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The employer of an overseas Filipino worker whose body was found at the Tsing Yi Public Pier in Hong Kong on July 13 is not a person of interest in the OFW’s death.

President Marcos yesterday called on Filipinos abroad to continue giving the Philippines a good name as he assured them that the government is working to achieve positive transformation in the country’s economy.

Angat Dam has returned to its normal operating level of 180 meters after days of decline, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

President Marcos is set to sign into law today the bill establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund, a measure that officials said would promote sustainable development but has drawn flak from critics who insist that it poses risks to the economy.

The move comes after officials impounded 172 watches worth £10,700 from its rainbow-coloured Pride collection.

The number of non-energy exporters from Russia has grown by 57% in six years, statistics have shown

The number of Russian companies involved in international trade has increased by over 50% in less than a decade due to the expansion of businesses not related to energy exports, the director general of the Russian Expor

July 17, 2023 10:18 PM

Cold air blows from China as Manila pivots back to its traditional ally, the US.

THE House Rules that the Cebu City Council approved at its inaugural session last July 5, 2023 limits to three items or subjects in the agenda of an executive session "to ensure that each item receives sufficient attention and discussion, and guarantee that discussions and decisions are not rushed." But, as before, the executive session is closed to the public and, unlike regular sessions, the proceeding is not live-streamed.

Majority Floor Leader Jocelyn Pesquera said the reduction of the number of agenda items is the only provision added to the House rules regarding the conduct of an executive session. Aside from the reason cited in the amendment, Pesquera told her colleagues in the July 5 session, it would also be unfair to the invited persons who "have to wait for two hours or even have their talk rescheduled because of time constraint."

ARCHIVAL'S COMPLAINT. Minority Floor Leader Nestor Archival Sr. had raised the matter of "transparency," saying the executive session "for so many years" has not been open to the public.

Besides, out of the 36 executive sessions conducted in the 16th Sanggunian's first year, Archival said, he couldn't "find any executive session" whose subject or topic the public should not know about: "Everything here the public should know."

PESQUERA JUSTIFIES. Councilor Pesquera justified the practice of executive sessions, thus:

[] It has been always been so, even in previous councils, the executive session "is always a closed session, except when (the City Council) decides to invite the public."

[] There may be "sensitive matters" the City Council will tackle, which "the public need not know."

[] A record of what takes place in the executive session -- its "result," as "indicated" in its minutes -- is included in the regular session's agenda, which the public "can peruse."

On Archival's complaint that only a few councilors attend an executive session, isn't that the absentee councilors' fault? Pesquera said each councilor sends a representative "to record everything" to prepare for the discussion on any resolution that may arise from the session.

Asked by Councilor Franklyn Ong, Joy Pesquera said executive assistants (EAs) of councilors "can attend" -- although under the House rules, EAs are not mentioned among those allowed admission (see below). Atty. Chappy Piramide, secretariat chief, confirmed about the right of EAs to watch and listen for their principals and yes, she told me Monday, July 17, "executive sessions are closed-door meetings."

As a concession to the minority, apparently offered during recess, Pesquera amended the first paragraph of the House rules on executive sessions, which would've said, "When the Sanggunian decides to hold an executive session, the presiding officer shall direct the galleries and hallways to be cleared and doors closed." She changed "shall" to "may," which may give little comfort to BOPKs as Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia belongs to majority Barug.

NO SHUTOUT, JUST DELAY. From Pesquera's pronouncement, there is no withholding of information about what is said or done in an executive session. The release is just delayed as the public can still read the minutes of the session from the secretariat.

Here's the thing though: (a) The delay can last several days, as the minutes and resume of an executive session are not immediately released after the session, as it takes time for the secretariat to process them. Besides, they're incorporated with the agenda of the next session and not released separately.

(b) Something could be missed or mistaken in the transcription. Or people can never see them at all -- unless media would report it, which media might not because of lack of resources or plain neglect.

(c) The agenda containing minutes of the executive session is generally released only to City Council members and/or their staff and, most probably, others requesting for them. It's not certain if there's a release to the general public, such as through the Public Information Office or the secretariat's Facebook page.

(d) The video, of course, is not streamed but it's not known if it's released to coincide with the release of the next-session agenda to the City Council members.

WHO CAN GET IN. The provision in the Sanggunian House rules (Section 3, Article 1) doesn't provide for the manner of calling for an executive session. Aside for the added paragraph on the limit to the topics or subjects, a whole paragraph is devoted to the restriction on admission. Only the secretary to the Sanggunian, the sergeant-at-arms, and other persons "specifically authorized by the Sanggunian" shall be admitted to the executive session, the paragraph says.

DID THEY MISREAD LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE? The City Council House rules provide in its Section 5 that "its sessions, except on executive session, shall be open to the public." But it stops there. It does not restate the part of the law about executive sessions, found in Section 52 (c), under the chapter on "Local Legislation," Local Government Code (Republic Act #7160 of 1991).

That law, to which the City Council House rules must conform to, provides thus:

"All Sanggunian sessions shall be open to the public unless a closed-door session is ordered by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present, there being a quorum, IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST OR FOR REASONS OF SECURITY, DECENCY OR MORALITY."

The context of the condition (capitalized above for emphasis) must tell legislators to use their best discretion in choosing to exclude the public from a City Council session. Is it "in the public interest" that the citizens must not share with the information; are their rights or liabilities not affected?

MAJORITY RULES. Councilor Pesquera raised this defense: the subject at an executive session is "sensitive." Sensitive to whom or what, would that fall under the phrase "in the public interest"? As Councilor Archival pointed out, he hadn't seen one subject among all the executive sessions in the Sanggunian's previous year that would warrant exclusion of the public. That's the minority opinion although Archival could've pushed the point more strongly had he seized and unleashed the national law that strongly orders open-door Sanggunian sessions.

Either the councilors didn't get the law right or just chose to ignore the intent of the law, which is to make closed-door sessions of the local legislature rare and infrequent exceptions.

To the majority Barug, the executive session provides cover, if only temporarily, from prying eyes of critics. On the requirement of "in the public interest," who decides that but themselves, the party that dominates the City Council. The minority may go to court, which is unlikely, or find other ways to bring its case directly to the public.

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Xi said that while being President of the Philippines, Duterte resolutely made the strategic choice of improving relations with China, with an attitude of being responsible to the people and history. China-Philippines relations were able to return

Many things have changed in 40 years. Change so dramatic, that they become almost unrecognizable.

Consider, for example, Germany and Japan — the infamous losing duo in that horrific world war that killed over three percent of the world’s population at the time. In 40 years, both countries rose from the ashes of conflict to become two of the mightiest economies the world has ever seen, eclipsing even those of the winners like Great Britain and France.

And yet, as inevitable as change may be over such a long period of time, some things seem to remain just as they were. Or at least, they are still as you remember them to be.

Friendships for one, especially those built during a time in your life when you are collectively growing up, experiencing the angst of adolescence together, and exploring the world with the wild abandon of youth —available only to those who have yet to think about what they wished to be for the rest of their lives.

That proved to be the case when members of the University of the Philippines College Cebu High School Class of 1982 came together, albeit one year later, for their 40th Ruby Homecoming Reunion just a few days ago. Fifty-three of the 77 students who were part of the class gathered over four days at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, and the El Mar Resort in Cebu, to rekindle old friendships, reminisce the good times, and within the space of a few days, just be high school friends all over again.

UP being UP, most classes will have members who may rightfully be characterized as “successful,” having reached the pinnacle of their chosen careers. UPCC HS Class of 1982 is no exception. In truth, every member of our class is successful in their own right. Aside from having the incumbent Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines among our classmates, we have a retired Army general, a number of lawyers, numerous doctors, executives, entrepreneurs, a member of the clergy as well as the religious among our ranks. And yet, for the duration of the reunion, we were all just classmates — no airs, no put-ons, no pretenses. Just old friends being old friends all over again.

If you ask anyone who has ever attended reunions which one they like the best, many will say that the high school ones are their favorite. I think it has to do with the memories you bring back with you to the gathering. Elementary school ones are too nascent to be memorable. College and even graduate school gatherings tend to be more formal, as classmates would have interacted with each other already as guarded adults.

The high school years, on the other hand, are the perfect incubator for unforgettable memories. It’s that time in your life when you are no longer naive and innocent children but are not quite at the stage yet where you have created your own individual facades and personas as full-fledged adults. And it is a perfect state to regress back to when you are together. No one is above any other, and neither is anyone beneath anybody else. There are no sirs, ma’ams, generals, attorneys, doctors or anything else before anyone’s name. It’s simply like when we were in our teens, with everyone being their silly old selves.

For a few days, the accumulated physical toll of the last 40 years seemed to have been miraculously cast aside. Indeed, if someone could find the formula for everyone’s youthfulness during the reunion and market it as a pill, it would be the blockbuster drug of all time. Everyone danced, sang, joked around, and of course — ate and drank like they were only in their teens. No combination of metformin, insulin, ARB and statins could match the magic elixir of those moments, as everyone’s aches and pains mysteriously disappeared amid the cacophony of raucous banter and the nonstop twirl of dancing feet.

Had it not been for that global showstopper of a pandemic known as Covid-19, we would have come together a year earlier, exactly 40 years from when we last said our goodbyes as high school batchmates. But as fate would have it, some random mutating bat virus had other plans that were to upstage our own grand ones.

But thanks to the tireless efforts of our indefatigable organizing committee, the extended wait for The Big 40, albeit chronologically delayed, was well worth the anticipation. Everything from the carefully selected venues, the meticulously curated food selection, and the non-stop activities that were planned and executed with almost military-like precision just all seemed to meld together to magically transform those four days into a wonderful magic carpet ride, back to those days when those memories we so gleefully relived were first forged.

All good things though, even the very best ones, must come to an end. Not long after the first hellos, it was time to say our last goodbyes. Well, not really last because, like the quadrennial Olympics, just as this reunion ended, the anticipation for the next one has already begun. No sooner had we taken our final golden hour class picture at the El Mar beach, everyone was already looking past the backdrop of the Ruby-red sunset, and focusing on the blue Sapphire sky ahead.

As the refrain from our old high school graduation song went...“and now we must part, to live our lives, and go our own separate ways...” And yet, I must quickly hasten to add, separate ways for now, until we all — in the spirit of genuine friendship — meet again.

METRO Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and San Miguel Corp. on Monday, July 17, 2023 confirmed to the local bourse that they will jointly develop a new project for the construction and operation of a tollway project that will link the Provinces of Cavite and Batangas.

The management teams of both groups, according to MPIC’s disclosure are currently discussing the terms and conditions of the agreement and both will file a disclosure with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

According to philstar.com on July 17, the new road is a 96-kilometer landmark tollway that will link Cavite to Batangas and then Batangas to the Cavite–Laguna Expressway.

The project is expected to be completed in 2028. (KOC)

ELEPERFORMANCE Philippines remains one of Cebu’s top 10 Information Technology Business Process Management (IT-BPM) employers for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Cebu IT-BPM Organization (CIB.O).

The company was awarded at the 6th Transformation Summit and Gala Night held at the City Sports Club, Cebu City. The award was presented by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, CIB.O president Aseem Roy, and IT-BPM Association of the Philippines president Jack Madrid.

As one of the leading and largest employers in the entire country, Teleperformance is the first business, largest employer, and BPO company in the Philippines to be certified Great Place to Work® (GPTW) since 2018.

This 2023, TP Philippines is set for its sixth consecutive GPTW® certification through the independent Trust Index Survey conducted by the GPTW® Institute, participated by over 50,000 employees from 23 sites across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

With two locations, Teleperformance employs 8,000 in Cebu City as of the first quarter of 2023.

Since establishing its Cebu IT Park and Cebu Insular sites in 2005 and 2011, the company has provided over 24,000 combined indirect employment opportunities, encompassing essential roles such as janitorial services, security officers, drivers, store attendants, food vendors, and more. (PR)

MEGAWORLD Corp. is investing in the utilization of data science and artificial intelligence as it continues to build smarter and future-ready townships developments across the country through its Township Analytics and Technology Lab (TAT Lab), the very first data science lab in the Philippines to be spearheaded by a property development company.

Headquartered within Megaworld’s 50-hectare McKinley Hill township in Taguig City, TAT Lab is focused on increasing the level of safety and security in Megaworld townships nationwide by developing, deploying, and improving machine learning models and utilizing artificial intelligence as a technology enabler.

One of the programs already deployed by TAT Lab is an advanced accident detection system, which is designed to detect road accidents seconds before it happens to trigger a faster, more efficient incident response.

Other programs that will be rolled out soon by TAT Lab include township geographic assessment with real-time traffic information, as well as advanced security monitoring programs aimed at implementing additional layers of security and protection for residential condominiums, offices, malls, hotels, and other major components of Megaworld townships. (PR)

The 16-year gap showed its teeth?

Seemingly, yes.

The way Carlos Alcaraz bundled Novak Djokovic out to win Wimbledon on Sunday showed much of the disparity in age between the two, potentially signaling the dawning of a new era in men’s tennis.

It was a five-setter and it had all the trimmings of a classic reminiscent of most finals in a major.

Stunningly, Alcaraz winning it 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, did not produce that much shock to pundits too keen on seeing a talent when they spot one.

To see Alcaraz capture the sport’s most prestigious trophy this early, and at the expense of the reigning, seven-time champion Djokovic, is something to not just marvel at. It is also a class act to adore as only a maestro like Van Gogh can dish off.

OK, Alcaraz of Spain is just 20, but already, he has shown promise and been teeming with boundless power this early.

Toppling Djokovic in the grandest stage of the game was brutally cruel for the Serb, 36, who was perniciously prevented from equaling the 24 all-time majors of Margaret Court in women’s tennis and the eight Wimbledon titles of Roger Federer. Not to mention Djokovic’s shining run of back-to-back wins this year in the Aussie Open and the French Open got halted.

Djokovic cried. Well, he is just human.

“I love you,” he told his children seated at court side after the match. “Thank you for supporting me.”

He lost for the first time in 78 outings after winning the first set.

And Alcaraz deserved praise.

For, in that kid façade of his, Alcaraz showed the remarkable poise of a king. His innocent magnificence was so palpable that he earned the only standing ovation in the match, nearly lasting five hours on the famed Center Court.

That was in the second set, when Alcaraz bombed Djokovic with a down-the-line backhand that clinched him the frame on a tiebreak, 8-6.

That gave him momentum. After winning the third set for a 2-1 lead, Alcaraz was on his way to his second major after the 2022 US Open.

“It’s incredible,” Alcaraz said. “It’s amazing for a boy 20 years old. I didn’t expect to reach this far really that fast.”

If the boy is in a hurry, will it mean goodbye to Djokovic, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)?

We will know when the US Open comes along starting Aug. 28.

The country’s pledge for better preparation for intense downpours and flooding has not been followed, and spending should focus on prevention not recovery, experts urge after at least 40 people lost their lives in less than a week of heavy rains.

India has refused to use its G20 presidency to discuss additional sanctions on Russia but observers say New Delhi has to play a balancing act and work towards a consensus.

Walking is arguably the most underrated form of exercise. It is simple, requires no fancy equipment, and almost anyone at any age and fitness level can do it. Although as simple as it is, it carries with it significant positive effects on our health. Among the many benefits are reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and improving mental health.

In today’s digital age, we are bombarded with information on how to lead healthier lives, with conflicting advice on exercise and equipment. This information overload often leads to paralysis, where we end up doing nothing. However, amid this overload, there lies an often overlooked yet tried and tested exercise: Walking.

A systematic review in 2015 by Murtagh, E. et al., published by the University of Birmingham, showcases how walking interventions improve many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, like increased aerobic capacity and decreased blood pressure among others.

Walking not only benefits physical health but mental health as well. A recent 2022 study by An, N. & Chuo, J. published in the Journal of Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, presents how walking regularly can improve mental health by reducing stress and improving sleeping index.

Great, right? If you want to incorporate walking into your daily routine, 30 minutes of moderate walking is generally a good target based on the physical activity guidelines of the World Health Organization.

Here are some tips you can follow to help you get started:

Plan your walks

To stick with the habit of walking, plan your day ahead and schedule when you will fit in your walking sessions. Over time, you might want to make your walks longer to progress. Also, pick a safe and accessible route for you.

Have the right gear

Wear comfortable clothes and more importantly, sturdy shoes with good heel and arch support.

Enjoy the moment

Consider walking with friends and family. It can be a great activity to socialize with loved ones after work. Remember that fitness should be fun!

MISS Supranational 2023 First Runner-up Pauline Amelinckx highlighted “dedication” as what pushed her to move forward after successfully representing the Philippines internationally at Strzelecki Park Amphitheater, Poland on Friday, July 14, 2023.

In a Facebook post on July 16, two days after the coronation, Amelinckx said it was the training, hard work, heart work, and dedication that made her conquer the ups and downs in her journey.

“It felt so surreal to go through all the challenges and ups and downs of this journey and still have been able to make it this far, and it’s all the training, hard work, heart work and yes, DEDICATION, that made this happen,” she said.

She stressed how dedication played a huge role in the numerous times she tried competing to represent the country.

“It takes a great amount of dedication toward your own personal growth and belief in your own worth to see rejection as redirection,” she said.

The value of this dedication can also be recognized in her response during the question and answer portion.

“It would be dedication. Dedication to this journey, dedication to the people who have brought her up to this journey and dedication of course with the organization that she’ll end up working with. This is such a beautiful experience. And she has to be someone who can bring people together. Someone who knows that this is not a one-woman journey. We all have differences but we also realize that we have so much in common. And we are now gathered here on this stage transcending our own borders, bringing nations together,” said Amelinckx when asked what makes a good brand ambassador for the organization.

The beauty queen from Bohol also pointed out that representing the Philippines internationally has been her greatest dream, and she considered it an honor and pleasure to turn it into a reality.

“Ever since I stepped on our national stage it has been my greatest ambition to represent the PH internationally. It has been my greatest honor and pleasure to turn that ambition into reality and finally have been able to attach Philippines to my name,” she said.

Amelinckx also said that she felt so blessed and filled with gratitude, thanking everybody who sent every single vote, view, like, comment, and prayer for her.

“I will be looking back and reflecting some more for a bit. But for now, I know that I am immensely proud of our victory, grateful for the love and excited to be back home,” she said.

Amelinckx is the second Filipino to get a crown in Miss Supranational, winning the Supra Chat challenge, after Mutya Johanna Fontiveros Datul, who was crowned Miss Supranational 10 years ago.

Miss Supranational 2023 is Andrea Aguilera from Ecuador. She replaced Miss Lalela Mswane of South Africa.

Second runner-up was Sancler Frantz from Brazil, followed by Emma Collingridge from the United Kingdom, and Ngan Dang Thanh from Vietnam.

The families and friends of the wedded couple Chairmaine Chiosun and Ken Ngo are captured here during their bonding moments at the reception cocktails and dinner at Radisson Blu Cebu.

THE employee of a remittance firm who allegedly lost an estimated P3 million in cash when it flew out of his backpack on the viaduct of the South Road Properties last July 4, 2023, has failed to collect the more than P45,000 that was recently turned over to the Mambaling Police Station.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog said they urge John Mark Barrientos and the person who introduced himself as his supervisor to issue a certification that the money belongs to the firm.

He said they want to file charges against people who picked up peso bills in various denominations that were strewn along the viaduct, but the two refuse to name their company on record.

"So we advised the investigator on the case to return the more than P45,000 to John Mark Barrientos,” he said in Cebuano.

The CCPO director said they don’t want to be held responsible if something happens to the money. Also, he said they want to determine if Barrientos was telling the truth about the exact amount he was carrying that day.

Dalogdog said more than P1 million has been returned to Barrientos since the incident.

"Why won’t he just tell us who owns the money?” he said.

Dalogdog said they will stop the investigation if Barrientos’ employer and supervisor continue to refuse to cooperate with police.(AYB, PJB)