the safe deployment of deep tow search equipment from any of the vessels for the past three weeks, " Wednesday's statement from the JACC said.

"These conditions make it unsafe for crew to perform some activities and to access some areas, such as the back working deck. "

The JACC said storms had caused monster swells of more than 18 meters, and although no damage to any search vessels has been reported, medics were constantly monitoring the wellbeing of the crews on board.

"In the last week, a peak wave height of 18.2 meters was measured on board the vessel (the vessel itself is 20 meters from the waterline to the top of the mast). While none of the search vessels has sustained damage that would affect its ability to continue the search, the poor weather directly impacts on the crew, their ability to work effectively, and to get adequate rest," the statement said.

"The doctors on board each vessel have been actively monitoring the health and wellbeing of all personnel."

MH370 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, but disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board. (PNA/Xinhua)
BNB/CDN

Tokyo stocks close lower on yen's appreciation, profit taking
TOKYO, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday as a rising yen against the US dollar saw investors retreat from riskier assets and cash in on profits made during the course of the market's recent run of gains.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 279.25 points, or 1.62 percent, from Tuesday to close the day at 16,955.73.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, for its part, finished 17.73 points, or 1.28 percent, lower at 1,362.07.

Compounding a circumspect market mood, local brokers also pointed to data released today by the Finance Ministry showing that company profits had plunged 9.3 percent in the first quarter of this year, while company sales had dropped 3.3 percent following a 2.7 percent retreat in Q4.

Market players also said the decision made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to further delay a consumption tax hike here from April 2017 to October 2019, sent mixed signals about the health of the economy and the efficacy of the Japanese leader's questionable economic policy mix.

As such, all industry categories on the main section retreated into negative territory, with fishery, agriculture and forestry, iron and steel, and electric power and gas-linked stocks heading up the notable decliners.

The day's turnover was 2,115.4 billion yen (USD19.12 billion). (PNA/Xinhua)

Beepo Clark contributes Php133M to local economy
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, June 1 (PNA) -- One of the leading Australian-owned business process outsourcing (BPO) firms inside this Freeport has contributed some Php133 million to the local economy since its inception two years ago.

The Clark-based offshoring firm Beepo also now has more than 220 employees since it started operations in 2014 here.

The amount stated was in the form of salaries and taxes.

Beepo CEO Aimee Engelmann, an Australian entrepreneur, said that with the help of her "locally grown" management team, the firm has developed a state-of-the-art facility and skills-rich workforce that delivers premium BPO services to 70 clients not only in Australia, but also in New Zealand, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and United States.

Engelmann said she saw the potential of providing premium offshoring services to Western countries from the Philippines when she visited the country in 2013, prompting her to decide that the country would be her next business destination. Engelmann said that the country’s human capital has only grown stronger since that time which drives Beepo’s progressive approach to its training, development and workplace culture.

"To fill that niche, to provide that premium service to our customers, we recruit talented people whose hearts are in the job, who really have a sense of purpose. That’s why we work very hard on creating a fun, positive environment and maintaining a healthy work/life balance â€" we want people who want to be their best selves,” the lady CEO added.

This philosophy is nowhere more evident than in the development programs that Beepo continues to provide for its staff.

In the first two years of operation, their Clark Headquarters delivered close to Php1 million worth of training through their Australian training consultants, Engelmann said.

As well as undertaking programs such as leadership training and inbound marketing training, staff have also received training from their clients, with some heading overseas to learn about client businesses.

In the last two years, Beepo’s Clark facility has been visited by 70 clients to deliver training to the employees of the BPO firm here.

Because of the clients' confidence, Beepo has become the workplace of choice for talented professionals in the BPO industry.

A quick survey of workers across the industry reveals that Beepo is perceived as an ‘elite’ employer, and jobs with the company are highly desired, she said.

She said that Beepo is more than a call center, because there are other employees who are either accountants, bookkeepers, marketers and Web developers working on a diverse range of projects.

Given the trailblazing success of Beepo’s first two years in operations, Engelmann said there will be plenty more opportunities for the country’s top talent to join their ranks.

"We’ve hired and trained the best English-speaking, tertiary-educated talent in the Philippines and as a result, the company is really growing. We are set to reach 700 employees in the next year, and are forecast to reach 5,000 strong in five years,” Engelmann added. (PNA)

MMDA proposes 15-second policy in dropping students in schools
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- To ensure smooth traffic on the opening of classes on June 13, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is proposing a 15-second policy in dropping off students in schools and universities along roads.

According to MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos, the 15-second policy is a suggestion to school officials to help curb traffic build-up along roads.

”Yung 15-second policy na pag bukas nung sasakyan may 15 seconds ang siya para ibaba yung bata then after 15 seconds alis ka na. Hindi namin pinapatupad. Pinopropose lang namin sa mga school. sinasabi lang namin sa mga schools. sinasuggest lang namin sa mga schools,”Carlos told reporters.

He noted that the schools’ systems are encouraged to implement the said policy, adding that these institutions can enforce this measure without government intervention.

”Let this be self-regulatory. Let’s not rely on the government to look after our kids,” he stated.

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) had been administering this policy for loading and unloading of school buses and services.

Meanwhile, Carlos said that 1,000 field personnel will be deploy around metropolis.

Workers to be deployed are composed of traffic enforcers, laborers and streets sweepers who will be focusing on traffic management, sidewalk clearing, anti-jaywalkng and road obstruction.

Carlos said that they will also implement and intensify anti-jaywalking campaign to help maintain the safety of pedestrians and the students.

He noted that expect smooth traffic on June 13 since only elementary and high schools in public and a few private schools will resume its classes.

”Ang maganda ngayon hindi sabay sabay because of K-12,”Carlos said adding they expect traffic to get heavier once all schools, particularly colleges and universities, opens.(PNA)
BNB/CLTC/Tresha R. Finianos/Hygeian R. Español (OJTs)

2 die, 5 wounded in Zambo highway collision
ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" Two people died while five others, including a child, were wounded early Wednesday in a highway collision involving a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a passenger bus in this city.

Chief Insp. Ramon Bautista, Police Station 2 chief, disclosed the collision occurred around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in Sitio Calanasan, Barangay Quiniput, 44.70 kilometers east of City Hall.

Bautista identified the fatalities as Dionisio Palma Jr., 32, the SUV driver; and, Caridad Ciruelos, 56. They were declared dead by the attending physician at the Cristino Paragas Memorial Hospital in Quiniput.

Wounded were Julie Galdon, four; Lovely Palma, 27; Rysel Lyka Circuelos, 12; Dionisio Palma, 56; Rosel Palma, 36.

Bautista said no one was either killed or injured among the people aboard the passenger bus of the Lizamae Express driven by Arnel Rondovio, 37.

He said investigation showed the bus, which was bound for Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte, collided head-on with the SUV after it avoided a motorcycle while negotiating a curve and descending road in Sitio Calanasan, Barangay Quiniput, this city.

The SUV was traveling from Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte to the city proper at the time of the collision.

Bautista said the bus driver was detained at the Police Station 2 headquarters and appropriate charges are set to be filed against him. (PNA)

Aglipay-Villar hails Senate for the passage of Anti-Distracted Driving Bill
By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA) Party-list Representative Emmeline Aglipay-Villar on Wednesday hailed the approval of Senate Bill 3211, that will penalized drivers using electronic gadgets while driving.

Aglipay-Villar said the bill aimed to combat the rising number of vehicular accidents due to motorists using their mobile phones and other electronic, computing, or media devices while on the road.

The party-list solon, who co-author of House Bill 4531 in the House of Representatives, said the measure was approved last June 10, 2014,

According to Aglipay-Villar, vehicular accidents are generally caused by driver errors when they don't give full attention to their driving. She said the number one reason for distracted driving is the use of mobile phones, while on the road.

Senate Bill 3211, was just recently approved by the Senate on 3rd Reading and final reading needs to pass through the Bicameral Conference Committee before it is transmitted to the President for his signature.

“DIWA would like to emphasize the urgency of the issue at hand, so we strongly urge the President to sign this measure immediately for the safety of our motorists and pedestrians” said Aglipay-Villar.

The bill prohibits using mobile communications device, including cellular phones, wireless telephones, two-way radio transceivers, pagers, among others, to write, send, or read a text-based communication or to make or receive calls; and using an electronic entertainment or computing device, including laptop computers, tablets, video game consoles, among others, to play games, watch movies, surf the internet, compose messages, read e-books, perform calculations and other similar acts.

She said there was still enough time for the Bicameral Conference Committee to consolidate disagreeing provisions and ratified the final report on the last day of session next week.

Those who will be caught violating these provisions shall be penalized with Php 5,000 for first offense; Php 10,000 for second offense, and Php 15,000 and a three-month suspension of driver’s license for third offense.

Emergency calls directed to law enforcement agencies, health care providers, fire departments, and similar agencies as well as individuals who drive using emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire trucks, etc), and individuals who use their mobile devices through a hands-free function (speaker phone, earphones, microphones, etc.), are exempted, provided that their mobile devices do not block the driver's line of sight.

“While at times useful for navigation, the use of electronic devices in moving motor vehicles is a danger to public safety, and must thus be regulated in line with the public good.” Aglipay-Villar explained.

The veteran lawmaker is confident that the law will lower the increasing number of vehicular accidents and will further impose discipline among motorists to always have their full attention while on the road. (PNA)
RMA/SFM

Two new laws to arm Duterte vs. smugglers, airport extortionists and cyberthieves â€" Recto
By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Two legislative measures signed into law recently by President Aquino will boost the campaign of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte against criminals engaged in smuggling, extortion at the airport, and cyber-crimes, according to Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto.

”I commend President Aquino for his parting gift to the President-elect: two significant laws that will help the incoming administration get rid of smugglers, balikbayan box extortionists and cyber-criminals," Recto said.

Recto was referring to Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Republic Act No. 10844 which creates the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

"The CMTA and the DICT will not only boost the country's economy, they also seek to curb criminality through the imposition of stiffer penalties on certain criminal acts," the senator pointed out.

Recto is the principal sponsor of Senate Bill 2686, or the DICT Act of 2015, which President Aquino signed into law last May 23 as Republic Act No. 10844. He is also the author of Senate Bill 2913, or the Balikbayan Box Law, which was later incorporated into the CMTA as Section 800 by Senator Sonny Angara, chairperson of the Senate Ways and Means committee.

According to Recto, Section 1431 of the CMTA provides the penalty of six years to 12 years imprisonment and fine of Php500,000 to Php1 million to government employees found guilty of extorting money from OFWs and Balikbayans with pasalubong cargo.

Additional penalties include forfeiture of all benefits due from service in government as well as perpetual disqualification to hold public office, from exercising the right to vote and to participate in any public election.

Although the provision on the balikbayan boxes is but one of the many in the 311-page CMTA, “it is one that is most awaited by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),” Recto said.

Under the CMTA, which was signed into law by President Aquino only last Tuesday, OFWs can send up to three Php150,000-worth of tax and duty free balikbayan boxes in a year, given that goods are not in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire.

On top of the tax and duty free balikbayan boxes, Filipinos, who have stayed in a foreign country for at least 10 years and are returning to the Philippines, will also be granted tax exemption for the personal and household effects, not exceeding P350,000, they will be bringing with them when they return to the country.

Filipinos who have lived overseas for at least five years will be entitled to tax and duty free personal and household effects amounting to P250,000, while those who have stayed abroad for less than five years can enjoy P150,000 tax-free ceiling.

Recto said the DICT law, on the other hand, mandates the creation of a “Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center.”

The DICT will also be tasked to formulate the “National Cybersecurity Plan” and form the “National Computer Emergency Response Team,” which, Recto said, will serve as “our IT Special Action Forces or cyber-commandos.” (PNA)
RMA/jfm

NEW CHINESE TRADE MINISTER MARKS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO PHL. On his first official visit to the Philippines, China’s newly-appointed Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Minister Zhong Shan (R) met with the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez (L) on 7 March in Makati during the 28th Philippine-Chinese Joint Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation (JCTEC). Serving as the official bilateral mechanism for discussion of trade, investments and economic cooperation, the JCETC was convened after a five-year hiatus, and serves as a quick follow through of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s State Visit to China last October 2016. Both sides agreed on important initiatives geared towards improving overall levels of trade and investment between the two countries. Discussion highlights included the Six-Year Development Program for Economic and Trade Cooperation (SYDP) that will serve as the overall framework for economic relations from 2017-2022, the list of priority infrastructure projects to be funded by available Chinese credit facility and potential private sector investments from China on oil downstream projects, aviation industry (including aircraft parts manufacturing), waste to energy through gasification, ship building, and ship repair facility and integrated steel facility.

SC junks judicial clemency for Makati court stenographer
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition for judicial clemency filed by a court stenographer in Makati City who was dismissed from government service for grave misconduct in 2010.

In an en banc ruling promulgated by Clerk of Court Atty. Felipa B. Anama and released on Wednesday, the SC partially granted the appeal filed by former court stenographer Victoria Jamora.

On Aug. 23, 2010, the SC found Jamora guilty of grave misconduct for attesting in the monthly reports from November 2005 to March 2007 that there were no marriage ever solemnized by then Judge Evelyn Arcaya-Chua despite the fact that there were 1,068 marriages occurred.

In 2012, Jamora filed her appeal before the SC seeking to be allowed to receive her retirement benefits and to be re-employed with any government agency or instrumentality.

Jamora alleged that it was her first offense throughout her 35 years of dedicated and very satisfactory service to the Judiciary.

In its ruling, the SC said that "Jamora's disqualification from re-employment in any branch of the government, including government-owned and controlled corporations is lifted."

"However, in so far as Jamora's prayer for the release of her retirement benefits is concerned, the same is hereby denied," it added.

The SC said that "the Court is not an enemy of those who sincerely repented and reformed, and wished to continue to serve the public." (PNA)

President Aquino cites armed forces’ modernization feat under his term
By Leslie D. Venzon
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday underscored his administration’s efforts to bolster the capabilities of the armed forces, particularly its modernization support.

During the ceremony for the commissioning of the Philippine Navy’s strategic sealift vessel, President Aquino said the government has released Php60.14 billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization and capability upgrade program from July 2010 to May 2016.

“Halos doble po ito sa pinagsama-samang nailaang pondo ng nakaraang tatlong administrasyon. Sa parehong panahon, umabot na sa 68 proyekto ang natapos natin, kumpara sa 45 ng tatlo nating sinundan,” he said during the event, which also marked the Philippine Navy 118th anniversary.

The President also cited the government’s programs to strengthen the Navy’s surface fleet, air arm and anti-submarine capability, all are being utilized for national security operations.

“Di po ba, noon, napipilitan na lang kayong idaan ang misyon sa tapang at abilidad? Ngayon, ibinibigay na ang mga kasangkapan at kagamitang kayo mismo ang tumukoy, para maging mas mahusay kayo sa pagtutupad ng inyong sinumpaang tungkulin,” he stressed.

The Chief Executive added the Navy currently has five naval helicopters and three multi-purpose attack crafts.

“Bukod sa mga ito, paparating na rin ang iba pang assets, tulad ng dalawang Frigates, dalawang Anti-Submarine Warfare Capable na Helicopters, ang pangatlo nating Weather High Endurance Cutter,” he bared.

On Wednesday, President formally commissioned Navy’s BRP Tarlac, its biggest asset to date and its first strategic sealift vessel.

“Magsisilbi itong multi-role vessel, na maaaring gamitin, di lang sa military operations, kundi maging sa humanitarian assistance, disaster response, sealift and logistics, mobile government administration, search and rescue, at mass evacuation. Sa susunod na taon, inaasahan natin ang pagdating ng isa pang barkong tulad nito,” President Aquino noted.

Apart from the provision of military equipment and assets, the President said he has also signed an executive order for increasing monthly hazard pay, provisional allowance and officers’ allowance, in addition to the AFP/Philippine National Police housing program.

“Ngayon po, sinasabi ba nating kumpleto na ang lahat ng inyong pangangailangan? Hindi po. Ang punto lang po natin dito: Sa halos anim na taon, taas-noo nating masasabing talagang sinagad natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya, para paunlarin ang ating unipormadong hanay,” the Chief Executive further said. (PNA)

DOLE mulls incorporating green skills dev’t in curriculum
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) aims to develop the curriculum and training courses for skills necessary in driving a greener Philippine economy.

Dominique Tutay, Director of DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment, said that with the passage of the Philippine Green Jobs Act, there will be an increasing demand for developing skills tailored for the green job sector.

”There are certain requirements from the green industry for green skills and this information will be supplied in the educational training curriculum,” said Tutay in Filipino during the Command Conference held in the Department of Education’s Central Office in Pasig City on Monday.

Tutay said DOLE will be crafting the road map of the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development, which focuses on the development, enhancement and utilization of the labor force, both in the private and public sectors.

It shall include programs, projects, and activities pertaining to basic, higher and technical-vocational education and training, database that identifies and links green job opportunities with private and public entities, and information on knowledge and skill requirements of a green economy.

It will also facilitate skills training assessment and certification, career advocacy, provide productivity and livelihood training, and extend technical assistance to enterprises to ensure labor law compliance.

DOLE, will be partnering with key agencies such as DepEd, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED), to upgrade programs, training courses and curricula for green skills development. (PNA)

Meralco to source mid-merit requirements from coal-fired power plants
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Manila Electric Co. president and chief executive officer Oscar Reyes said the company plans to source its future mid-merit requirements from coal-fired power plants.

"The coal plants can be more responsive to some degree of cycling. That's the new technology -- they also serve baseload and to some extent spinning cycling could give mid merit spacing," Reyes said when asked on the company's contracting for mid-merit requirements in a press conference Tuesday.

A grid's baseload requirement is usually sourced from coal-fired power plants, while the mid-merit power requirement is commonly supplied by natural gas-fired power plants.

Meralco filed several power supply agreements from coal-fired power generators, which has a total capacity of 3,551 megawatts, to the Energy Regulatory Commission last April 29.

Under the contracts, the distribution utility will source 225 MW from Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., up to 400 MW from St. Raphael Power Generation Corp., 1,200 MW from Atimonan One Energy Inc., up to 528 MW from Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp., up to 528 MW from Mariveles Power Generation Corp., up to 70 MW from Panay Energy Development Corp. and 600 MW from Global Luzon Energy Development Corp.

Meralco senior vice president Alfredo Panlilio earlier said the power plants will start operations by 2020, except for Panay Energy Development Corp. that will start delivering a capacity of 28 MW by September 2016. He also noted most of the company's existing power supply agreements will expire from 2019-2020.

The Manila Electric Co. is a distribution utility, operating in Luzon with more than 5.8 million customers. (PNA)

PN transport, rescue capabilities boosted by commissioning of 4 addt'l vessels
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Philippine Navy (PN) on Wednesday said the newly-commissioned strategic sealift vessel and three ex-Royal Australian Navy landing craft heavies (LCHs) will greatly boosts its transport and disaster response capabilities.

"All of these new acquisitions give the PN a significant boost on its capability of transporting personnel, equipment and aid during humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations (HADR). They will also be useful in transporting troops from one operational area to another," PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna said.

The commissioning ceremonies for the country's first strategic sealift vessel, the BRP Tarlac (LD-601) and three LCHs who were named BRP Agta (LC-290), BRP Iwak (LC-289) and BRP Waray (LC-288), was headed by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

The event was held at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor Wednesday morning.

BRP Tarlac, weighting 7,300-gross tons, is the PN largest vessel to date.

BRP Tarlac arrived in the Philippines last May 14 after a five-day journey from PT PAL (Persero)'s shipyard in Surabaya which started on May 9.

The Philippines has a two SSV order with the Indonesian shipbuilder worth PHP3.8 billion.

She was formally presented to the public at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor last May 16.

BRP Tarlac will be assigned to the Philippine Fleet's Sealift Amphibious Force.

She has an overall length of 120 meters,breadth of 21 meters, draft of five meters and carry a payload of 2,800 tons.

She has a cruising speed of 13 knots and maximum speed of 16 knots.

The ship has minimum operating range of 7,500 nautical miles.

Her sister-ship is expected to be delivered by May 2017.

The ship has a complement of 121 officers and enlisted personnel.

She can carry 500 troops, two rigid-hull inflatable boats, two landing craft units and three helicopters.

While BRP Agta, BRP Iwak and BRP Waray, the ex-RAN LCHs, were named after indigenous people per PN naming conventions.

Lincuna said these three ships will be assign to the Sealift Amphibious Force of the Philippine Fleet along with BRP Tarlac.

These three LCHs were sold to the PN for friendship prices of Php270 million.

The three are sisters to BRP Ivatan (AT-298) (formerly HMAS Tarakan (L-129)) and BRP Batak (AT-299) (L-127) (ex-HMAS Brunei) which were commissioned into PN service in Aug. 10, 2015.

The first two LCHs were donated by the Australian Government to the Philippines in November 2014.

"The acquisition of additional capabilities of our Navy further translates into offering better service to our maritime nation as we continue to protect our country, step up commitment for HADR and our continuing pledge to provide assistance to our Filipino people in all corners of the archipelago. These new assets are manifestations of our Navy’s optimum readiness to perform its tasks and the ability to adapt vis-a-vis the emergent operating environment," Lincuna said.

LCHs are an extremely versatile vessel, capable of moving large amounts of cargo, personnel and equipment from larger ships to shore.

A very shallow draft (two meters) allows these ships to deliver personnel and equipment to areas otherwise unreachable especially during HADR missions.

It is an all-welded twin-screw vessel, able to trans-ship cargo and supplies from ships lying offshore to water terminals or across the beach.

Maximum cargo load is governed by the load-fuel balance and varies between 140 and 180 tons.

A typical load of 175 ton gives the LCHs a range of 1,300 nautical miles, increasing to 2,280 nautical miles for a load of 150 tons.

Up to five shipping containers with HADR supplies and equipment can also be embarked.

LCHs have a draft of two meters, length of 44.5 meters, beam of 10.1 meters and displacement of 364 tons.

It has a speed to 10-13 knots and a range of 3,000 nautical miles and a crew of 15. (PNA)
BNB/PFN/Tiffani Nepomuceno/Tammy Cattleya Delos Reyes (OJTs)

District police chief killed in N. Afghanistan
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- A district police chief was killed and two of his bodyguards injured as a roadside bomb struck a police van in northern Afghanistan's Balkh province on Wednesday, a local official Mir Wais Rabi said.

"The body of Sholgara district police chief Bismillah Khan along with two of his injured bodyguards have been taken to hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif city on this morning," Rabi told Xinhua.

According to the official, Bismillah Khan lost his life in a roadside bomb blast and two of his bodyguards sustained injuries on the way to Mazar-e-Sharif city to attend a security meeting.

Meanwhile, another official, on condition of anonymity, said the roadside bomb, planted by Taliban militants, struck police vehicle at 10:30 a.m. local time, killing one police officer and injuring three others. (PNA/Xinhua)

78 new buildings in northwest Leyte ready for incoming school year
ORMOC CITY, Leyte, June 1 (PNA) -â€" The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in northwest Leyte reported that 76 out of 78 school building projects are ready for use in time for the opening of new academic year.

Only two buildings, both four-storeys, are ongoing construction at the New Ormoc National High School campus and will be finished in July.

Funds for the school buildings came from the Department of Education (DepEd) programmed last year.

On top of these projects, DepEd released another PHP200 million last month for the construction of more than 15 school buildings particularly in Ormoc and the towns of Albuera, Matag-ob and Palompon. (PNA)

EU open to new directions under Duterte presidency - envoy
BILIRAN, Biliran, June 1 (PNA) â€"- The European Union (EU) vowed to continue existing projects even with the change of administration in the country, but their lines are open to “explore new possibilities.”

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said that they have to “wait and see” for the new administration’s priorities, but current projects will continue as planned.

“In the short run it will not affect very much with the project implementation. It may change as the new government may have different approach. Maybe things will change and we will have to wait and see,” Jessen told reporters on the sidelines of EU-funded evacuation center turnover here on Tuesday.

After their recovery projects for communities hit by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, EU has initially listed health, energy, employment, and human rights as next priority sectors.

“We are always excited with both the old and new governments and explore new possibilities,” he added.

The relationship between the EU and the Philippines has started in the late 1970s through Europe’s dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The deal was sealed through a signing of agreement in 1980.

For many years, this agreement on economic and political issues was the primary legal framework for EU relations with the Philippines.

In July 2012, officials signed the EU-Philippines partnership cooperation agreement to further engage and cooperate on a broad range of areas, including political dialogue, trade, energy, transport, human rights, education, science and technology, justice asylum and migration.

Since December 25, 2014, the Philippines has enjoyed enhanced trade preferences with the EU under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences plus, according to the EU’s website

Negotiations for an EU-Philippines Free Trade Agreement were launched on December 22, 2015.

“The aim is to conclude an agreement that covers a broad range of issues, including tariffs, non-tariff barriers to trade, trade in services and investment, as well as trade aspects of public procurement, intellectual property, competition and sustainable development,” EU said in a statement. (PNA)

Pakistani president opposes military solution to Afghan conflict
ISLAMABAD, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said on Wednesday that there was no military solution to the problem in Afghanistan and emphasized the need for political dialogue to resolve the issue.

The comments came amid increased violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban refused to join the peace talks and launched their annual fighting season last month.

Pakistan encouraged the Taliban to send a delegation of its Qatar-based Afghan representatives to Islamabad in late April to discuss prospects for peace talks. However, the Afghan government also did not sent its own delegation following the April 19 deadly attack in Kabul.

"Pakistan is of the view that peace and stability in Afghanistan is imperative for peace in the region. This objective can be achieved through reconciliation among the stakeholders and there is no military solution to this problem," Hussain told the parliament.

He also referred to the efforts by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan - China, Pakistan, the United States and Afghanistan - to facilitate talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

"Although some recent incidents in Afghanistan have hindered this process, we are still confident that these efforts will succeed," the Pakistani president said.

Senior diplomats from the QCG group met in Islamabad last month and agreed that "violence serves no purpose and peace negotiations remain the sole option for a political settlement in Afghanistan."

The president also touched upon internal and foreign affairs in his address that marked the beginning of new parliamentary year with a special focus on the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said the current positive indicators will encourage foreign investors and accelerate the country's economic progress, which will be further boosted by the CPEC.

"At this juncture of our history, we need national consensus and solidarity, the significance of which is even greater in the context of CPEC. There is no weight in the reservations expressed by certain quarters regarding the Corridor," Hussain told the parliament.

He said the schedule of the CPEC clearly shows the project is not for the benefit of any particular government, political party or group of politicians but purely a national project.

"It is responsibility of the nation to remove every internal and external obstacle in the way of its implementation," he stressed. (PNA/Xinhua)

No “experimentation” on airport security procedures, OTS clarifies
By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Airport authorities on Wednesday clarified that there is no experimentation being done on airport security procedures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The Office for Transport Security (OTS) made the statement following media reports that there is a new rule is being tested by airport screeners in efforts to intercept bullet-planting incidents.

OTS is the primary agency responsible for the implementation of security screening procedures in airports nationwide.

“Passengers are reminded that screening procedures at the NAIA remain the same and that no experimentation is being conducted by the OTS,” the agency said.

“The OTS clarifies that it has not issued any policy recently regarding this matter,” it further noted.

Passengers aware meanwhile encouraged to make use of the Last Look/Check Booths located in all four terminals of the NAIA.

Last Look/Check booths look similar to confessional boxes in Catholic churches. There is enough room for passengers to inspect their luggage and dispose prohibited items in waste bins.

To avoid confusion among passengers, there are also reminders of the list of prohibited items in English.

The Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group continues to monitor bullet-planting cases.

At present, a no-touch policy is also being implemented to protect the rights of both passengers and screeners. (PNA)

Duterte plays campaign song to remind Cabinet, Filipinos of his anti-corruption drive
By Lilian C. Mellejor
DAVAO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Tuesday night press conference turned melodramatic when President-elect Rodrigo Duterte played his campaign jingle to serve as guideline to the people in government and the Filipinos on his anti-corruption drive and his all-out war against illegal drugs and criminality.

It was his answer to a question what his yardstick would be of his satisfaction over his Cabinet's performance. “This will be a guideline for all those corrupt…those who are not corrupt. This is directed for all Filipinos,” he told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday night at the Presidential Guest House located along the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) depot in Panacan.

The campaign song by Freddie Aguilar is about the Filipinos’ wish for real change under his administration. The song also sends the message of the Filipinos’ hatred of corrupt officials, drugs and crime. It also calls for the Filipinos to unite and stand for change.

But Duterte guaranteed that his chosen Cabinet members are men and women of integrity and honesty, otherwise, he already dropped them as nominees.

“It’s not a simple job composing the Cabinet. It took me several days when I’m not around in the public eye. I am reviewing papers of the recommendees. I can assure you they are all men of integrity and honesty,” assured Duterte.

In choosing his Cabinet members, he cited a scripture of righteousness, saying, “I am reminded of the man holding a lamp during daytime. He was asked why are you bringing a lamp in the daylight when you can see everything? The man said because I am looking for an honest man.”

He also assured the Filipinos and the Cabinet members that he will level the playing field by not interfering in their work. He emphasized that a Cabinet member is an alter ego of the president, so he must be one “who I can trust, who I’m confident to work with.”

The President-elect also said he does not want to see long lines of people seeking government service. He said he wants fast and efficient government service and documents must be out in 72 hours while big-ticket project papers should be out in less than a month.

On Tuesday night, Duterte through incoming Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo presented the members of the Cabinet after their three-hour meeting. They are:

1) Executive Secretary - Salvador Medialdea

2) Presidential Spokesperson - Salvador Panelo

3) Secretary to the Cabinet - Leoncio Evasco

4) National Security Adviser - Ret. AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon

5) Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process - Jesus Dureza

6) Presidential Security Group - Col. Rolando Bautista

7) Presidential Assistant for Visayas - Michael Dino

Solicitor General - Jose Calida

9) National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) - Ernesto Pernia

10) Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) - Ex-South Cotabato Governor Mike Sueno

11) Undersecretary, DILG - Ret. Special Action Force Chief Catalino Cuy

12) Department of National Defense (DND) - Ret. Scout Ranger commander Delfin Lorenzana

13) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) - Perfecto Yasay Jr. (acting)

14) Department of Agriculture (DA) - Emmanuel Pinol

15) Department of Justice (DOJ) - Vitaliano Aguirre

16) Department of Energy (DOE) - Alfonso Cusi

17) Department of Finance (DOF) - Carlos Dominguez

18) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - Mark Villar

19) Department of Education (DepEd) - Leonor Briones

20) Department of Budget and Management (DBM) - Benjamin Diokno

21) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) - Silvestre Bello III

22) Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) - Arthur Tugade

23) Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Fortunato dela Pena

24) Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) - Raphael Mariano

25) Department of Social Welfare and Development â€" Judy Taguiwalo

26) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff - Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya

27) Philippine National (PNP) Chief - Chief Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa

28) Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) - Ret. PNP Officer Jaime Morente

29) Land Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) - Atty. Martin Delgra

30) National Bureau of Investigation Commissioner (NBI) - NBI 11 Regional Director Dante Gierran

31) National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC) - Ricardo Halad

32) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) - Ret. Police Gen. Isidro Lapena

33) Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) - Andrea Domingo

Duterte said he is yet to choose among the nominees for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

He said he also needs to look for a “berdugo” in fixing the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), alleging that PCSO is both into illegal and legal activities.

“I need somebody to fix that agency, hanap ng berdugo (looking for an executioner),” he said.

Duterte said he still searching for the right ones to head the Department of Tourism, Department of Health and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority although earlier he said he was already eyeing someone coming from the ranks.

He also said he is ready to reappoint them again and again if they fail to get approval from Congress. (PNA)
LAP/LCM/ldp

Cebuana Lhuiller launches National Pilipino Protektado Day, to give free microinsurance to 1M Filipinos
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) â€"- Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s largest microfinancial institution, launched Wednesday the National Pilipino Protektado Day, an initiative that promises to provide more security to different communities in the Philippines.

During the unveiling of the project on today at the Fairmont Hotel Makati, the company, in partnership with Pioneer Insurance, announced that it will be giving away free microinsurance covers to one million Filipinos within the days leading up to July 21, the date hailed as the National Pilipino Protektado Day.

Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier said that the project is perfectly inline with the company’s mission of financial inclusion.

”We at Cebuana Lhuiller have been pushing for financial inclusion and this is just one of the many that we believe get us closer to that goal. Disasters wreak havoc to different communities in the country, resulting to loss of life and livelihood, so it is imperative that everyone is properly protected. More than having the usual emergency kits, obtaining microinsurance is another practical way,” he said.

During his speech, Lhuillier acknowledged the value of relief operations conducted by government agencies and volunteer groups such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, The Red Cross, Oxfam International, Global Peace Foundation, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

He also announced that the first batch of microinsurance covers will be given to these organization’ constituents.

The group were also awarded with emergency relief kits, life vests and lifebuoys to be used in rescue and relief endeavors.

Meanwhile, the rest of the free microinsurance covers will be given out to various individuals, groups and communities across the country.

Aside from its campaign to insure one million Filipinos, Cebuana Lhuillier also announced the launch of several other groundbreaking initiatives during the event; Cebuana Alerto, an Android app that harnesses the digital mobile platform to provide viatal information in disaster preparedness, OurHelp, a website dedicated to donating microinsurance, and the institutionalization of Microinsuarnce Agents Association of the Philippines, Inc. (MIAAPI), an organization founded to promote the interests and welfare of microinsurance agents nationwide. (PNA)

Intensified anti-criminality efforts cause 17.14% drop in crime rate in Western Visayas
ILOILO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Crime incidents in Western Visayas dropped by around 17.14 percent during the first four months of this year compared with the same period in 2015.

The crime solution efficiency and the crime clearance efficiency during the period likewise increased by 59.18 percent and 60.52 percent, respectively. In 2015, the solution efficiency was at 51.60 percent while the clearance efficiency was 52.98 percent.

Data from the Police Regional Office (PRO6) disclosed of 19,647 cases from January to April this year while in 2015, 23,710 incidents were recorded.

Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, chief of the PRO 6 regional public information office, said that the high accomplishment was a result of the implementation of the Lambat Sibat program, One Time Big Time (OTBT) operation, implementation of search warrant and Integrated Patrol Deployment Plan (IPDP). (PNA)

Government agencies urged to allot 1% budget for IPs
DAVAO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Arguing that the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) are considered the most vulnerable in the country nowadays, the Regional Development Council in Davao Region (RDC-11) has called on the national government agencies (NGAs) to allocate one percent of their budget in 2017 for programs and projects that will be devoted to the said sector.

The National Economic Development Authority in the region (NEDA-11) said the IPs require the prime attention of government considering that the said sector still find it difficult to access government services.

NEDA-11 regional director Maria Lourdes Lim said the call is a policy initiative of the council that will be integrated in the RDC-11 fiscal year 2017 budget preparation guidelines.

“There is a strong need to aid the IP sector in efforts to make them more productive members of society through the budget allocation,” Lim said in the statement.

Among the difficulties that the IPs experience in dealing with the government is on the access to education especially on its programs and services.

Consultations done by the RDC-11 and NEDA tell that IPs have difficulty competing with thousands of applicants in view of the scholarship requirements of scholarship-granting agencies.

Such adversities have resulted in very few IP youths qualifying for scholarship grants from the government.

RDC-11 believes that with the allocation of 1 percent budget from NGAs that will be focused on program support for the IPs, the sector will have better chance of accessing basic government services that include livelihood, education and health.

The approach, Lim noted, has been employed for gender and development, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and the youth through providing allocations in the General Appropriations Act.

The measure will ensure that agency budgets will include programs and projects for the IPs and provide them protection.

The move is also in line with the council’s efforts of linking its programs and projects to overall regional development objectives that include social protection for the vulnerable sectors of the society. (PNA)
LAP/LCM/Alex D. Lopez/ldp

NBI nabs 5 'ecstacy peddlers' in Pasay concert
By Perfecto T. Raymundo
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested five suspects involved in the manufacture and sale of ecstasy in the "Close-Up Forever Summer Concert" at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay City that claimed the lives of five people last May 21.

NBI-Anti Illegal Drugs Division Chief Atty. Joel Tovera on Wednesday identified the suspects as Seergeoh Villanueva alias Gio, spouses Marc Deen and Erica Valbuena, Thomas Halili and Martin Dimacali, who are all students of the International School.

According to Tovera, the five suspects were arrested during the conduct of a buy bust-operation in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a condominium unit of Villanueva in Parañaque City.

Tovera said that the five suspects manufactured the ecstasy through a "kitchen-type" manner only.

Authorities also recovered some drug paraphernalia from the suspects. (PNA)

China Hushen 300 index futures close lower Wednesday
BEIJING, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- China's Hushen 300 index futures closed lower on Wednesday, with the contract for June 2016 down 0.35 percent to finish at 3,131.80 points.

The July 2016 contract lost 0.38 percent to close at 3,099.20 points. The September 2016 contract was down 0.07 percent to finish at 3,064.20 points. The December 2016 contract went down 0.09 percent to finish at 3,025.80 points.

The stock-index contracts, agreements to buy or sell the Hushen 300 Index at a preset value on an agreed date, are designed to allow investors to bet on and profit from either gains or declines in the market.

The index futures was launched at the China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) and started trading from April 16, 2010. The CFFEX has set the base value for all the contracts at 3,399 points. (PNA/Xinhua)

Makati Mayor-elect Binay asks Comelec to dismiss Pena's election protest
By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) â€" Makati City Mayor-elect Abigail Binay-Campos has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to dismiss losing Makati mayoral candidate Romulo Peña, Jr.’s election protest.

In her response and counter-protest filed on May 30, Binay noted that Peña gave two different versions of his complaint, violating Section 3, Rule 6 of Comelec Resolution No. 8804.

The said resolution requires that two copies of the same version of the protest should be filed with Comelec and given to the protestee.

The proclaimed Makati mayor also asked Comelec to drop Peña’s protest as it failed to provide detailed information on the alleged electoral frauds in the protested precincts.

“A cursory examination of the Protest will reveal that its allegations are nothing but sweeping generalizations, legal conclusions, speculation, and conjecture,” Binay said.

“None of the allegations identify the specific acts and omissions that constitute the electoral anomaly, irregularity, or offense complained of, the persons and precincts involved, and the events that transpired in connection with such allegations of electoral anomaly, irregularity, or offense,” she added.

She further said that Peña “miserably failed” to disprove the legal presumption of regularity in the conduct of the elections.

Binay stressed that the Makati election “was conducted in accordance with law and under the careful and vigilant scrutiny of the general public.”

She added that Peña just wanted to “contravene the choice of the electorate, sow disunity among the constituents of the rightfully elected Mayor-Elect, and taint the legitimacy and regularity of the election process.”

Binay’s camp also noted that Peña’s complaint should be dismissed as it violated the 2004 Rules of Notarial Practice.

“Ang nilalaman ng Petisyon na ibinigay kay Mayor-elect Abby Binay ay iba sa Petisyon na sinumite sa COMELEC. Ito ay maliwanag na tangkang linlangin ang kampo ni Mayor-elect Abby Binay upang hindi nito masagot ang mga paratang laban sa kanya,” said Atty. Claro Certeza.

“Ayon sa batas, ang isang protesta ay dapat sumpaan ng naghahain nito sa pamamagitan ng isang ‘verification.’ Ang petisyon ni Kid Peña ay may iisa lamang notaryo bagama't dalawa ang bersyon nito. Hindi maaari na ang dalawang dokumento ay may iisa lamang notaryo kung kaya’t depektibo ang verification ng nasabing petisyon ni Kid Peña,” Certeza said.

Peña is protesting the counted votes after only obtaining 142,315 votes as against Campos with 160,120 with a difference of only 17,805 votes.

Peña lost to Binay by 17,805 votes and filed an election protest on May 20, claiming that the Binay camp committed fraud and vote buying.

Binay called Peña’s protest a “desperate bid to usurp the Office of the Mayor of Makati City from the rightful choice of the Makati City electorate.”

A Comelec random manual audit of four clustered precincts in Makati earlier confirmed there were no discrepancies in the results of election.

The Comelec Random Manual Audit Team (RMAT) audited on May 24 the election results in Clusters 62 (Brgy. Valenzuela), 272 (Brgy. Bel Air), 443 (Brgy. Pitogo) and 553 (Brgy. Rizal), and found that they were consistent with the automated count of the vote counting machines (VCMs).

“I have talked with the Comelec verifiers and they confirmed there were no discrepancies in the Makati election results. All precincts were declared to have no inconsistencies,” said Atty. Maribert Pagente, lead counsel of the United Nationalist Alliance and Team Binay.

Meanwhile, Peña on Tuesday vowed to seek a manual recount of votes after filing an election protest against Binay-Campos for alleged vote-buying and fraud.

Peña filed his protest last May 20 against alleged electoral fraud in the Mayoralty post during the May 9 election against Binay-Campos.

Peña noted that he filed the petition to seek enlightenment and to be fair to the public specially to those who voted for him.

Binay, the incumbent representative of the city's first district, is the daughter of former city mayor and outgoing Vice President Jejomar Binay and sister of the city's ousted mayor Jun Jun Binay. (PNA)

IPHO workers attend to health needs of displaced families in Lanao Sur
COTABATO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Health authorities in Lanao del Sur are working doubly hard to prevent an outbreak of any disease common in evacuation sites.

Dr. Allen Minalang of Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said health workers are scrambling to address the health needs of thousands of civilians displaced by the armed conflict in Butig, Lanao del Sur that is still ongoing since May 20.

Minalang said health workers have visited the villages of Coloyan, Samer, Bayabao, Raya Timbab, Sandab and Ragayan to assess the condition of the displaced families.

At least 54 jihadists were killed by air and ground assaults. Two soldiers were also killed and nine others injured.

Minalang assured that first aid has been applied to evacuees who are potentially vulnerable to diseases like children and elders.

A massive medical outreach program is scheduled any day now to attend to the health needs of all displaced families waiting for the green light from the military for them to return home.

Col. Roseller Murillo, 103rd Infantry Brigade chief, said the government forces will continue to hunt down the group of Maute, a local terrorist band that pledged allegiance to the international terror group ISIS.

Around 9,000 civilians have been displaced from six villages

Relief workers from Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are now in Butig distributing emergency relief assistance to affected families. (PNA)

Cabalquinto eyes for KO win
DAVAO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Reigning Philippine super lightweight champion Adones Cabalquinto is eyeing for a knockout win against Philippine Boxing Federation super lightweight king Rodel Wenceslao in their non-title fight in the main event of the Blow by Blow Reloaded on June 4 at the Almendras gym in Davao City.

This was bared by Cabalquinto last Tuesday at the weekly SCOOP Session of The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

“Nindot ni na away. Wala nako nakita iyang dula pero sa tan aw nako kaya nako siya patumbahon (This is a good fight. I have not seen his fight but I think I can knockout him),” said Cabalquinto, who holds a record of 21 wins with 15 knockouts against one loss and no draw.

Cabalquinto, a former WBC Asian Boxing Council super lightweight champion, is fresh from a first round knockout win against Nelson “Mr. Fantastic” Gulpe last February 13 in Buluan, Maguindanao.

Cabalaquinto’s present condition is now okay according to his chief trainer Raides “Nonoy” Neri of MP Davao Gym.

“Kung pwede niya i-knockout mao dyud na among plano pero dili lang mag kumpiyansa (If he can knock him out that is the plan but we should not be complacent),” said Neri.

Wenceslao has improved a lot in his past fights according to Neri. Wenceslao has also scored a first round knockout victory in his previous outing against Kun Wang last April 11 in Jinghong, China.

The 23-year old Wenceslao earlier captured the PBF super lightweight title via a majority decision against Weng Haya last September 12, 2015 at Sabang Gym in Danao City.

Wenceslao has won all his last three fights which started with a second round technical knockout against Takamori Akita of Japan last April 25, 2015 in Mandaue City.

Meanwhile, two undefeated fighters from the MP Davao Stable â€" Interim WBO Oriental lightweight title-holder Jay-ar “Hitman” Inson (10-0-0-7KOs) and Genesis “Cobra” Libranza (9-0-0-6KOs) are also featured in the undercard.

Inson of Davao City will fight former WBC Asian Boxing Council super bantamweight champion Richard Betos (20-14-1-7KO) of Barobo, Surigao while Libranza takes on Jetly Purisima (21-18-4-6KO) of General Santos City in the undercard.

The Blow by Blow Reloaded is a production owned by Senator-elect Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao which is shown every Sunday on ABC TV 5. “Libre pa rin ito sa lahat ng boxing fans (This is free for the boxing fans),” said Neri. (PNA)
RMA/LCM/Lolito T. delos Reyes/ldp

DILG urges LGUs to conduct activities in support of DepEd’s Oplan Balik-Eskwela
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Two weeks before the start of the school year 2016-2017, Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday urges local chief executives (LCEs) to undertake activities in support of the Oplan Balik-Eskwela (OBE) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Brigada Eskwela is an annual program held by the DepEd every two weeks before the official start of classes. It brings together nationwide voluntary efforts such as maintenance and contributions to public schools. This year, Brigada was launched on May 30 and ends on June 4.

"The DILG is one with the DepEd in implementing OBE that promotes the practice of shared governance, brings the spirit of education to the community level, and utilized local resources to improve public schools,” said Sarmiento.

Sarmiento issued a directive on OBE to all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, presiding officers and members of the Sanggunians, punong barangays, DILG regional directors, and the Regional Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

He encouraged the convening of respective Peace and Order Councils (POCs), Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC) and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (LDRRMC) to carry out necessary preparations, anticipate requirements and employ corresponding necessary measures.

LCEs are also told to convene Local Health Boards to assist other agencies, especially the Department of Health (DOH); and ensure that road networks leading to schools are secure, clean and clearly marked with signages.

“We ask our LGUs to assist the DepEd in preparing school facilities and in other necessary preparations relative to the opening of classes. Necessary ordinances may be enacted such as an Anti-Truancy ordinance to regulate the entry of uniformed students in malls, internet cafes, and other recreation centers, especially during school hours,” Sarmiento said.

He reminded LGUs to ensure that the schools and other educational institutions operate with the necessary permits and licenses; and conduct building inspections to ensure the quality and integrity of the structure of school buildings.

“Let us also prioritize and give attention to providing information campaign on responses during calamities like earthquake, fire and flood,” said Sarmiento. (PNA)
BNB/CLTC/Tresha R. Finianos/Hygeian R. Español (OJTs)

2 Nigerians nabbed in QC buy bust
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Operatives from the anti-narcotics team of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested two Nigerian nationals in a buy bust operation in Barangay Balara, Quezon City before dawn Wednesday.

QCPD Director Police Chief Superintendent Edgardo Tinio identified the suspects as Charles Ujam alias “Taylor”, 34, male, married and Uche Adache, 26, single, both residing at 5301 Constantine, Talon Dos, Las Piñas City.

Tinio said that based on the report of Supt Robert Sales, Commander, PS-6 said that Taylor is under surveillance of the Station Anti-Illegal Drugs (SAID) Section of Batasan Police Station (PS-6) because of his reported illegal drugs activities.

The suspects were arrested at about 3:00 a.m. by the operatives of SAID in a buy bust operations along Commonwealth Avenue, Brgy. Matandang Balara Quezon City.

An operative who acted as poseur buyer managed to transact with the two suspects for PHP55,000.00 worth of shabu.

When the suspects received the buy bust money and eventually handed the shabu, a pre-arranged signal was given to other operatives who immediately apprehended the duo.

Recovered from the suspects were two heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu and the marked money.

A case for violation of R.A. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspects.

Authorities are yet to inform the Nigerian embassy regarding the arrest of the two suspects.

Tinio lauded the SAID operatives of PS-6 for this accomplishment and this is part of the QCPD’s relentless implementation of the PNP’s anti-criminality program “Oplan Lambat Sibat”. (PNA)
BNB/CLTC

Pichay, Gatchalians, 20 others indicted for Php 780-M bank deal
By Perfecto T. Raymundo
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has upheld the finding of probable cause to indict former officials of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), corporate executives of Wellex Group Inc. (WGI), Forum Pacific Inc. (FPI) and Express Savings Bank Inc. (ESBI) in connection with the anomalous acquisition of ESBI in 2009.

Facing indictment are former LWUA officials Prospero Pichay, Jr., Eduardo Bangayan, Aurelio Puentevella, Enrique Senen Montilla III, Wilfredo Feleo, Daniel Landingin, Arnaldo Espinas; WGI executives Sherwin Gatchalian, Dee Hua Gatchalian, William Gatchalian, Elvira Ting, Kenneth Gatchalian and Yolanda Dela Cruz; FPI executives Peter Salud, Geronimo Velasco, Jr., Weslie Gatchalian, Rogelio Garcia, Lamberto Mercado, Jr., Evelyn dela Rosa, Arthur Ponsaran, and Joaquin Obieta; and ESBI executives George Chua, Gregorio Ipong, Generoso Tulagan, Wilfred Billena and Edita Bueno for three counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the "Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act", three counts of malversation, and violation of Republic Act No. 8791, or the "General Banking Law of 2000", and the Manual of Regulation for Banks.

The criminal charges involve the acquisition by the LWUA of ESBI, a local thrift bank based in Laguna owned by the Gatchalians, FPI and WGI.

On March 24, 2009, the LWUA Board composed of Pichay, Bangayan, Montilla, Puentevella and Landingin passed Resolution No. 56 (Series of 2009) approving the acquisition of ESBI without the requisite regulatory approvals from the Monetary Board (MB) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance (DOF) and the Office of the President (OP).

The acquisition was also made in contravention of the legal opinion rendered by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) which said that it is subject to review by the DOF and approval by the OP, including compliance with applicable banking laws, rules and regulations.

The DOF also formally objected to the acquisition as it is inconsistent with the ongoing rationalization and streamlining of the government corporate sector and that the financial health of the thrift bank must be closely examined and validated.

To compound the problem, Pichay, et al. approved the acquisition despite substantial negative audit findings uncovered during the due diligence stage.

Audit findings made by a private company revealed that the bank was insolvent after suffering substantial net losses and capital deficits for five straight years from 2005 to 2009.

Subsequent to the acquisition, Pichay, et al. approved the transfer of almost Php 780 million of LWUA funds to ESBI in order to increase the bank's authorized capital stock.

The transaction between LWUA and ESBI was once again made without the regulatory approval from the MB.

A total of Php 80 million was paid to Gatchalian, et al. as bank owners.

In July 2011, the MB placed ESBI under receivership, with the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) presently in the process of liquidating the bank's assets.

Ombudsman Morales said that "in view of the bank's precarious financial standing at the time of the sale, the windfall received by herein private respondents must be deemed unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference."

Morales added that "respondents defied banking laws and regulations in purchasing ESBI shares."

She noted that "the injury suffered by the government due to the respondents' actions is undeniable, as it deprived the government of the opportunity to use the illegally expended funds to instead fund the agency’s lawful projects, not to mention the shares purchased by LWUA from FPI and WGI are now worthless, ESBI having been shuttered due to severe financial distress" and that the "government effectively lost at least Php 80,003,070.51 in this questionable acquisition alone." (PNA)
RMA/PTR

PEZA OKs tax perks for Canadian IT firm
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has registered the expansion of Canadian information technology firm 24-7 Intouch in the country.

In a statement Wednesday, the investment promotion agency said PEZA Director General Lilia B. de Lima has awarded the certificate of registration to 24-7 Intouch PH which allow the company to enjoy fiscal and non-fiscal incentives as an IT enterprise under PEZA.

The PEZA-registration was received by 24-7 Intouch Head of International Operations Antonio Bruno.

According to PEZA, 24-7 Intouch will be engaged in inbound and outbound voice and non-voice enabled services such as contact center, business processing, software development, data transcription, information processing center, and IT support center.

It will be operating at the 39th floor, Union Bank Plaza in Ortigas.

The Canada-based IT firm mentioned on its website that its facility in the Philippines will be 40,000 square feet.

24-7 Intouch’s Manila office will also be the company’s 12th contact center facility. Other facilities are located in Canada, United States, Guatemala, and India.

In a previous interview, de Lima said there has been notable investment pledges in IT parks and centers in PEZA in the first four months of the year.

The IT parks and centers projects are driven by strong demand for office spaces in the IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies like 24-7 Intouch.

Investment pledges of IT firms in PEZA at end-April surged by 129 percent to PHP8.99 billion from PHP3.92 billion in the same period in 2015.

Direct employment in PEZA created by investments in IT sector also increased by 12 percent to 581,565 this year sharing 46 percent of the total jobs in PEZA economic zones. (PNA)
BNB/KMC

Gov’t agencies join forces to aid teachers displaced by K-12 program
By Filane Mikee Z. Cervantes
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Various government agencies have been carrying out their own mitigation measures to address the possible massive displacement of faculty and non-academic personnel due to the full implementation of the K-12 program.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is working closely with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to mitigate the negative impact of K-12, particularly with the mandatory two extra years of Senior High School (SHS).

During a command conference convened on Monday at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) director Dominique Tutay said that the strategy of the concerned agencies is to “preserve jobs” and prevent impending displacement.

In the event of an inevitable displacement, Tutay said DOLE is prepared with a five-year Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) which will support an estimated 25,000 displaced higher education institution (HEI) personnel.

”We give financial support to those who may be or might be affected as a result of K to 12 and the safety-net is linked to labor market programs,” explained Tutay.

The said program also provides employment facilitation, training, livelihood, and other unemployment-related benefit schemes to the displaced HEI personnel.

On the part of CHED, Lisa Magana, chief education program specialist, said that over 15,000 scholarship grants for graduate studies and development grants are provided for HEI faculty and staff during the K to 12 transition period.

Meanwhile, DepEd opened a “green lane” to prioritize and fast-track the hiring of the displaced personnel from the higher education sector.

The government has created 36,000 positions, 30,000 for teaching personnel and 6,000 for non-teaching personnel for school year 2016-2017. (PNA)

2 Negrenses die, 1 hospitalized after eating ‘butete’
BACOLOD CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Two residents of Calatrava, Negros Occidental died while another is still being treated in a hospital after consuming “butete” or puffer fish Monday, the police said.

The fatalities were identified as Romeo Pancho, 44, and Jessie Maloloy-on, 26. Confined was Maloloy-on’s younger brother, Isagani, 21.

The three, who are residents of Barangay Dolis, ate a “butete” dish for breakfast.

The victims complained of stomach pain, and were rushed to the town hospital. Pancho died several hours later while Jessie Maloloy-on died on the way to a hospital in Bacolod City.

Superintendent Gil Flores, town police chief, said Tuesday they are coordinating with the Municipal Health Office in the course of their investigation.

Last December, a food poisoning incident also happened in Barangay Dolis, which led to the death of a five-year-old girl, and downed 26 others, including 19 children, who consumed coconut juice served at a Christmas party at Dolis Elementary School. (PNA)

Bus operator fined PHP50,000 for duping PWD passengers -- LTFRB
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- A bus operator was fined PHP 50,000 after one of its conductors duped two deaf-mute passengers in a bus trip along Bunedia last May 20, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Wednesday.

LTFRB board member Atty. Ariel Inton confirmed that during the hearing on the case, conductor Welie Gumalas admitted that the bus did not have seats allotted for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Gumalas, who works for Bovjen Transport Services, drove the bus unit with plate number TXV 135 taking the Sta Maria, Bulacan to Baclaran route.

“Since they admitted that they have no PWD seats available, that alone is a franchise violation,” Inton said in an interview.

Inton meanwhile said that the Board will recommend to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to impose sanctions on the conductor since the Board only had the mandate to penalize the operator.

To recall, a certain Welzki Valencia in a Facebook post narrated how she herself saw two deaf-mute passengers approach the conductor holding out a sheet of paper with ‘Where is Taft?” written on it, their PWD IDs and their payment.

The conductor allegedly disregarded their IDs, took the money and later asked both passengers to alight in Pasong Tamo when they were clearly supposed to get off in Taft.

Valencia along with other passengers tried to stop the PWD passengers from alighting the bus but since they could not hear, hurriedly got off before their stop.

She later wrote to the LTFRB, which immediately issued a show cause order to the bus operator, driver and conductor. (PNA)

Zero dengue death in Ilocos Norte so far in 2016
LAOAG CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Residents here may have been doing something great to avert dengue.

For the period of January to May this year, the Provincial Health Office in Ilocos Norte recorded no deaths due to dengue.

Dr. Josephine Ruedas, Acting Provincial Health Officer, said Wednesday the province continue to intensify its campaign to prevent dengue. Compared to previous years where there were reported dengue deaths, she said that so far, the province has no recorded mortality during the first five months of the year.

Based on records of the Department of Health’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and Health Emergency Management Systems (DOH-RESU-HEMS), dengue patients admitted in different disease reporting units in Region 1 were at 12,550 cases from January 1 to October 19, 2015 compared to only 5,252 cases during the same period in 2014.

Of the dengue cases, 7,778 or 62 percent were treated in government hospitals; 4,401 or 35 percent in private hospitals and 371 or three percent in city and rural health units.

There were 24 dengue deaths reported last year as compared to eight in 2014.

On the same period, Pangasinan was reported with highest mortality rate with 14, Ilocos Norte with six, and La Union with four deaths. Ilocos Sur had no reported dengue deaths.

In view of this, Ruedas expressed gratitude to all Ilocos residents for their continued support to the clean and green program of the provincial, municipal and village levels and ensure that no life is threatened by the dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

She likewise urged the public to stay vigilant and get rid immediately of possible breeding sites such as empty cans or containers especially in this time of rainy season. (PNA)
FFC/LGA     

DOH warns against taking herbal medications
By Leilani S. Junio
MANILA, June 1, (PNA)--The Department of Health (DOH) warned Wednesday of the ill effects of taking herbal medications which are just seen or heard on advertisements.

According to DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin, some of the herbal supplements residues might be deposited in the kidney and cause inflammation which could later lead to renal failure.

Garin, in a press briefing held at DOH media relations unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila, said that the inflammation might eventually damage the kidney or create “schemia,” a condition where blood supply is restricted in the tissues, causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose needed for cellular metabolism.

“Ang kidney kasi, yan ang sumasalaâ€"act as filter --iyung naglilinis dun sa katawan ng tao ang mangyayari kapag may naiwan na maliliit na bara, ang tawag ay “schemia” or nawawalan oxygen at namamatay (ang pasyente),” the Health Chief explained.

Meanwhile, in the same press briefing, Dr. Susan Jorge, head of the Philippine Disease Prevention and Control Program, said that aside from herbal medication , one of the thing that people should also be careful about was the taking of medicines for rheumatism.

“Hindi lang siya sa herbal medications, but it is very common among our elderlies ang pagtake nila ng gamot kontra sa mga rayuma nila. So these medications are called the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They too cause inflammation kasi nagcacause sila ng pagbaba ng oxygen level doon sa kidney, (schemia),” said Dr. Jorge.

The DOH and NKTI celebrate the month of June as the National Kidney Month by virtue of Proclamation No. 184 s. 1993.

This year, the theme is entitled "Malusog na Bato, Yaman at Buhay Ko".

The month-long campaign stresses on the importance of kidney care in order to prevent renal diseases which may lead to kidney failure.

"The incidence of renal diseases has steadily gone up in the Philippines. Around 14,000 Filipinos die of renal diseases yearly.

Renal diseases, which affect all age groups, are now the 9th leading cause of death in the country.

In 2014, 15,983 Filipinos were registered on dialysis and 470 Filipinos had kidney transplant in 2015." Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin explained.

In August 2015, DOH directed PhilHealth to adjust its hemodialysis package from 45 to 90 sessions per year to increase the maximum coverage per patient. In the past, many patients would stop the treatment after the 45th session because they could not further afford the succeeding dialysis sessions.

The expansion of 90 dialysis sessions was determinedly pursued by DOH with a strong belief that patients do not have to die because they cannot have the quality healthcare they need.

In 2015, a total of 326 dialysis clinics were licensed to operate all over the country and be able to optimize the advantages of the expanded PhilHealth coverage. DOH was able to request additional funds for the provision of at least 1 dialysis center per province. A complete dialysis equipment package will be provided to qualified DOH and LGU hospitals.

The health chief added that DOH collaborated with Philippine Society of Nephrologists (PSN) in providing management teams and making sure that operation of dialysis centers is sustainable and PhilHealth packages are maximally utilized.

DOH likewise partnered with PSN and NKTI through the Renal Disease Prevention and Control Program (ReDCOP) for the advocacy campaigns on renal disease prevention.(PNA)
RMA/LSJ

NIA, SNAP complete MARIS reservoir optimization project
By Cielito M. Reganit
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Officials of the National Irrigation Administration and hydropower company SN Aboitiz Power-Magat (SNAP) on Wednesday inaugurated the just-completed Magat River Irrigation System (MARIS) Optimization Project in Ramon, Isabela.

NIA Administrator Florencio F. Padernal said the project, which was completed on March 22, 2016, could store an additional eight million cubic meters of water in the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIS} reservoir for irrigation. It also provides expanded capacity to impound water in the event of a storm.

The project also included other dam improvements such as provision of two new gantry cranes, security fence, and safety handrails which will improve the dam operational safety and irrigation water delivery of NIA.

The project is fully funded by SNAP at no cost to the Philippine government.

Groundbreaking for the project was held on Nov. 4, 2014 and site works began in January 2015.

“This project is Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) at its best,” Padernal said.

Meanwhile, SNAP-Magat executive vice president and chief operating officer Joseph S. Yu said that the project reaffirms their commitment to support NIA’s mission to provide irrigation for agriculture and secure the food supply for the country.

“This is our small role in nation-building,” Yu said. (PNA)
RMA/CMR

Iloilo establishments compliant with SRP on school supplies
ILOILO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Establishments in Iloilo are compliant with the suggested retail price (SRP) for school supplies, according to director Diosdado Cadena Jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Iloilo.

Last month, DTI released its SRP guidelines for school supplies in line with the opening of classes.

“We are pleased to report that after we released the SRP on school supplies, our regular establishments are complying with it. They even have items that are lower than the SRP,” he added.

Cadena said that as of date, they have not received any reports or complaints on the SRP imposed by DTI.

However, Cadena said that regular monitoring of the prime and basic commodities which is done twice a week will continue.

DTI Iloilo has hired personnel to conduct intensive monitoring on prices until end of this month. (PNA)

16 ARB organizations in Negros Occidental receive P91.37M in common service facilities
BACOLOD CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Sixteen agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Negros Occidental received P91.37 million worth of common service facilities (CSFs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in rites held at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel here Wednesday.

The distribution of CSFs, implemented through the agency’s Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity Economic Support Services (ARCCESS), was held in part of the 28th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Milagros Flores, provincial agrarian reform program officer I of DAR Negros Occidental-North, said they distributed 16 units of brand-new 10-wheeler dump trucks amounting to P5.71 million each.

A total of P45.68 million of dump trucks went to eight ARBOs in northern Negros while seven units amounting to P39.97 million were given to beneficiaries from the south.

One organization in the north has yet to pass the garage inspection, Flores said.

DAR-Negros Island Region Director Stephen Leonidas said that through the ARCCESS program, the agency seeks to increase farm productivity, improve the net income of the recipient-farmers and their respective organizations, and sustain their livelihood through provision of support services.

Moreover, Flores said the facilities are revocable, or can be taken back by DAR if beneficiaries violate certain conditions, based on the trust agreement signed by the recipients.

These violations include underutilization, or failure to maximize the use of facilities to increase farm profitability; pawning or selling of equipment; and failure to set aside funds through a separate account to ensure capital expenditures like acquisition of additional facility. (PNA)
LAP/NLG/EPN

8th most wanted person falls in Zambo Norte
ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Police have arrested one of the most wanted persons in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, an official announced Wednesday.

Supt. Rogelio Alabata, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) spokesman, identified the arrested wanted person as Eddie Francisco, 66, of Sitio Sigabon, Barangay Malugas, Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Alabata said Francisco was arrested in his residence around 8:00 a.m. Tuesday by policemen from Katipunan municipality.

Alabata said Francisco is listed as the number eight most wanted person in Katipunan town.

He said the arrested suspect has standing warrant of arrest for the crime of frustrated murder with PHP200,000 recommended bail for his temporary liberty. (PNA)

Singapore stocks close 0.02% lower
SINGAPORE, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Singapore stocks finished lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) down 0.52 points or 0.02 percent to close at 2,790.54.

A total of 1.03 billion shares changed hands with turnover of 1.01 billion Singapore dollars (USD731.1 million).

Decliners outnumbered gainers 243 to 147, while 521 others finished unchanged.

The STI index lost 5.69 points or 0.20 percent to close at 2,791.06 on Tuesday. (PNA/Xinhua)
BNB/CDN

SPC Power keen on joining bidding anew for Naga power complex
CEBU CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The publicly-listed SPC Power Corp. is interested to bid again should the Naga Power Plant Complex (NPPC) in Naga City in southern Cebu be put up for rebidding , an official said.

Alfredo Henares, chairman of the SPC Power Corp., said the SC ruling was merely to nullify the bidding out and the company’s exercise of the right to top.

”It wasn’t expounded upon on what actions Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), was supposed to take. But if you follow the rationale for the ruling, it said the government should get the best offer and obviously, the best offer was ours since we topped the winning bid,” Henares said.

“The logical thing would be for the government to rebid the plant. There is really no intent of the government to keep that plant. So it’s likely that PSALM will now rebid the plant and if they rebid it, we would be interested to participate again,” Henares said.

The firm hasn’t received the invitation to bid yet but Henares said there were already informal talks.

“Informally, we were told. We have been talking to them and they agreed that the logical thing to do given the Supreme Court decision is to rebid it,” said Henares.

The firm’s purchase of the 153.1-megawatt NPPC from PSALM last Sept. 25, 2014 through public bidding was questioned and ruled with finality to be null and void by the Supreme Court (SC).

The SC denied the attempts of the firm to seek reversal of the ruling.

The SPC Power Corp. is maintaining the NPPC.

After the firm bought the power plant in 2014, Henares said the company invested on various feasibility studies from environment to engineering, economic and market studies and issued an invitation to bid when the SC decision came in.

“We were actually ready to proceed,” he said, but if they win the rebidding, he said they are now more than ready to progress to the next steps.

But if they lose the bid, Henares said , the company would eye other sites to put up power plants in Cebu.

“We are looking at several sites now all over Cebu,” he said.

SPC said it would continue to pursue businesses in coal-fired power plants, power barges, biomass, hydro and geothermal power plants.

SPC’s subsidiaries include Bohol Light Company Inc.; SPC Island Power Corp.; SPC Malaya Power Corp.; and SPC Electric Company Inc.

The company’s associates are Mactan Electric Company Inc. and KEPCO SPC Power Corp.

The firm closed 2015 with a consolidated net income of Php 1.51 billion, which is almost the same as the total consolidated income registered in 2014. (PNA)

Zamboanga City completes summer sports program
ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 1 (PNA) â€"- A total of 2,715 young athletes have completed a month-long training in the summer sports program of the city government that culminated on Tuesday.

Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, in her message, lauded the growth of the young athletes, and their commitment to their sports discipline.

Salazar also extolled the program for instilling in the youth the values of sportsmanship and discipline, values which she said are essential in developing well-balanced and productive lives.

The Basic Sports Summer Camp Summer Learn-to-Play a Sport program is an initiative of the local government, through the City Sports Office, held every summer with the intention of training and building up this city’s pool of young athletes in various sports disciplines.

The program also serves as a venue for trainers to scout and train potential athletes for national and global sport events.

Among the notable graduates of the Summer Learn-to-Play a Sport program are weightlifters Nestor Colona, and Hidilyn Diaz, who will be among the delegates of the Philippines to the upcoming Rio Olympics.

For 2016, the program featured 26 sport disciplines: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, body building, bowling, boxing, chess, dance sports, football, gymnastics, judo, karatedo, muay thai, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwando, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, and wushu.

A closing program, held Tuesday at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum, capped the month-long activity, and featured the presentation of certificates of recognition to the 2,715 athletes, and the 246 trainers of the 26 sport disciplines featured in this year’s program. (PNA)
LAP/TPGJR

Bacolod police intensifies security alert for opening of classes
BACOLOD CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is stepping up its security operations for the opening of classes with the deployment of policemen in both public and private schools.

Senior Superintendent Flynn Dongbo, acting director of BCPO, said they are now on heightened alert in preparation for the school opening on June 13.

Station commanders have been directed to coordinate with the school principals, he said.

The 10 police stations will set up assistance desks in schools as part of safety measures.

Dongbo said the BCPO is intensifying police visibility patrol and checkpoint operations in the vicinity of schools.

Policemen in the city are also distributing safety tips flyers to students and parents to avoid being victims of crimes.

The BCPO also joined the Department of Education (DepEd) in this city during the launching of this year’s Brigada Eskwela.

The Bacolod police will later hold dialogues and lectures to students regarding the curfew for minors, ill-effects of prohibited drugs, and other laws involving the youth.(PNA)

Bomb explodes in front of environment official’s residence in Zamboanga Sibugay
ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" The police are reviewing the security camera video as thorough probe is underway to unmask the identity of the suspect behind the bombing on the residence of a government official in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Supt. Rogelio Alabata, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) spokesman, disclosed the incident took place shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday at a subdivision in Barangay Veteran’s Village, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Alabata said bombed was the residence of Atty. Allan Tolorio of the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).

Alabata said the improvised bomb was placed at the main gate of Tolorio’s residence by an unidentified person wearing a hooded jacket around 1:33 a.m. Wednesday based on the video captured by the security camera.

He said the improvised bomb was placed in a plastic container and concealed in a plastic bag that was left at the main gate.

He said the explosion, which caused damage on the main gate, awakened the Tolorio family and their neighbors.

He said the motive of the incident could be work-related since Tolorio received death threats prior to the incident.

He added that Tolorio handled several cases in 2013 before the latter joined the government service. (PNA)
LAP/TPGJR

Saudi court sentences 14 people to death on terrorism charges
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/Sputnik) -- A court in Saudi Arabia made decision to sentence 14 people accused of committing terrorist acts to death, other 24 members of terrorist cell were imprisoned to three to 15 years, according to local media.

A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced 14 people accused of committing terrorist acts to death, local media reported Wednesday.

According to the Al Arabiya broadcaster, the decision was made by a court in the eastern city of Al Qatif with the predominantly Shia population.

Some 24 members of terrorist cell were imprisoned to three to 15 years by the Riyadh Court, one of the suspects was acquitted.

The suspects were accused of several crimes, including the murder of representatives of law enforcement forces, the destruction of private property, the armed attack on collectors of a bank.

In January 2016, 47 people were executed in Riyadh, including a prominent Shia theologian Nimr Nimr.

Saudi Arabia is said to be among the five countries, where the executions were carried out in the largest numbers over 2015. Other countries include China, Iran, Pakistan and the United States, according to Amnesty International. (PNA/Sputnik)

DSWD workers, Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries join 'Brigada Eskwela 2016'
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday its employees and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have volunteered their services to the "Brigada Eskwela 2016" program of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Northern Mindanao.

Brigada Eskwela is an initiative of DepEd which focuses on ensuring that schools in different communities are prepared for the upcoming opening of classes.

With the theme “Tayo Para sa Paaralang Ligtas, Maayos, at Handa Mula Kindergarten Hanggang Senior High School,” the volunteers went to the different schools in the area to help clean classrooms and the school grounds; repair chairs, ceilings, and tables; and paint classrooms, among others.

The volunteers committed to actively participate in the week-long initiative every year to prepare a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment for the incoming students. (PNA)
SCS/LSJ

South Korean automakers see global sales rise 6.4% in May
SEOUL, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- South Korean automakers saw their global car sales rise 6.4 percent in May from a year earlier due to strong demand both at home and abroad, industry data showed on Wednesday.

Global car sales by five carmakers, including Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Samsung and Ssangyong, reached 761,981 units in May, up 6.4 percent from a year earlier.

Domestic sales surged 20.0 percent from a year earlier to 145, 815 units in May thanks to an individual tax cut for cars, while exports gained 3.6 percent to 616,166 units.

Top automaker Hyundai sold 60,827 vehicles at home and 368,253 units in overseas markets in May, up 10.6 percent and 10.4 percent respectively. The combined sales were up over 10 percent compared with a year ago.

The No.2 carmaker Kia Motors sold 47,614 units domestically and 195,985 vehicles abroad. The combined figure was up 0.6 percent from a year earlier.

Renault Samsung's domestic car sales surged 68.2 percent from a year earlier to 7,901 units in May, while exporting a total of 13, 109 vehicles.

Ssangyong's global car sales increased 11.5 percent to 13,282 units last month, but global sales by GM Korea reduced 5.1 percent to 51,907 units. (PNA/Xinhua)

DA-6 now ready with rice seeds for wet cropping season
ILOILO CITY, June 1 (PNA) â€"- The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas is now ready to release 5,864 bags of high quality rice seeds for the wet cropping season.

Elmer B. Cabusas, the regional rice program action officer, said that the seeds can be picked up by farmers from four drop off points -- at Western Visayas Integrated Agriculture Research Center (WESVIARC), Jaro, Iloilo for the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz and Guimaras; at Antique Research Outreach Station, Padang, Patnongon for Antique; Makato JICA warehouse for Aklan and PhilRice Murcia for Negros Occidental.

Each bag contains 40 kilogram of high quality seeds.

Cabusas added that farmers who intend to participate on the hybrid technology adoption (HYTA) program of the department will receive one bag of hybrid seeds coupled with two bags fertilizer (one bag Urea and one bag Triple 14) per hectare plus soil ameliorants.

“We have available of 29,100 bags of hybrid seeds and fertilizers also at designated drop-off points for this program in the region,” Cabusas said.

Farmers who were affected by El Niño can also avail of free rice seeds provided their names were on the master list and their area has been inspected and validated.

Meanwhile, DA-6 regional executive director Larry P. Nacionales said that the use of high quality seeds â€" certified and hybrid -- are important factors to increase yield per hectare.

He said that the certified rice seeds can increase yield from five percent to 20 percent while the use of hybrid seeds can increase around 15 percent to 30 percent.

Nacionales encouraged farmers to plant early, thereby utilizing the farm mechanization facilities given to their respective associations in the past years.

“We can address the farm labor shortage, fast track land preparation and reduce cost if we will use our farm implements,” said Nacionales.

Meanwhile, Engr. Jimmy G. Elidia, Jr. of DA-6 Climate Risk Reduction and Management Unit said that rainy season has finally set in as announced by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. He reminded farmers to be vigilant on the possible occurrence of La Niña in the latter months of the year.

Elidia said that farmers can use submerge and saline tolerant varieties on areas frequently flooded and encroached by saline water respectively.

This way, they can maximize the production of their farmlands and help maintain sufficiency of rice in their region, he said. (PNA)

China treasury bond futures close mixed Wednesday
BEIJING, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- China's treasury bond futures closed mixed on Wednesday, with the contract for settlement in June 2016 closed 0.045 percent lower at 101 yuan (about USD15.33).

The September 2016 contract closed 0.030 percent higher at 100.315 yuan. The December 2016 contract closed 0.015 percent higher at 99.735 yuan.

The contracts are agreements to buy or sell treasury bonds at a predetermined price and set date. They allow investors to bet on and profit from the movements in the value of the bonds.

The treasury bond futures were launched at the Shanghai-based China Financial Futures Exchange and started trading on Sept. 6, 2013. (PNA/Xinhua)

PHL stocks regain 7,500
By Leslie D. Venzon
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Local share prices welcomed the first trading day of the month regaining the 7,500-level, bucking the downturn in the United States and European equities overnight.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) advanced 99.19 points to 7,500.79 on Wednesday from previous day’s 7,401.60 finish. The index last hit above 7,500-mark two weeks ago.

”Driven by the prevailing sentiment, and with investors shifting attention more away from political risks, this momentum posits an increasing probability of hitting the target, or even surpassing it,” said Justino Calaycay Jr., head of marketing and research at A&A Securities Inc.

Calaycay said Wednesday’s close placed the measure squarely on track to hitting the Presidential year, six-month average rise of 10 percent.

With still a month’s worth of trades in the balance, the year-to-date gain stands at 7.8 percent. The 10-percent line is drawn at the 7,650-mark.

All counters closed in the positive territory, except mining and oil that declined slightly, weighed down by losses from Semirara Mining and Lepanto Consolidated Mining.

Volume of transactions reached over 2 billion shares valued at Php8.17 billion.

Foreigners continued to be overweight on the market with net buying amounting to Php468 million.

Advancers outpaced decliners, 104 to 73, while 56 issues unchanged. (PNA)
RMA/LDV

Counsel belies claims of illegal recruitment by school officials
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" The legal counsel for the Philippine School of Science and Technology (PSST) here, on Wednesday belied the accusation that the technical school was engaged in large scale illegal recruitment in Northern Mindanao.

Lawyer Jerome Jarales said that Jessie Cunahap, the head of the Jespher Travel Tours and Visa Consultancy, should be blamed for allegedly swindling the school’s former students who were promised work abroad.

Jarales accused Cunahap and the travel agency of deceiving the PSST into signing an agreement where the travel agency would act as the recruitment agency of the graduates of the technical school.

He said that with the agreement, Cunahap visited the PSST campus here in the later part of 2014 to conduct a series of orientations to students who were enticed of alleged employment in Japan, Australia, Korea, Macau, Malaysia and Fiji.

Jarales said that Cunahap collected as much as Php35,000 from every graduate who wanted to work abroad, which earned the travel agency an estimated Php2.271 million from 217 PSST students.

He said that the school did not earn from the arrangement, and in fact even paid for the Php10,000 surety bond of some students who were supposed to work in Japan.

It was sometime in January 2015 that the school sensed something was wrong when many students were not able to fly to their supposed overseas destination to work, Jarales said.

In March of that year, PSST cancelled its contract with the agency and subsequently filed 24 cases for illegal recruitment and estafa at the Regional Trial Court Branches 18 and 41 against Cunahap.

Jarales said the school somehow made reimbursements to some students on the condition that once the court orders Cunahap to pay up the students, a portion of that payment will be waived in favor of PSST.

He said that it was unfair for the school officials to be charged with large-scale syndicated illegal recruitment and syndicated estafa cases.

Charged were Amy Bendisula, Pamela Verda, Rodrigo Bendisula, and Rubelyn Llovia.

Of the four respondents, the police arrested Verda last May 20 on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Jeoffre Acebido of RTC-Branch 41. The other three school officials remained at large. (PNA)

Cebu gov orders suspension of canyoneering in 2 southern towns
CEBU CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III has ordered the temporary suspension of all canyoneering activities in Alegria and Badian towns in southern Cebu effective Wednesday, June 1, up to August 1 this year.

Canyoneering, an adventure trek in Kanlaob River traversing Barangay Compostela in Alegria and Barangay Matutinao in Badian, has already attracted a sizable number of local and foreign tourists.

In an executive order issued May 31, Davide said all canyoneering-related activities in the two barangays have to be suspended pending the formulation of policies and strict guidelines to ensure the safety of residents and tourists in the sites.

The order came after a team from the Cebu Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) conducted last May 19 a risk and safety assessment of the canyoneering site following reports of accidents involving local and foreign tourists who were brought there by local tour operators and guides.

Based on reports, three guests reportedly died there last March.

Davide, in his order, directed the PDRRMO to closely coordinate with the local governments of Alegria and Badian in regulating the canyoneering activities.

"The PDRRMO is hereby directed to formulate in consultation with the local government of Alegria and Badian, the appropriate guidelines, rules and regulations on the conduct of any activity relating to canyoneering," the order said.

The Alegria Tourism Office said a total of 32,502 tourists went on canyoneering last year, of which 5,548 were foreign tourists.

Alegria logged some 42,552 canyoneering guests from January to April this year, of which 10,662 were foreign guests.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 said a minimum of 500 guests go canyoneering during weekdays and the number increases to 1,000 on weekends.

Revenues in canyoneering translate to millions if each guest pays PHP1,000 for the activity. (PNA)
LAP/EB/eds

DTI to open 8 Negosyo Centers with fab labs in 2016
By Kris M. Crismundo
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) i set to open eight Negosyo Centers with fabrication laboratories co-working spaces across the country this year.

DTI Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal said these Negosyo Centers with fab labs are in University of the Philippines in Cebu, Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban, and Bicol University, which will be launched this month; Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) in Marikina, which is set to open in September; and Zamboanga State Polytechnic College in October.

In the past five months, DTI opened Negosyo Centers with fab labs in Isabela City and Davao City in February and the most recent was in Ilocos Sur last week.

Fab lab provides micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access to prototype technologies and software in designing and manufacturing, which will help them be more competitive in the market.

The facility helps grassroots communities to translate their design ideas into physical forms through advanced technology.

“With the Negosyo Center’s Fablab, MSMEs are given the opportunity to avail of new prototyping technologies and software in designing and manufacturing products to match the market competition,” Cristobal said.

“MSMEs will sustain our robust Philippine economy. What we need to do is to support them to be more competitive and innovative,” he added.

DTI launched the first fab lab in the country in Bohol in 2014.

The fab lab shared service facility at Bohol Island State University (BISU) was funded by the university itself, DTI, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Department of Science and Technology. (PNA)

Oil price slump gives opportunity for implementing climate change policies
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/Sputnik) -- The current slump in oil prices has a positive side in terms of stemming climate change, providing opportunities for implementing policies better suited to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday.

The latest global emission reduction targets were set by the Paris Agreement climate signed at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) with the aim of limiting the change in global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

"A low fossil fuel price outlook poses both unique opportunities and threats for low-carbon technology deployment. While low fossil fuel prices might slow down clean energy technology deployment, they also present opportunities to better align policies with decarbonisation targets, for instance, by accelerating the roll-out of carbon pricing mechanisms and dismantling costly fossil fuel subsidy programmes," the IEA, which is an autonomous OECD policy adviser, said in its Energy Technology Perspectives 2016 report.

The report comes as the world's countries start to implement policies required to meet the COP21 emissions targets. Carbon pricing is a way of charging companies per unit of carbon dioxide emitted by capping total emissions and issuing tradable permits.

Low coal prices, which have also slumped amid falling commodity prices, also offer opportunities to cut coal and electricity prices, the IEA said, noting that this must be done quickly in order to exploit the energy market situation that might not last long.

Global oil prices plunged from USD115 to less than USD 30 per barrel between June 2014 and January 2016, hitting their lowest levels since 2003 amid the ongoing glut in global oil supply. Prices have rebounded since January, gaining over 70 percent by May. By mid-May, the Brent crude benchmark approached the price of USD50 per barrel. (PNA/Sputnik)
BNB/RSM

Solar Phils to build USD 1-B solar panel factory in Batangas
By Juzel L. Danganan
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Solar Philippines will build a USD 1-billion solar panel manufacturing facility in Tanuan, Batangas with a potential capacity of 2 gigawatts.

Solar Philippines said in a statement Wednesday the first phase will be operational by the year-end, while the facility will be completed in three years. It will start building the facility in the third quarter of 2016.

The power firm disclosed it started the procurement process for manufacturing equipment.

The Leviste-led company pointed out it would use German technology in producing efficient solar panels at the low costs. The facility has a potential capacity of 2 gigawatts.

“Increasingly, solar manufacturing is moving from China to Southeast Asia, and we believe that the Philippines can lead that trend. Filipinos are among the best workers in the world, and the large local solar market can add to the demand for otherwise export-only factories,” Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste said.

He further explained the company aims to lower panel prices, control the supply chain and support the incoming administration's agenda in manufacturing.

“This is the key step towards lowering solar costs, enabling us to produce electricity cheaper than coal. Instead of importing expensive fuel from other countries, we will manufacture here in the Philippines. Soon enough, our country can become the Saudi Arabia of solar, a leading energy exporter, and Made in the Philippines panels will be used around the world,” Leviste said.

Solar Philippines also said seven foreign solar manufacturers have expressed interest to partner in the project.

The company expects a minimum order of 500 megawatts by the middle of 2017. It will be initially used for their projects and will later be sold to the US and Europe.

Solar Philippines is engaged with project development, financing and construction in the country. (PNA)
RMA/JLD

LTFRB to finally phase out school service vehicles aged 15 years & up
By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Time is up for operators who operate school service vehicles aged 15 years old and up.

Starting this month, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will no longer be allowing school service vehicles aged 15 years and older to operate.

To recall, the LTFRB last year issued memorandum circular (MC) allowing school bus services aged 15 years and up to operate until March 31 only.

LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez said that there was a need for a 10-month transition period to assure the availability of school service for next school year.

He said that based on the board’s evaluation, many school buses services set to be phased out in 2015 may affect students going to school.

Under the MC, operators of school services vehicles, upon filing their confirmation, will be required to submit an Affidavit of Undertaking to Substitute their units that reached the age limit of 15 years before the opening of SY 2016-2017.

The MC also directs school authorities not to accredit and/or allow the operation of school transport service units that are more than 15 years old beginning SY 2016- 2017.

“We wanted to start phasing out 15-year-old school service vehicles much earlier, but decided to give operators a transition period,” Ginez said, noting that the phase-out was supposed to take place as early as 2014 then moved to 2015 and 2016.

“They (operators) promised that after a year they will comply. The Board’s decision is final and it won’t change,” he added.

School service inspection

LTFRB has also began checking the road-worthiness of school service vehicles in various schools in Metro Manila in preparation for the upcoming opening of classes.

To date, LTFRB has found only minimal issues similar to last year’s issues such as the lack of seat belts and fire extinguishers, heavily tinted windows and balding tires.

The Board has already ordered these issues corrected.

Meanwhile, LTFRB board member Atty. Ariel Inton also urged parents to assure that their children are transported by school service vehicles that are legitimate franchise holders.

”I urge parents to check before enrolling their children in a school service vehicle, to make sure the operator is a franchise holder,” Inton said.

He also urged parents to refrain from allowing their students to be transported by tricycles that tend to accept more passengers than what the number able to fit and be seated comfortably.

”This happens mostly to public school children. I hope parents who want to save from spending on fare learn to be more aware of the safety of their children,” he added.

Since the Board does not have the mandate to operate tricycles, Inton urged the local government units (LGUs) who give tricycles permits to operate, to be stricter in implementing transport ordinances.

”Local government units should be strict in implementing ordinances not to allow overloading of students in tricycles,” he said. (PNA)
BNB/ANP

Where Has the Spirit Placed You?

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. 1 Corinthians 12:7


The moment you are born again you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the gift. God doesn’t give you some thing, He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit is God. As He lives out His life through you, you have almighty God dwelling within you, carrying out His purposes. The Spirit will manifest Himself through your life, not for your good alone, but for the benefit of those around you.

The Spirit will lead you to a church body where He can minister through you to each person in that body (1 Cor. 12:18). God does not add you to a church body so you can be an observer. The Spirit has an assignment for you within the body, and He will equip you by His presence for this work.In the Old Testament, God gave specific assignments to His servants and then placed His Spirit upon them to enable them to accomplish their work. In the New Testament, God placed each member as a vital part of a living body. He placed His Spirit within each believer and manifested Himself through the believer to encourage and equip every other member of the body. What an exciting commission from God! Today the Holy Spirit equips believers because He has given each of His servants a task.

How is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life benefiting those around you? God has equipped you with exactly what is needed for the edification of the body in which He has placed you. If you allow the Holy Spirit to work freely within you, others will be blessed as a result.    Henry and Richard Blackaby

Peso gains on mixed US consumer confidence data
By Joann Santiago
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Mixed results of US’ May 2016 consumer confidence was taken by markets as a possible hindrance to expectations for a hike in the Federal Reserve rates this June, thus, a plus for the Philippine peso against the greenback Wednesday.

The local unit gained Php 0.11 against the dollar after ending the day at 46.64 from the previous day’s 46.75.

A trader cited the drop in US’ consumer confidence in the fifth month this year to 92.6, based on the Conference board report, from the previous month’s revised 94.7 reading as a major factor in Wednesday’s currency trading.

However, the University of Michigan earlier reported that consumer confidence for the same month was higher at 94.7 from 89.0 last April.

The trader also traced the local unit’s strength to large inflows in the local bourse, which was partly due to higher risk appetite during the day.

The peso opened sideways at 46.75 from Tuesday’s 46.72.

It traded between its closing level and 46.77 resulting to an average of 46.68.

Volume of trade increased to USD 631.3 million from the previous session’s USD 572.5 million.

For Thursday, the currency pair is seen to trade between 46.60 and 46.80. (PNA)

Malacañang recognizes role of media, deplores assault on journalists
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Palace has disagreed with the contention that media killings may be justified if reporters and columnists are engaged in corruption, noting that everyone has the right to due process.

“We recognize the vital role played by journalists as purveyors of information in a democratic society. As citizens, they have a fundamental right to due process and equal protection of the laws of the land,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Hence, we deplore the proposition that some journalists may have been assaulted or killed in view of their alleged involvement in media corruption. It is the duty of government to arrest, prosecute and punish those responsible for violence against members of the media.”

In a press conference in Davao City on Tuesday, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said slain journalists in the Philippines had been corrupt and had “done something” to warrant being killed.

Duterte, who will be sworn in as president on June 30, was responding to a question about how he would handle the killing of journalists in the country.

He said many slain journalists had accepted bribes or criticized people, who then retaliated through violent attacks.

Journalists who defamed others were not necessarily protected from such attacks, he said.

The Philippines ranks as the second-deadliest country for journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists has said, noting that at least 75 journalists have been killed in the country since 1992. (PNA)

'Rights' group seeks release of detained Moro suspects
By Jigger J. Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 1 (PNA) â€" A human rights group here on Wednesday appealed to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to release 200 suspected Moro terrorists.

The Suara Bangsamoro and Kawagib Moro Human Rights issued the appeal in response to Duterte’s plan to grant “general, unconditional, and omnibus amnesty to political prisoners in the country.”

According to Amirah Ali Lidasan, Suara Bangsamoro national president, that since 2001, about 200 Moro men were incarcerated after they were perceived to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

ASG is a terror group accused of kidnap for ransom and the propensity of beheading victims who failed to deliver the ransom money.

Lidasan said that the state forces arrested the Moro men on suspicion of being sympathizers and coddlers of the ASG.

She said that the government’s anti-terror policy and Department of Justice’s memorandum that extended to those who fed and “supported” the local terrorists has resulted in the arrest and detention of about 200 Moros in the country.

“The arrest extended in Basilan, Sulu, Zamboanga Peninsula, Manila and other parts of Mindanao,” Lidasan said.

She said that the Moro Human Rights group has documented 32 cases, out of the 200 arrests, to forcibly confess and sign documents admitting that they were ASG members.

For 15 years, more than 94 Moro prisoners have been awaiting the final decision of the local courts, whether to charge them with kidnapping along with the real Abu Sayyaf men or to release them due to lack of evidence, Lidasan said.

She said that “through the amnesty program of [Duterte], justice would be rendered to the victims, which would also help the possible resolution of conflict in the Moro areas in Mindanao.” (PNA)
RMA/CD/JIGGER J. JERUSALEM

Mayor Domogan wants amicable settlement on Asin Hydro Power Plants issue
BAGUIO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" Re-elected Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan wished to settle the issue on the Asin Mini-hydroelectric Power Plants outside the courts but will have no other alternative if the amicable settlement approach, fails.

Domogan opined that if the issue goes to court, officials of Baguio City; Tuba, Benguet and the affected resident will be the losers.

Domogan on Wednesday, June 1, said his office will continue to encourage Tuba officials and affected landowners to sit down with the Baguio City officials in a meeting and work to achieve a “win-win solution” to the issues involving the mini hydroelectric power plants.

The city will continue to work out a settlement of the rental issue with the affected residents.

Domogan said the civil damages filed against the residentâ€"members of the Tadiangan-Nangalisan Hydro Ancestral Landowners Association (TNHALA) for allegedly diverting water supply disrupting the operation of the plants years ago just to facilitate the payment of the rental fees, may be reconsidered by the Baguio City Council.

The TNHALA members were among those included in the compromise agreement forged in 2010 for the compensation of the residents whose lands are affected by the pipelines and plant facilities.

The mayor also urged the city council to confirm the terms of reference to allow the winning developer Kaltimex Energy Philippines to start the project.

The Municipality of Tuba will benefit from the activation of the flume lines of the city-owned facilities and the payment of the rental fees to residents whose lands are traversed by the pipelines and plant facilities, Domogan said. (PNA)
LAP/Jojo Lamaria

Armed skirmishes between troops, NPAs continue in Misamis Oriental
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 1 (PNA) -â€" The military on Wednesday admitted that it is using cannons to bombard the suspected rebel lair in Misamis Oriental.

Capt. Nestor Endozo, the spokesperson of the Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion, said that the military has pinpointed the exact position of the camp of the New People’s Army rebels in the village of Bunal, in Salay, Misamis Oriental.

Endozo also confirmed the death of two NPA rebels who were killed during the military offensive Friday afternoon last week, three days after the armed encounter took place.

“As of Wednesday, the military’s combat operations have continued as the government troopers started clearing the area to protect the civilians in the hinterland village,” he said.

He also explained that the military operation was in reaction of the reports that the rebels are adding up camps in the area.

About 160 families evacuated to the municipal covered court due to the ongoing armed clashes by the government troopers and NPA rebels that started Wednesday last week.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office has extended free medical services and distributed relief goods to the evacuees. (PNA)

New Customs modernization law to boost BOC’s capability and PHL's competitiveness
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The newly signed Customs Modernization and Tariff Act will boost the capability of the Bureau of Customs and the overall competitiveness of the country in global trade, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Republic Act No. 10863 “to boost the capability of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) as one of the top two revenue collecting agencies of the government.”

President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10863 on May 30.

It is a consolidation of House Bill No. 5525 and Senate Bill No. 2968 which was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on Feb. 2, 2016.

“Moreover, the CMTA will boost the country’s overall competitiveness in global trade due to the adoption of technology and updating of regulatory frameworks that ‘…reduce opportunities for corruption and streamline client experience…’ with the BoC,” Coloma further noted.

Under the new law, the tax-exemption for gift-packages or Balikbayan Boxes was increased to Php 150,000 from Php 10,000 “to address the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers.”

Returning residents, or those nationals who have stayed in a foreign country for at least six months, shall have tax and duty exemption on personal and household effects provided that: it shall not be in commercial quantities and it is not intended for batter sale or for hire.

The value will also be limited to Php 350,000 for those who have stayed in a foreign country for at least 10 years and have not availed of the privilege within 10 years prior to arrival; P250,000 for those who have stayed in a foreign country for at least five years but not more than 10 years and have not availed of this privilege within five years prior to arrival; and Php 150,000 for those who have stayed in a foreign country for a period less than five years and have not availed of this privilege within six months prior to arrival.

Coloma said CMTA allows the country to “align customs management and tariff administration with the standards and practices of 140 other countries, who are signatories to the 1999 Kyoto Convention that promotes predictability and efficiency in international trade.”

In June 1999, the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council adopted the revised Kyoto Convention “as the blueprint for modern and efficient Customs procedures in the 21st century,” according to WCO. (PNA)

DOST invites students to join poster-making contest
By Ma. Cristina C. Arayata
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) invites Grades 7-10 students to join the poster-making contest with the theme, "Juan Science, Juan Nation: Magandang Bukas mula sa Pagtuklas at Makabahong Teknolohiya" until July 15.

The contest is in line with the observance of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) every July.

Students must be from the school divisions of Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Taguig-Pateros and Las Pinas. DOST noted that only one poster entry per school is allowed.

Thirteen finalists will be selected and will be featured in the 2017 DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) calendar.

The grand winner will receive Php 5,000, and his/her work will be showcased on the calendar cover and will also be part of the cover design of NRCP's Annual Report publication.

First and second placers, on the other hand, will receive Php 3,000 and Php 2,000, respectively.

The criteria for judging are: 40 percent - creativity/presentation, 30 percent - originality and 30 percent - relevance.

Entries will be exhibited at the NRCP Auditorium from July 18-22. The awarding ceremonies will be held on July 25 during the opening ceremonies of the DOST 2016 NSTW at the NRCP Auditorium in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Mechanics

1. Poster must be done in free-hand using the following materials to be provided by the participant: a 1/4 size illustration board (white background, vertical orientation) and regular pencil; permitted coloring materials are oil pastel/craypas, markers, ink, oil, acrylic and water color

Use of other materials not specified is strictly prohibited.

2. Official school entries must be submitted to NRCP on or before July 15, with letter of endorsement addressed to Dr. Marieta Sumagaysay, NRCP executive director, at NRCP, Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City.

Contestants are accountable for any issues that may arise with regard to originality and authenticity of the design.

Also, all posters will automatically become official property of the DOST-NRCP. The agency reserves the right to revoke all prizes and titles herein in any case of misrepresentation or fraud, intended or otherwise, committed by any finalist upon due investigation by the DOST NRCP Taskforce for the 2016 NSTW. (PNA)

640 Dagupan children complete Summer Sports Clinic
DAGUPAN CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- A Summer Sports Clinic sponsored by the city government through the Dagupan City Sports Commission (DCSC) graduated at least 640 children from public and private schools who completed training on various sports disciplines held in various venues in the city.

The closing ceremony was held at CSI Stadia on Monday graced by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Schools Division Superintendent Froserfina J. Bravo and DCSC Commissioners Fenilla T. Sim, lawyer Lemuel Astadan and Nanoy Duque.

The summer sports clinic is only a part of the Building The Future: Developing Our Excellence in Sports or B.T.F. Does it program initiated by Mayor Fernandez.

The children were trained according to their choice of interest like in arnis, archery, chess, futsal, badminton, table tennis and swimming.

Archery is one of the newest sports introduced for the first time in the city.

“Archery has been made an integral part of the R1AA meet, but unfortunately we never had an entry in this field because we never had training on this. This is why we included this in our summer sports clinic and we are glad to say that, according to our trainors, we had several of our athletes who have the potential to win medals in this field,” said Sim.

On the same occasion, seven of the Balon Dagupan athletes, who won medals in the Palarong Pambansa in Legazpi City, Albay, received cash incentives along with their respective coaches.

The most decorated of them is Janelle Alisa Frances Lin, a Grade VI student of Genesis, who won in all the events that she joined in.

She won one gold medal in 50-meter free style swimming competition in the elementary level; three silver medals in 200-meter individual medley, 400-free style and 50-meter backstroke; and one bronze medal in 100-meter freestyle.

All in all, she received P7,400.00 as cash incentive.

Other Balon Dagupan swimmers who won include Sophia Rafaelle A. de Vera, a Grade VI student of La Marea, who won one bronze medal; Mark Bryan Rioflorido, Grade VI student of Lyceum Northwestern University, one silver medal; and Sean Iverson Fabiana of West Central 1 Elementary School, one silver medal.

Three of the Balon Dagupan athletes also won silver medals in the Demo Sports Basketball. They are Railey Lester A. dela Cruz of St. John Catholic School, Kristine Cayabyab and Jenilyn Gamboa, both of Judge Jose De Venecia Sr. Memorial National High School. (PNA)
LAP/lvm/lvmicua/rma

Thailand's popular Tiger Temple to shut
BANGKOK, June 1 (PNA/PTI) -- Thailand may close down its famed Tiger Temple, popular among Indian and foreign tourists, as wildlife officials have started relocating its 137 tigers, mostly Bengal tigers, amid allegations of illegal trafficking and animal mistreatment by temple authorities.

In the first batch, more than 100 tigers will be taken away from Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, popularly known as the Tiger Temple, said the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The popular Buddist temple at Kanchanaburi, 140 kilometres from Bangkok, where visitors can pet and take selfies with tigers, started keeping and breeding tigers 15 years ago and has promoted itself as a spiritual sanctuary where wild animals and humans can peacefully coexist.

The temple authorities have been accused of being involved in illegal wildlife trade and animal mistreatment for almost a decade by government officials and animal rights activists.

However, the monks who live in the temple grounds deny abusing the tigers or trafficking any animals and refuse to handover animals to authorities as the place earns thousands of dollars a month from tourism.

Suphitphong Phakcharung, vice-president of the Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua Foundation, said the group opposed to the action because the temple had raised the tigers for more than 10 years without a problem.

The Wildlife department's deputy director Adisorn Noochdumrong led the relocation operation himself on Monday armed with a search warrant from a provincial court.

"We are trying to solve problems step by step," he said.

The department hopes to relocate all 137 tigers in seven days. Most of the tigers will be sent to the Khaoson and Khao Prathap Chang breeding centers in Ratchaburi province.

However, due to the temple's attitude, Adisorn admitted that the operation may take longer than seven days.

Tensions were running high at the temple on Monday as officials and temple representatives met. Officials have also found dozens of dead cubs at the temple site.

The temple monks plan to take legal action against the department and ask the court to revoke the search warrant.

Kasetsart University Faculty of Forestry lecturer Anak Pattanavibool said the authorities were right to relocate the tigers because the state was the animals' rightful owner.

"The procedure to keep the tigers at breeding centers is the best choice we can do, because these tigers were raised in captivity and cannot be returned to the wild. Furthermore, many of them are Bengal tigers, which are not native to Thailand," Anak said.

"We cannot give them to a zoo or other countries because they are the government's property, so the government has to keep them until they naturally die," he said.

The wildlife department said seven tigers were given to the temple in 2001 to be raised on behalf of the state and the tiger population rose to the level it has reached today.

However, the officials said the department's attempts to seize the animals were always rebuffed by the temple. (PNA/PTI)

Russia lifts embargo on meat, vegetables used in baby foods
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- Russia’s government has made a decision to lift the food embargo regime and allow imports of poultry, beef and vegetables used in baby foods manufacturing, according to the Governmental Decree n.472, of May 27, 2016.

Cattle meat, poultry meat and by-products as well as frozen and dried vegetables aimed for baby foods manufacturing have been removed from the embargo list, the documents says.

The Agriculture Ministry is in charge of approving the intended use of the imported products, as well as of establishing the order and volume of permitted imports of those products, the decree says.

In August 2014, Russia restricted imports of food products from the EU countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and Norway. On June 24, 2015 President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on extending the food embargo through August 5, 2016. According to the document, the Russian government excluded young mussels, spat and young trout from the food embargo list. Additionally, the Russian Government toughened requirements for lactose-free production in the framework of the food embargo. The rest of the list (includes beef, chicken, pork, dairy products, live, chilled and frozen fish and shellfish, nuts, fruits and vegetables) subject to counter-sanctions remained unchanged. Biologically active dietary supplements, sports, children's and preventive nutrition, salmon spawn, potatoes seed, planting onion, sugar beet and peas for planting have also been excluded from the list. Russia has also widened the list of countries subject to the food embargo by adding the Albanian Republic, Montenegro, Iceland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. (PNA/TASS)
LAP/RSM

Korean envoy lauds Amadeo police for investigative work on murder case
By By Rogelio Limpin
AMADEO, Cavite, June 1 (PNA) -- The Korean Embassy to the Philippines, through its Consul-General Park Yong Jeung, has lauded the Amadeo Police for their efforts in gathering evidence that led to the arrest of the suspects involved in the murder of Korean nationals in this Cavite upland town on Oct. 2, 2015.

The Korean high-ranking diplomat Jeung awarded on Tuesday to the Amadeo station chief of police Sr. Insp. Dhefry Punzalan and team members Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Oliver Salazar, PO3 Roberto Lacasa and PO3 Kithy Boy Costelo for their investigative work.

The plaque of recognition was signed by Korean Ambassador Kim Jae Shin on May 25, 2016.

The South Korean diplomatic mission recognized the efforts and contributions extended by Amadeo police investigating team to the early resolution to the murder case as “worthy accomplishment.”

A grateful Consul General also cited Punzalan and his team for excellence in their assigned tasks and instrumental in restoring the credibility of the PNP organization they are part of.

Punzalan received the award together with his colleagues from the visiting Korean Consul General in the police station. (PNA)

European business summit discusses future of Europe
BRUSSELS, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- A two-day European business summit kicked off here on Wednesday, gathering top officials of the European Union (EU) and 2,000 more participants to debate Europe's future as the continent is faced with tough challenges including migrant crisis, debt crisis and upcoming Britain's EU membership referendum.

The President of the European Council Donald Tusk, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, are scheduled to address the event, said a press release issued by the 16th European Business Summit (EBS).

Chinese diplomats and enterprises also attended the summit. Chai Xiaolin, minister for economic and commercial affairs, Chinese Mission to the EU, is expected to attend the summit while Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is the summit's main partner.

"The EU is facing profound challenges that need to be tackled. Business, policy-makers and civil society must now, more than ever, complement one another in a vision for a better future," the EBS said.

Around 150 speakers will address the summit on topics including digital agenda, energy union, structural reforms, geostrategic policy, Brexit, governance of the Eurozone, innovation and trade, the EBS noted. (PNA/Xinhua)

Ilocos region to join national earthquake drill on June 22
DAGUPAN CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Ilocos region will join the whole nation in conducting earthquake drill on June 22 this year, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

OCD Regional Director Melchito Castro announced here that the earthquake drill will be joined by all officials and employees of local government units (LGUs), public and private schools and members of the communities.

Castro enjoined the LGUs in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte to lead and coordinate the earthquake drill among their respective officials and employees to inform and prepare them on what to do to save themselves and their families in case a high magnitude earthquake strikes.

Castro spoke during the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) caravan for government information officers and the media in Pangasinan on Wednesday.

The DRRM Caravan was sponsored by OCD, in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in the Ilocos Region.

In that caravan, Castro said OCD recognizes the important role of media and information officers especially in times of disasters.

“Information is vital during disaster operations. Mahalaga ang mga reports na mula sa media at mga information officers para makapagbigay kami sa OCD ng tamang intervention during disasters,” Castro said.

The activity aims to uphold the connection of Regional DRRMC to media and to bridge the gap of information dissemination, he added.

“We must really work together for safer, adaptive and resilient Filipino communities towards sustainable development,” Castro said.

Castro clarified that the Regional DRRM Council does not only refer to OCD alone but to the entire council which has various line agencies as members. These member-agencies collate and verify information submitted by authorities before sending these to the national council and to the public.

“The report from RDRRMC is the official report that is why we do not release unverified reports,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Mike Sabado, chief of operations of OCD-1, said reports, especially casualties and damages, should be verified and validated from all levels before it is released to the public.

“This is to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding. We also do not want to sow panic and confusion among the public,” he said.

The Pangasinan caravan is the second leg of such activity. The first was held in La Union on April 26. The third leg will be held in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur sometime this June. (PNA)
LAP/lvm/lvmicua/rma

Calabarzon police office tops SAFE 2016 special operations
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Calamba City, June 1 (PNA) -- The Calabarzon Police Regional Office CALABARZON topped in the various police operations related to the conduct of “Safe and Secure Elections 2016” (SAFE 2016) according to a high-ranking Philippine National Police (PNP) official on Tuesday.

In his command visit to this camp here, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations and Commander of SAFE 2016 National Task Force, Police Deputy Director General Danilo S. Constantino hailed the regional police for their various anti-crime operations in the pre- and post May 9 general elections police work.

Constantino also praised the efforts of the different agencies such as the AFP, NDRRMC and COMELEC with the PNP as the forefront agency in the joint security preparations.

“In collaboration with the other government agencies, the Calabarzon regional police force has effectively and efficiently addressed the security issues during the conduct of National and Local Elections 2016,” the PNP Deputy Director General said.

Constantino’s camp visit here was described as a “sentimental journey” before bidding farewell to the police service in the next remaining 25 days.

The high-ranking national police official turned emotional as he shared to the police officials here his early career spent at the PRO-CALABARZON including a two-year stint as Lipa City Chief of Police, Batangas from 1997-1999.

The awarding ceremonies cited Police Regional Office 4A (PRO4A-Calabarzon) which took the lead from 18 regional offices on the operation against Criminal Gangs resulting in 15 cases that were filed in court from Jan. 10 to date.

For this and other accomplishments, Calabarzon PRO4A Regional Director in-charge Chief Supt. Ronald V. Santos led other police personnel and individuals in receiving the awards and recognition.

Santos was conferred the ‘Medalya ng Pambihirang Paglilingkod’ for his exceptionally meritorious and invaluable service in the field of police operations as Commander, PRO4A Region Group “SAFE 2016” through sustainable policing system, delivery of excellent police services, and intensified focused police operations.

The awards citation read that Santos’ accomplishments contributed to the prevention and suppression of crimes and effective enforcement of laws that resulted in the confiscation of 2, 204 loose firearms, arrest of 573 wanted persons, dismantling of 9 Private Armed Group (PAGs) and neutralization of 19 criminal gangs in the region.

The Calabarzon regional police also topped the list among the country’s 18 regional police offices on the campaign against loose firearms with about 2,217 units confiscated.

The regional police force also ranked #1 on actual arrest of wanted persons with a record of 1,930 suspects apprehended from Jan. 10 to May 19, 2016 surpassing the National Capital Regional police command with a total of 1, 606 wanted persons arrested in the same period.

According to the Calabarzon regional chief public information officer Supt. Chitadel Carandang Gaoiran, PRO4A ranks 2nd in the drive for confiscated, seized, surrendered, and recovered firearms at 240 next to PRO3’s 346 firearms collected.

Gaoiran also said the PRO 4A placed second in the numbers of checkpoints conducted with a total of 44,060 next to Police Regional Office 1 with 46,698.

It also ranked with the second highest number of “Peace Covenants” initiated with 135 and still second best with 138 Candidates Forum organized, conducted including the police facilitation on conflict mediation.

Constantino also presented the plaques of recognition to government officials for their unselfish dedication and exemplary performance of duty that contributed immeasurably to the successful and safe conduct of 2016 National and Local Elections in the CALABARZON region.

The awardees included incoming AFP Chief of Staff and currently the SOLCOM Commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya; Maj. Gen. Romeo G. Gan, Commander 2ID, Philippine Army; Col. Glorivine R. Dida, INF (GSC), Philippine Army; lawyer Romeo B. Fortes, Acting Regional Election Director, COMELEC 4A;

Election lawyers Vidzfar A. Julie, Provincial Election Supervisor, Cavite; Gloria Ramos-Petallo, Provincial Election Supervisor, Laguna; Allan S. Enriquez, Provincial Election Supervisor, Batangas; Arnulfo P. Pioquinto, Provincial Election Supervisor, Rizal; Dioscoro P. Pajutan, Provincial Election Supervisor, Quezon and Regional Director Vicente F. Tomazar, Office of the Civil Defense and Chairperson, RDRRMC 4A.

Constantino also awarded the “Medalya ng Kagalingan” to the Bacoor City Police Station, Cavite Provincial Police Office to Police Officers 1 (PO1) Roger P. Manengyao; Alex Copper S. Diaz; Trespen P. Puda; Jennifer B. Awica and Sairia Mamintal D. Kaka.

“Medalya ng Kagalingan” awards were also presented to the Regional Police Service Battalion 4A: Police Inspectors Christian Benedict E. Landicho; Mark Phillip S. Almedilla and Moh. Nasser Jibrael M. Baiddin; PO3 Romulo C. Clataro; PO2 Ronaldo D. Mendenueta; PO2 Anthony A. Dalauidao.

The “Medalya ng Kagalingan” was also presented each to CIDG4A personnel: Chief Insp. Joselito F. Brioso; SPO4 Mario T. Panganiban; SPO2 Romeo Y. Abucejo; SPO1 Reynaldo P. Ebdane.

“Medalya ng Kasanayan” was also given to the Command Group and Regional Staff: Sr. Supts Bernabe Mendoza Balba; Marceliano Samonte Villafranca; Antonio Candido Yarra; Hubert Blaquera Tuzon; Supts Dominic Ticar Bedia; Eleazar Pepito Matta; Cecilio Ramos Ison Jr; Dionisio Badongen Bartolome Jr; Renato Sanao Alba.

Calabarzon Provincial Police Directors were also awarded the “Medalya ng Kasanayan”: Sr. Supts Ceasar Zafiro Lumauig Tannagan as Battalion Commander of the RPSB4A; Eliseo Dela Cruz of Cavite PPO; Ronnie Siroy Montejo (Laguna PPO): Aracadio Lescano Ronquillo Jr (Batangas PPO); Adriano Taboclaon Enong Jr (Rizal PPO) and Eugenio Belarmino Paguirigan (Quezon PPO).

“Medalya ng Kasanayan” awardees also included PCI Franco Allex M. Reglos; PO1 Janice J. Catalasan; PSI Angelito C. Burgos; PO3 Romulo A. Ramile Jr; SPO4 Christopher A. Paloyo; SPO2 Jeffrey G. Evangelista; Supt. Rizalito G. Gapas; Insp. Elvie S. Macaraig; PO1 Cherilyn I. De Roxas; PO3 Juluis G. Dorgay; PO3 Evangeline D. Mapa; PO1 Vanessa E. Mitra; PO1 Emalyn G. Manguiat; Insp. Mary Ann Crester N. Torres and SPO2 Raymond D Matibag. (PNA)
RMA/SEP/PIO- PRO4A/rsm

OECD warns of flagging growth, urges world leaders to act
PARIS, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday called on world leaders to better coordinate and take further fiscal moves to avoid "a low-growth trap."

"Growth is flat in advanced economies and has slowed in many of the emerging economies that have been the global locomotive since the crisis. Slower productivity growth and rising inequality pose further challenges," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria.

"Comprehensive policy action is urgently needed to ensure that we get off this disappointing growth path and propel our economies to levels that will safeguard living standards for all," he added.

In its economic outlook, the Paris-based international organization confirmed its forecast of 2016 global growth at 3 percent, the same economic performance of 2015, the slowest pace in the past five years.

Growth of the 34-country OECD area is set to grow by 1.8 percent in 2016 and by 2.1 percent next year, according to the report.

Among the major advanced economies, the OECD expected a moderate recovery in the United States with a 1.8-percent rise in 2016 and 2.2 percent in 2017.

As to the euro area, the OECD projected the single-currency block to "improve slowly" with the 2016 GDP growth set to stand at 1.6 percent, up by 0.2 percent from a previous estimate.

With rebalancing continuing in China, growth is expected to slow to 6.5 percent in 2016 and 6.2 percent in 2017 next year.

However, the OECD saw many emerging market economies continue to lose momentum with a persistent deep recession mainly in Brazil where economic activities will contract by 4.3 percent in 2016 and by 1.7 percent in 2017.

Noting the waning global economy and rising income inequality in many countries, the OECD recommended "more ambitious structural reforms" with major focus on services sector in order to bolster short-term demand and to reach a long-term improvement of labor markets.

"If we don't take action to boost productivity and potential growth, both younger and older generations will be worse off," said OECD chief economist Catherine L Mann.

"The longer the global economy remains in this low-growth trap, the harder it will be for governments to meet fundamental promises. The consequences of policy inaction will be low career prospects for today's youth and lower retirement income for future pensioners," she added.

During its annual ministerial meeting and forum, the OECD also warned that an eventual Brexit "would trigger negative economic effects on the UK, other European countries and the rest of the world".

By 2030, post-Brexit UK GDP could be over 5 percent lower than if the country remained in the European Union, it estimated. (PNA/Xinhua)

French vessel detects signals from crashed Egypt plane's data recorders
CAIRO, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- A vessel from the French navy participating in the search for the Egyptian airplane that crashed over Mediterranean last month has received signals from the seabed that might be from one of the data recorders, Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Wednesday.

In a press release, the ministry said the French vessel "La Place" of the French navy, has received through its search equipment signals from the seabed of the wreckage search area, assumed to be from one of the data recorders.

Extensive search efforts are being carried out to locate the two data recorders in preparation for their retrieval by "JOHN LETHBRIDGE" which is a vessel that belongs to DOS "Deep Ocean Search," that will join the search team within a week.

The Airbus A320, en route from Paris to Cairo, disappeared from radar screens on Thursday at 2:45 a.m. Cairo local time (0045 GMT) with 66 people aboard, including 30 Egyptians and 15 French.

On May 20, the Egyptian army found debris from the crashed EgyptAir plane 290 km north of the coastal city of Alexandria.

Search operations for the victims and data recorders have been going on. (PNA/Xinhua)
RMA/eds

UN urges for more efforts to battle wildlife trafficking in Vietnam
HANOI, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday called on Vietnam to do more to end wildlife trafficking.

Vietnam has taken steps to reinforce its commitment to fighting wildlife crime, including a recent increase in reported seizures of illegal wildlife products, UNODC said at a press conference held in here on Wednesday on the occasion of World Environment Day which falls on June 5 annually.

During 2010-2015 period, Vietnam Customs seized approximately 55,200 kg of pangolins, 18,000 kg of ivory, and more than 235 kg of rhino horn from illegal shipments, said a press release by UNODC Vietnam on Wednesday.

However, "while Vietnam has enacted a range of efforts to improve legislation, strengthen law enforcement, and reduce consumer demand, there is still more that needs to be done," assessed the UNODC, adding that so far very few cases of wildlife crime have been successfully prosecuted in Vietnam's courts, due to inadequate preparation and presentation of evidence, legal loopholes, and a weak rule of law among others.

Illegal wildlife poaching, trafficking, trade and consumption has become a multi--billion dollar business globally, with organized criminal activities driving many species to the brink of extinction, and causing unprecedented destruction of natural resources, said the UN agency.

Earlier in 2015, Vietnamese parliament adopted a new Penal Code with strengthened provisions and increased penalties for wildlife crime.

In November 2016, Vietnam will host the third international Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, which will be a critical event to galvanize the international community to take stronger action against wildlife crime. (PNA/Xinhua)

UN Secretary General expected to attend SPIEF-2016 opening ceremony
ST. PETERSBURG, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2016), Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and SPIEF Steering Committee Chairman Sergey Prikhodko said on Wednesday.

"The Forum opening ceremony will be staged on June 16. We expect it will be attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President of Guinea Alpha Conde," Prikhodko said at the field meeting of the Steering Committee.

Over 200 speakers and moderators confirm participation

According to the press service of the forum, over 200 speakers and moderators have confirmed their participation.

"More than 200 speakers and moderators confirmed their participation in the program to date. These are heads of foreign states and governments, prominent foreign and Russian politicians, heads of ministries and departments," the press service said.

72 events of various formats are planned in program of the Forum held from June 16 to 18, including the plenary session, panels, roundtables, business lunches and talk shows.

The twentieth St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held on June 16-18 on a new site near St. Petersburg. The new economic reality and the search for new growth drivers will be key topics for discussions at the Forum. (PNA/TASS)
RMA/RSM

Lopez Holdings: Clean energy to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, support economic growth
By Leslie D. Venzon
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Listed conglomerate Lopez Holdings Corporation said on Wednesday building natural gas-fired power plants can lower greenhouse-gas emissions as well as support economic growth.

Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez, chairman and chief executive officer of Lopez Holdings, said work continues on the power plants being built by First Gen Corporation through funding provided by its investee, First Philippine Holdings (FPH) Corporation.

Lopez said that despite some delays, the USD150-million Avion open cycle natural gas-fired power plant and the USD 600-million San Gabriel combined cycle natural gas-fired power plant have achieved project milestones.

Both power plants are currently undergoing commissioning.

He stressed these new power plants are vital in supporting the country’s goal toward inclusive growth.

“We must support economic growth with clean energy, to balance our current needs with those of future generations who will have to deal with greater crises from climate change,” he said during the conglomerate’s stockholders’ meeting.

Lopez said energy is needed to power local commerce and industry, as well as household consumption and services.

“Moreover, clean energy is necessary if our country will fulfill its commitment to COP21 (the 21st Conference of Parties, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference), among them to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions conditionally by 70 percent by year 2030, in solidarity with other nations,” he said.

FPH subsidiary First Gen Corporation has the cleanest portfolio of power plants in the Philippines with electricity generated from steam, water, wind and natural gas.

“Its low carbon intensity means it releases lower carbon dioxide emissions and contributes less to global warming,” Lopez said.

Further, Lopez echoed the call of FPH for a low carbon future.

Lopez Holdings owns 46 percent of FPH and holds a 56 percent economic interest in ABS-CBN. (PNA)

Merkel sees no reason to cancel or mitigate anti-Russian sanctions
BERLIN, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees no reason to cancel or mitigate the sanctions against Russia imposed because of the Ukrainian crisis, this depends on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, deputy spokesperson for the German government Christiane Wirtz told a press briefing on Wednesday. (PNA/TASS)
RMA/RSM

Russia detains hackers for stealing USD 25 M from bank accounts
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Fifty members of a hacking ring were arrested on suspicion of stealing over 1.7 billion rubles (over USD 25 million) from Russian bank accounts, said the authorities on Wednesday.

The group has created a malicious computer program to gain access to accounts of legal entities and correspondent accounts of financial institutions, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The suspects have been detained in 15 different regions and transported to Moscow with the support of the newly created National Guard, the Federal Security Service said in a separate statement.

During the searches, a large amount of computer equipment, electronic data storage devices, SIM cards, bank cards, rubber stamps and forged documents of legal entities have been seized.

The investigation department of the Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case. (PNA/Xinhua)
RMA/eds

Russian athletes can’t perform at Rio Olympics without IAAF’s permission â€" official
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- Russian athletes won’t be able to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro unless the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) restores Russia’s membership, President of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) Dmitry Shlyakhtin told TASS on Wednesday.

The BBC reported earlier that the officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were actively discussing the possibility of a compromise decision that would allow Russian athletes to take part in the Rio Olympics, even if Russia’s IAAF membership was not restored.

"We won’t be able to participate, if we’re not readmitted into the IAAF. Under legislation, our federation must be accredited," Shlyakhtin said.

"All international starts are authorized through accreditation of the international federation," the athletics chief said.

The independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published on November 9 the results of its probe into the activities of the all-Russian Athletics Federation, the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Russian Sports Ministry.

The commission accused certain athletes and sports officials of doping abuse and involvement in other activities related to violations of international regulations on performance enhancing substances.

RUSADA and the Moscow anti-doping laboratory subsequently suspended their activities, while WADA’s Board of Founders approved the decision of the agency’s independent committee that RUSADA did not comply with the Code of the international anti-doping organization.

The International Association of Athletics Federations said at its Council meeting in November that a report prepared by the All-Russian Athletics Federation on the struggle against doping was unsatisfactory and decided by a majority of votes to suspend Russia’s membership in the international athletics association.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko traveled on November 25-26 to Germany’s Frankfurt, where he met with the administration of WADA, and a road map on the settlement of the current situation was drafted as a result of that meeting.

The WADA independent commission was set up and began its work earlier, following a series of German documentaries on the alleged mass use of performance enhancing drugs among Russia’s field and track athletes.

The IAAF will make a final decision on the ARAF’s membership at its Council meeting on June 17.

The Olympic Games in Brazil will be held on August 5 - 21. (PNA/TASS)
RMA/RSM

Iran backs OPEC move to stabilize crude market
TEHRAN, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Iran supports any decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to create balance in the crude market, the director of OPEC affairs at Iran' s Oil Ministry said Wednesday.

"Iran supports any OPEC move to induce stability to oil market with fair and logical prices," Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying by Petro-Energy Information Network (SHANA).

Since the lift of western sanctions on Iran's energy sector in January, Iran has been ramping out its oil production and exports to claw back lost market share.

"Iran expects fellow OPEC members to understand Tehran's status which is trying to bring its market share and production level after years of draconian sanctions to the pre-sanctions levels," Asali said ahead of an OPEC meeting in Vienna of Austria on Thursday.

Western sanctions on Iran's energy sector over the latter's sensitive nuclear program had cut Iran's crude output to around 2. 5 million barrels per day (bpd) and reduced exports to barely above 1 million bpd during 2012-2015.

On May 16, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that the country's crude production and exports had almost doubled compared to the levels seen during the sanctions period.

Zanganeh will leave Tehran for Vienna on Wednesday to attend the 169th ordinary meeting of OPEC, according to semi-official Mehr news agency.

The meeting seeks to determine OPEC policy for the next six months, to collectively study the situation of oil market and pick a new secretary general for the organization. (PNA/Xinhua)
RMA/RSM

12 Zika cases registered in Germany in May
BERLIN, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- One month after the introduction of an official reporting requirement for Zika virus, authorities have registered 12 cases of the disease in Germany, local media reported on Wednesday.

Newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung reported the number of officially registered Zika cases in Germany has risen to 56 since October. However, a reporting requirement has been only in force since May 1.

A spokeswoman of the Robert Koch Institute, an organization responsible for disease control and prevention, was quoted as saying: "We believe that each of these patients has been infected while traveling."

There may be a significant number of unreported cases in Germany, since the course of the infection can run mildly and affected persons often do not go to the doctor, she said.

Zika has so far been detected in about 60 countries. Particularly affected are countries in Central and South America.

Zika is mainly spread by mosquito bites. The World Health Organization, however, pointed out that Zika is also sexually transferable. (PNA/Xinhua)

RE asset finance for PHL reaches USD 798-M in 2015
By Juzel L. Danganan
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- Renewable energy asset financing in the Philippines reached USD 798 million last year, according to the Renewables Global Status Report released Wednesday by global organization Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century.

The association said the Philippines is the fifth country in Asia to have the biggest asset finance for renewables -- amounting to USD 798 million.

"Apart from China, Japan and India, Thailand was the only other country in Asia to reach USD 1 billion in asset finance for renewables. Thailand was followed by the Philippines (USD 798 million), Pakistan (USD 723 million), the Republic of Korea (USD 395 million), Vietnam (USD 248 million) and Kazakhstan (USD 101 million)," it said.

The Paris-based association also pointed out the Philippines, among other countries, emerged as "important markets" for more than one renewable technology.

The Philippines started offering the feed-in-tariff subsidy in 2014 to encourage investments in emerging renewable technologies, such as biomass, hydro, ocean, solar and wind. RE developers are allowed to charge at a per kilowatt-hour rate for 20 years.

For asset finance around the globe, grid-scale renewable energy projects amounted to USD 34.3 billion in the first quarter of 2016 -- down by 16 percent for the same quarter last year.

"Asset finance of utility-scale renewable energy projects amounted to USD 34.3 billion worldwide in Q1 2016, down 16% compared to the same quarter in 2015," it said.

Global investment in renewable energy, on the other hand, was lower by 12.5 percent at USD 52.7 billion for the first quarter of 2016 -- compared with USD 60.2 billion for the same period last year.

Last March, the Philippine Board of Investments reported it approved a total of 144 renewable energy projects -- with a capacity of 3,861 megawatts -- that costs Php 170.94 billion from 2010 until December 2015. (PNA)
RMA/JLD

Sensex back in green, rises 46 pts on macroeconomic data
MUMBAI, June 1 (PNA/PTI) -- After a day's pause, benchmark Sensex resumed its upward march by regaining almost 46 points to end at 7-month high of 26,713.93, spurred by rally in FMCG, teck and oil&gas stocks as buying activity re-emerged on robust GDP numbers and core infrastructure sector growth.

Brokers said a series of domestic positive factors like forecast of an 'above-monsoon' rains, encouraging Q4 earnings and sustained foreign fund inflows have been driving the markets.

Trading sentiment also got boost from the encouraging GDP numbers and robust growth in core sectors for April. The GDP grew 7.9 per cent in the January-March quarter of 2015-16, taking the overall economic growth to a five-year high of 7.6 per cent for the entire fiscal.

Also, the eight core infrastructure sectors grew 8.5 per cent in April on the back of pick up in output of refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity.

Meanwhile, a monthly PMI survey showed that manufacturing output in India grew at its slowest pace in 5 months in May.

"In reaction to encouraging GDP numbers and core infrastructure sectors growth, equity markets resumed their upward journey, but caution ahead of RBI monetary policy review next week capped upside in index," said Manoj Choraria, a Delhi-based NSE broker.

Stocks of Adani Ports emerged top gainers among Sensex consitutents by rising 4.98 per cent to Rs 202.20, followed by Asian Paint 3.54 per cent to Rs 1,018.95.

Shares of state-run oil marketing companies such as BPCL and IOC turned buyers' fancy and recorded gains by up to 1.15 per cent following a hike in petrol and diesel prices.

The 30-share Sensex after opening higher at 26,684.46, advanced further on sustained buying to hit a high of 26,857.25, its highest level since October 30 last year.

Finally, it settled 45.97 points or 0.17 per cent higher at 26,713.93.

Yesterday, the index had lost 57.64 points for the first time in six sessions as investors booked profits in recent gainers. (PNA/PTI)
RMA/RSM

Henry VIII era artifacts on show in England
LONDON, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Previously unseen artifacts from one of the most important monastic remains in Europe went on display for the first time Wednesday at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire.

They have been unseen for 500 years since England's King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of more than 800 churches around his kingdom.

The ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire, a major tourist attraction, have become home to Britain's newest museum to display some of the artifacts rescued after what was known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Rievaulx Abbey was ransacked and destroyed in 1538 by the royal command of King Henry, best known as the monarch who had six wives.

It was his massive fallout with the Roman Catholic pope that led to the churches, monasteries and abbeys being destroyed when Henry established his own rival religion, the Church of England with him as its head. That tradition has continued ever since with Queen Elizabeth II the current head of the Church of England.

Elaborate medieval stone carvings, chess pieces and gold coins tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of what was, in 1132, the first abbey in the North of England to be established by the religious Cistercian order.

The artifacts include a beautiful carved stone doorway, reconstructed for the first time since it was buried in a heap of rubble almost 500 years ago, along with a massive ingot stamped with the king's emblem, weighing half a tonne, made out of the lead from the abbey roof that was melted down in a fire made from the timbers.

An imposing screen from the abbey church has been reassembled for the first time, and serves as the centerpiece to the new museum.

An investment of 2.6 million U.S. dollars by English Heritage has helped create the new museum as a permanent home for the collection.

Dr Michael Carter, senior properties historian for English Heritage, said: "Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most important abbeys in England -- and the setting one of the most beautiful. It was a place of huge spiritual significance for the country, two of its abbots were venerated as saints, and one utterly transformed by dramatic upheavals under Henry VIII."

In its post-dissolution life as a ruin, the abbey became a focal point for poets, painters, and scholars. In 1917, the abbey became one of the first major ruins to be officially conserved by the forerunner to English Heritage. Although much of the abbey is ruined, the eastern parts of the church stand to almost their full height as a breath-taking reminder of Rievaulx's monastic past. (PNA/Xinhua)

FIFA president says volunteers are 'Heart and Soul' of 2018 World Cup
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- Volunteers of the FIFA World Cup are the "heart and the soul" of the global football championship, which will be held in Russia in two years, FIFA President Gianni Infantino told journalists on Wednesday.

"I am here for the launch of the volunteer program and because President [Vladimir] Putin invited me to come," Infantino, who is currently paying an official visit to Russia, said. "Volunteers are the heart and the soul of the World Cup."

"They are those who will make people feel welcomed, feel at home," he said. "They are playing a very important role. It is the population of Russia that is participating actively in the organization of the World Cup."

The FIFA president said all people can be considered volunteers to some extent and can viewed himself as a volunteer as well.

"Sport in general, and football in particular, is based on work of millions of volunteers - while driving their kids to play matches, while washing their shirts," he said. "We have all been volunteers to some extent. I feel very much part of this volunteer team."

Later in the afternoon both Infantino and Putin will launch the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Volunteer Recruitment campaign at a solemn ceremony in the Russian capital.

The ceremony will be also attended by Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Director General of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Russia-2018 Alexei Sorokin, famous Spanish footballer Carles Puyol, who is the 2008 Euro Cup champion and the 2010 World Cup champion, as well as by many other Russian officials, celebrities and footballers.

Presentation of the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup in Russia

FIFA plans a presentation event during the 2016 UEFA Euro Cup in France to provide information on the upcoming 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup in Russia, Infantino said.

"It is not hundred percent fixed yet but we are planning an event on the 8th of July in order to present a bit more information on the Confederations Cup and the World Cup," Infantino said. "I will be there as well obviously."

"As for the European championship I am planning to go to the opening match and go to the final and for the rest [of the matches] we will see," Infantino said. "But a have a few other things to do as well."

"As much as I love to go to watch football matches I am afraid I will not have too much time to go and attend the games," Infantino said.

Underpriced tickets

A special category of tickets for matches of the 2018 World Cup in Russia will not be a problem for FIFA as the global organization wants to give a chance for everyone to buy a ticket at a reasonable price, Infantino said.

Ticket prices for FIFA tournaments are usually divided into three categories and the global football organization visas the price for each category. In case the fourth category is introduced for the World Cup in Russia it will be the cheapest compared to the others.

"We are having discussions but we are not ready yet to visa prices," Infantino, who is currently paying an official visit to Russia, said. "There will certainly be the fourth category of tickets and it will take into account, of course, the local situation."

"We will not lose money. FIFA will generate enough for the World Cup," he said. "It is important that we give a chance to the people to participate."

"There will be more than 600,000 of tickets on sale for the Confederations Cup and more than a million tickets on sale for the World Cup," Infantino said. "So many people will be able to attend these events, but many people will not be able to attend the events."

"We must really give the possibility to everyone or at least a chance to buy a ticket at a reasonable price and to be able to attend the matches," Infantino added.

Last October, the Russian Sports Ministry certified 15 higher education establishments in 11 cities across Russia, officially authorizing them to recruit and prepare volunteers for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup, which are the two major FIFA events to be hosted by Russia in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Today’s ceremony will officially launch the recruitment, selection and training of volunteers for the 2017 and 2018 FIFA tournaments. A total of 5,000 volunteers will be selected to serve at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, while 15,000 volunteers are planned to be recruited for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Infantino, elected the president of the world’s governing body of football three months ago, is paying his second official visit to Russia in his current capacity.

He paid his previous visit to Moscow in late April. He held a meeting with President Putin, Sports Minister Mutko and other state and sports officials, addressed the Federation Council (the Russian parliament’s upper house), toured the newly-built Otkritie-Arena stadium, which will host 2018 World Cup matches, and paid a visit to the currently reconstructed Luzhniki Arena, which will host the final match of the 2018 World Cup.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held at four stadiums in Russia and they are Otkritie-Arena in Moscow, St. Petersburg Arena, Fisht in Sochi and Kazan-Arena in Kazan. (PNA/TASS)
RMA/RSM

Thousands of civilians in Aleppo province in danger of displacement
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/Sputnik) -- Daesh offensives on the towns of Marea, Kiljibrin and Kafr Kalbein in Syria's Aleppo province have resulted in over 15,000 people becoming trapped in besieged areas in late May, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The civilian population in Syria's Aleppo province is in danger of becoming internally displaced amid an Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) advance in the region, the United Nations said Wednesday.

Daesh offensives on the towns of Marea, Kiljibrin and Kafr Kalbein have resulted in over 15,000 people becoming trapped in besieged areas in late May, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, citing UN special rapporteurs on human rights.

The special rapporteurs added that 165,000 internally displaced persons remain trapped in areas near the Turkish border and called for a safe passage of all civilians out of conflict areas, as well as unimpeded humanitarian aid access.

The UN also warned of possible mass executions taking place in the affected areas.

"Unconfirmed yet disturbing reports indicate that ISIL [ISIL or Daesh] militants have executed families, including women and children, with alleged links to Free Syrian Army affiliated groups in the town of Kiljibrin…If verified any such actions would constitute arbitrary executions and could amount to war crimes," Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns was quoted as saying in the statement.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27. The ceasefire does not apply to terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State and Nusra Front, outlawed in many countries, including Russia. Violence in and around Aleppo has continued despite the ceasefire, as both the Nusra Front and the IS maintain a heavy presence there. (PNA/Sputnik)
RMA/RSM

South Sudan IDPs living in UN protection camps fall to 170,000
JUBA, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- South Sudan's total of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in UN protection of civilians (PoC) sites due to displacements from the more than two years civil conflict has reduced to 169,983 in May from 200,000 last year, the UN mission said on Wednesday.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Spokesperson Ariane Quentier said some 169,983 IDPs are currently living in the six protection of civilian sites.

"We are protecting in Juba 27, 959, Bentiu 98, 653, Malakal 40, 448, Bor 2,004 and in Wau 219 IDPs," Quentier told journalists in Juba.

She explained that the number of displaced civilians in Bentiu, Unity state PoC decreased by almost 7,000 last week from 122,000 civilians who sought shelter at the height of the violent conflict.

"The main destination of the civilians departing the sites is Rubkoena and Git counties to where 1,111 civilians made their way only in the last week," Quentier revealed.

"These counties have been targeted for an increased humanitarian response and support to allow civilians to consider return for farming activities, something very important in a climate of food insecurity," she added.

Quentier disclosed that an additional 298 civilians living in the PoCs were farmers who have also requested support from UNMISS and humanitarian partners for the farming activities in the surrounding area for the protection of civilians sites.

The UNMISS explained the IDPs are leaving PoCs on voluntary basis that is ongoing but still a fragile process.

UNMISS is also manning a forward operating base in Bentiu town as well as temporary operating base in Leer from which UNMISS can project troops on patrol according to needs which will provide an increased sense of safety at a time when post-conflict and transitional institutions are being put in place.

"In Malakal the relocation of civilians following the incidents of February is on and it should be concluded soon," Quentier said.

She disclosed that some of the recently received 37 explosive detection dogs will remain in juba and many of them will be transported to Bor and Malakal.

Quentier added that the establishment of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission and other bodies enshrined in the peace agreement coupled with the return of IDPs to their homes showed progress in the peace implementation process. (PNA/Xinhua)

Russia, Mexico need to build up trade â€" Mexican deputy foreign minister
MOSCOW, June 1 (PNA/TASS) -- Russia and Mexico should focus on development of economic ties, Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos de Icaza said in his speech delivered to the students of the Russian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy on Wednesday.

"Russia and Mexico have good political contacts. A dialogue is under way at high and summit levels. Solid cultural ties have been established," Carlos de Icaza said.

"Now, it is necessary to establish economic cooperation. I think that the emphasis should be placed on trade ties," the Mexican diplomat told the academy’s students.

The diplomat said that many people mistakenly believed that the United States was Mexico’s only trading partner. Mexico has established solid trade ties with the European Union countries and Asia and develops active contacts with the Middle East and African states, he added.

"Our trade turnover with Russia amounts to about 2 billion US dollars," Carlos de Icaza went on to say. "I think that our two counties are lacking knowledge of each other. It is necessary to search for ways of building contacts in order to know in what areas we can trade," the deputy foreign minister said.

Carlos de Icaza is paying a working visit to Moscow on June 1-2. He is expected to meet Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin. (PNA/TASS)
LAP/RSM

DOH calls for support in campaign for 'plain packaging' of tobacco products
By Leilani S. Junio
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) is calling for public support in the campaign for "plain packaging" of cigarettes in line with the celebration of “No Smoking Month” this June and “World No Tobacco Day” last May 31.

Plain (standardized) packaging of tobacco products refers to a measure that restricts the use of logos, colors, brand images or promotional information on packaging.

Under plain packaging, health warnings would continue to appear, but the brand portion of the package would have the same color for all brands.

The brand name would be allowed on packages, but only in a standard location, color, font style, and size.

“By plain packaging, ibig sabihin nito ay magkakaroon lang siya ng maliliit na tatak, konting tatak para malaman kung ano iyan at ang pinakaimportante is it will not add on and entice, especially the young generation, to keep on smoking or even initiate smoking,” said DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin in a press briefing held on Wednesday at the DOH Media Relations Unit in Tayuman, Santa Cruz, Manila.

This year's theme for "World No Tobacco Day" celebration is "Getting ready for plain packaging."

Secretary Garin said she also wants to extend the call to her successor at the DOH.

“We are going to pass this over to my successor and the new administration at ipanawagan 'yung campaign for plain packaging on tobacco -- ibig sabihin, dapat ang sigarilyo ay wala siyang maraming kaartehan at wala siyang maraming marketing strategy para ma-enganyo ang ating mga kabataan,” she added.

The Lady Health Chief also said that cigarette smoking not only causes cancers but also other ailments, including renal failure.

“And that is why we are now hitting two birds with one stone. Kung pwede talagang ihinto ang paninigarilyo, at 'yung mga di pa nagsimula, don’t attempt to start it, at kung sakaling nagsisigarilyo na, ugaliing bawasan ito dahil maski ikaw ay huminto sa paninigarilyo, eh nandiyan pa rin,” she said.

She said that in quitting or preventing smoking, the concerned individuals can start the determination by thinking of their families or loved ones as motivation.

“Kapag ikaw ay naninigarilyo, iyung perwisyo nito ay di lamang sa 'yong sarili kundi kasama nito 'yong mga tao sa palibot mo,” she added.

She also said that at present, they are intensifying the campaign among hypertension and diabetes clubs as part of avoiding or dealing early with the onset of complications before they turn into severe conditions.

The DOH, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other anti-tobacco partners come together annually every May 31 to celebrate "World No Tobacco Day."

Meanwhile, the whole month of June is observed as the "National No Smoking Month" for the country.

"We have achieved a historical milestone from our strong efforts to control tobacco use in the country and we will not waste that. Aside from the Sin Tax Reform Law, we believe the Graphic Health Warnings (GHW) Law will be of great help, especially in reminding Filipinos not to engage in smoking and to those who are smoking, to eventually quit. This year, World No Tobacco Day reminds us to go full blast in implementing GHW Law and that by November 4, 2016, the public should see graphic health warnings in all cigarette packs," Garin said.

Under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which the Philippines is a signatory, both the Article 11 and the Article 13 guidelines recommend that parties consider implementing plain packaging.

Since March this year, in line with the release of the Graphic Health Warnings (GHW) Law's implementing rules and regulations, all tobacco products manufactured or imported for sale in the Philippines are required to carry graphic health warnings on the lower portion of the cigarette pack, in at least 50 percent of both sides of the pack.

By November 2016, it is expected that all cigarette packaging that will appear in the market will be containing the GHW.

As a next step to that, the proposal is to turn the packaging into something plain and simple but still containing the GHW to make it less enticing.

"National No Smoking Month" is observed every June as per Proclamation No. 183, Series of 1993.

This year, DOH focuses in the campaign to inform the youth on the ill-effects of smoking and discourage them from starting to smoke. (PNA)
SCS/LSJ

BSP cancels permits of Philrem, two other firms
By Joann Santiago
MANILA, June 1 (PNA) - - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy-making Monetary Board (MB) has cancelled the Certificate of Registration of Philrem Services Corp. (Philrem), the remittance service provider that faces lawsuits for alleged involvement in the laundering of about USD 81 million stolen from Bangladesh Bank in February 2016.

The Monetary Board also cancelled the certificate of registration as foreign exchange dealer/money changer/remittance agent of Werquick and Peso Remittance.

The central bank, in a statement Wednesday, said the MB’s decision was made “due to significant violations of Section 4511N of the Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions and Circular No. 706 dated 5 January 2011.”

The section pertains to registration, application for registration, applicability of other laws/regulations, required seminar/training, sale and purchase of foreign currencies by foreign exchange dealers and money changers, applications to sell/purchase foreign currencies by foreign exchange dealers and money changers, additional requirements, requirements for remittance agents, AMLC reportorial requirements, sanctions and industry associations.

”The BSP will also be working closely with other relevant government agencies, such as the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Department of Justice, in their investigation of possible criminal and administrative violations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, of the aforementioned entities, including their Directors and Officers,” the central bank added.

Last April, in one of the Senate hearings on the said money laundering activity, BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said there was a possibility that Philrem face sanctions vis-à-vis violations of central bank rules on remittance agents since it failed to implement the know-your-customer (KYC) rule, which is required from BSP-regulated financial institutions .

This after Philrem owner Salud Bautista admitted in one of the Senate hearings that the company did not use the KYC rule on junket operator Kim Wong, who received part of the stolen money, when Philrem remitted money to the businessman.

Instead, Philrem tapped the third party reliance rule hoping that the Jupiter, Makati branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), where the stolen money was transferred from the Federal Bank of New York ended, followed the KYC rule, she said.

Espenilla said that before a BSP-registered remittance company can use the third party reliance rule they first need to secure a sworn certification that says the bank has conducted the KYC and face-to-face identification, that the bank has the minimum information on the customer, and that the remittance company can secure identification documents from the bank without delay. (PNA)
RMA/JSV

Macedonia has more than 23,000 newborns in 2015
SKOPJE, June 1 (PNA/Xinhua) -- A total of 23,260 babies were born in Macedonia in 2015, Macedonian State Statistical Office (SSO) announced on Wednesday.

Among them, 185 were stillborn.

According to the SSO, male babies accounted for 51.8 percent of the newborns. The highest number of babies were delivered in July, during which 2,176 children were born.

The average age of the mother stands at 28.7 years. 34.5 percent of the liveborn babies were delivered by mothers aged between 25 and 29, according to the office.

In 2015, 13 liveborn babies were given birth by mothers younger than 15. (PNA/Xinhua)
RMA/RSM