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July 19, 2023 10:05 AM

Lawyer Jayarubbiny Jayaraj said Section 498 of the Penal Code violates women’s right to equality before the law.

The Government's Business Payment Practices Bill, which will reduce the stress and costs to small businesses of long payment wait times, passed its third reading today.

"This new transparency regime will encourage larger businesses to improve their payment times, which are a significant problem for many small businesses," Minister for Sm

Wellington’s attempts to maintain ‘a de facto non-alignment policy’ towards China are ‘rapidly becoming non-viable’, one analyst said – even as New Zealand strives to emphasise ‘open and honest dialogue’ in its ‘complex’ ties with Beijing.

Harry Roque said former President Duterte has “shrugged off” the decision of the ICC judges, which clears the way for the probe into possible crimes against humanity to resume. 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised on June 8 the status of Mayon Volcano in Albay to Alert Level 3 after it showed an “increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption.”

The launch comes nearly a week after Pyongyang tested its latest Hwasong-18 ICBM, in a warning to the US.

(Kyiv, July 19, 2023) - A Russian cruise missile strike on Lviv in western Ukraine on July 6, 2023, struck a residential apartment complex in violation of the laws of war

An object found on an Australian beach led to speculation it may be debris from India's Moon mission.

(Tunis) - The Tunisian police, military, and national guard including the coast guard have committed serious abuses against Black African migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, Human Rights Watch said today. Documented abuses include beatings, use of excessive force, some cases of torture, arbitrary arrests and detention, collective expu

The 120-year-old recipes are a far cry from the cheesecakes we are familiar with today.

Wishma Sandamali lost 20kg in detention but was not taken to hospital despite her pleas.

A 272-KILOMETER solar-powered suspended transportation system that offers car-like convenience may soon be traversing Danao City in northern Cebu, decongesting road traffic and creating nearly 2,000 job opportunities as well.

This, after the City Government of Danao and Transit X LLC inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for what the City called the Philippines’ first “revolutionary and futuristic” solar-powered podway mass transport network on Monday, July 17, 2023.

This signals the continuation of the collaboration between the City Government and Transit X LLC for the development of a revolutionary high-capacity solar-powered 24/7 automated podway mass transport network in Danao City that the private firm said will not require government funding.

Danao City Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano led the signing of the MOU with Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III, Danao City Investment and Promotions Center (DCIPC) Officer-In-Charge Ramon “Red” Durano VI, Transit X chief executive officer Dorothy Pinyoloya and, via virtual means, Transit X founder and chief operating officer Michael David Stanley.

Podway

During the Danao City Investment Forum 2023 last July 8, the suspended transport system proposal of Transit X was revealed as one of the pipeline projects of the city.

It is seen to improve mass transportation while maintaining a sustainable environment.

Pinyoloya said in the investment forum that Transit X has an initial investment of US$759 million in Danao City for the construction of a manufacturing plant and installation of the podway in the city.

She added that aside from changing the transportation aspect in the city, the project will provide employment opportunities for around 1,700 residents through its manufacturing plant.

The City Government of Danao is estimated to make around $705 million in “revenue,” which Pinyoloya said may be used for other programs and projects of the city.

The project will be under a public-private partnership (PPP) between the City Government of Danao and Transit X.

As to why they decided to invest in Danao City, Pinyoloya said in the forum that the city’s goal of sustainability aligned with theirs.

“We have seen major cities, but it [Danao City] has stood out from among all the other cities. And then their public-private partnership that was signed has solidified our collaboration endeavors that we know that the government will support us because we can’t do this alone and we have to work in collaboration with the government,” she added.

Transit X had a pilot demonstration and rollout of its podway in October 2018. The first podway was installed at Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA in October 2021 and will be ready for operation later this year.

Proposal

Under its proposal located in its official website, Transit X proposed to fund, build and operate a podway that will be a safe, fast and sustainable transportation system in the City of Danao.

It will be constructed along the roads and highways without interfering with traffic, and it will be resilient to natural disasters.

A 272-kilometer network with almost 4,000 pods and 2,700 stops will be constructed in the city.

It will have a speed of 72 kilometer per hour (kph) for metro podways and more than 200 kph for high-speed podways.

THE three illegal and abandoned structures that intruded on the easement zones of Kawasan Falls in Barangay Matutinao, Badian town, Cebu have been removed, but it’s still unclear when the popular falls that used to attract 700 tourists daily could reopen.

Jesus Allan Carpio, president of the Association of Badian Canyoneering (ABC), told SunStar Cebu Monday, July 17, 2023 that the demolition works--conducted with the help of the association’s tour guides--concluded in the second week of July, and that there has been interest in Kawasan Falls’ reopening as Badian’s town fiesta is taking place later this month.

“With the help of the Provincial Government, we were able to do the demolition of the structures. The tourist guides did it themselves,” he said.

The ABC group is the unified association of the former two associations of private tour operations in Kawasan Falls, which are the Association of Badian Canyoneering Operators Inc. (ABCAO) and Association of Kawasan Canyoneering Operators in Badian Inc. (AKCOB). There are at least 43 private tour operators there.

Carpio said the demolition was completed in about 17 working days.

The demolition started shortly after Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia visited the tourism site last June 21 to meet with the involved stakeholders, including the officials from the local government unit of Badian, private tour operators, tour guides and other officials from government agencies.

The governor then suggested employing the tour guides to work for the Capitol’s “pakyaw system,” where they are paid to tear down unpermitted buildings that obstruct access to Kawasan Falls and its riverbanks.

Garcia issued Executive Order 14 last June 2 ordering the temporary closure and suspension of canyoneering activities in Badian in southwestern Cebu after discovering debris and damaged structures abandoned more than a year after super typhoon Odette (Rai) struck Cebu in December 2021, “hazardous metallic spikes,” and structures illegally built within Kawasan’s easement zones, among others.

Under Article 51, Chapter 4 of Presidential Decree 1067, it is prohibited to construct infrastructure near banks of rivers and streams in the country.

“The banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas and 40 meters in forest areas, along their margins, are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage. No person shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary for recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing or salvage or to build structures of any kind,” the decree reads.

Temporary work

Carpio said that while the operations in Kawasan Falls were temporarily halted, which meant no income for those working in the canyoneering operations, the demolition works served as the temporary work for the tour guides.

The 908 tour guides working at the famed tourist site were grouped to form batches with 45 to 50 tour guides per group, he said.

Carpio said the skilled tour guides were assigned to join the manpower in dismantling the three illegal and abandoned structures there, including the two-story structure illegally built in the easement zone near level one of Kawasan Falls.

Other guides were assigned to transport the debris or remnants of the illegal structures from Kawasan falls and its riverbank.

Excited

Carpio revealed that they are excited for Kawasan Falls to reopen for canyoneering activities since Kawasan has been a sought-after destination for both domestic and international travelers visiting Cebu.

“Kawasan is none like others. We really understand why guests would still inquire from us from time to time if Kawasan has reopened already,” he said, adding that Badian’s town fiesta called Banig Festival, slated on July 25 or on the feast day of St. James the Greater, is approaching.

Carpio said they are currently waiting for instructions from the Capitol, particularly for the governor to revisit them, so further steps can be put into action for the rehabilitation of Kawasan Falls.

In a brief interview last July 10 during the inauguration and opening of the first Tourist Rest Area of the Department of Tourism in Medellin town in northern Cebu, Garcia told reporters that she would soon revisit Barangay Matutinao in Badian to check on the progress of the rehabilitation of Kawasan Falls. However, she did not specify when she would visit.

The municipality of Badian is located 113 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.

The town is bordered to the north by the town of Moalboal, to the west by the protected seascape of Tañon Strait, to the east by the town of Dalaguete, and to the south by the town of Alegria.

The closure of Kawasan Falls is costing the town P1.1 million in lost income daily, as canyoneering at the falls attracted 700 tourists on weekdays, and up to 900 tourists on weekends, before the June 2 closure ordered by the governor.

THE Cebu Provincial Government will facilitate the application of housing loans for the informal settler families that are occupying Capitol-owned lots in barangays Apas and Kalunasan.

It will do so by providing the Capitol Social Hall as the venue for the application so that the families won’t have to line up at the branches of the Pag-Ibig Fund.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia made the assurance during a meeting with the residents of Sitio CRCI in Barangay Apas and Kalunasan in Cebu City on Monday, July 17, 2023 at the Capitol Social Hall.

It was agreed upon that 114 CRCI families will be relocated to another lot in Barangay Kalunasan owned by Cebu Province, while around 300 families also residing in the said lot will be given the chance to own the lot.

CRCI is located beside the National Food Authority regional headquarters along Gov. Mariano Cuenco Avenue along Cebu IT Park.

The Cebu Provincial Government will be selling these lots to the residents through Pag-Ibig Fund’s socialized housing loan program with affordable and flexible financing terms.

Garcia told the residents to meet again on July 31, 2023, and prepare all necessary documents and valid IDs for the housing loan applications.

Non-members of Pag-Ibig will be registered to the system in order for them to qualify for the loan on that day.

Market value

In the same meeting, Pag-Ibig Visayas chief Paul Talacay said they will prioritize the loan applications of CRCI and Kalunasan residents after they have conducted a re-appraisal process to determine the fair market value of the lot.

Pag-Ibig will also profile the applicants of the housing loan to identify their gross monthly income that will determine the loanable amount and the number of years to pay the interest.

Cebu Provincial Legal Officer Donato Villa will also extend legal assistance to the residents, particularly family members that will share ownership of the lots.

The Conservative MP made several claims about the situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Tobias Ellwood says Afghanistan has been "transformed" and it is time to restart diplomatic relations.

 

Support for tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand has increased according to new research, Tourism Minister Peeni Henare said today.

The research shows that 89% of New Zealanders agree that tourism is good for New Zealand, up from 83% a year ago, and there is strong recognition amongst New Zealanders of tourism's positive impact o

July 19, 2023 3:57 AM

Move comes just hours after an American nuclear-armed submarine made its first South Korean port call in decades.

Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Vienna, 18 July 2023 - "In the eyes of many people, prisons may seem low on the list of priorities during crisis - but prisoners matter," said Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at a gathering of the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules.*  

In her

July 19, 2023 1:53 AM

An Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary, released after the meeting highlighted the differences over the war in Ukraine.