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July 21, 2023 3:45 PM

Major tragedies of this kind are relatively rare in Bhutan.

July 21, 2023 3:05 PM

Temperatures of 35 deg C and above continued to menace other parts of China.

Seah will be nominated at the next sitting of parliament in August following the resignation of his predecessor Tan Chuan-Jin over an extramarital affair.

Operations are on to rescue more people affected by the landslide in a remote village in Maharashtra state.

Follow this page for updates on "Egay," the fifth tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

July 21, 2023 2:30 PM

The health ministry has threatened to take action against sellers who do so.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to visit Malaysia a day after delivering his second State of the Nation Address, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Tomohon Extreme Market will be dog and cat meat-free after images of animals being bludgeoned while still alive had sparked outrage.

July 21, 2023 1:25 PM

Pheu Thai is expected to put up one of its three PM candidate nominees for the vote on July 27.

THE Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRACI) launched two back-to-back events during its 4th General Membership Meeting at Citadines, Baseline Residences, Cebu City on July 20, 2023.

The meeting was attended by representatives and managers from various hotels, resorts and restaurants, including Sheraton, Bai Hotel, Tambuli Seaside Resort & Spa and Movenpick Cebu.

Cebu Goes Culinary 2023, being the first event to be launched, started the program by introducing this year’s theme, “Malakas at Maganda: The Surge of Philippine Cuisine.”

The Cebu Goes Culinary 2023 will happen at the Sky Hall and Mountain Wing of SM Seaside Cebu for two days, September 30 to October 1, 2023.

“The event is perfect for the recovering food and tourism industry. We all know how the pandemic has ravaged businesses and such, it’s high time to rise again and this is the perfect way to showcase that we are truly back and booming,” said Carmela Malagar, HRRACI board member and director of CGM Hotel Consultancy.

Registration started Thursday, July 20, and will end on August 15, 2023.

The event will serve as a competition for culinary practitioners from different hotels, resorts, restaurants and schools.

The event has been divided into two categories: professional and student.

Competitions include Best Traditional/Modern Regional Recipe -- Puso, Flairtending, Cocktail Mixing, Coffee Concoction and Creative Cake Decoration.

Non-HRRACI members were encouraged to join the event to showcase their culinary expertise.

“This is a cooking show for all our professionals and academe, even those who are not members of HRRACI. This is the perfect venue for both veteran and budding culinary practitioners to show their skills and gain prestige,” said Alfred Reyes, HRRACI president and VP Operations and general manager for Bai Hotel Cebu.

Registration fees for the student category range from P900 to P2,500, and P1,700 to P3,500 for the professional category.

The top winners will be sent to Manila to compete in the National Food Showdown 2023.

With HRRACI being a non-profit organization, tickets will be sold at the venue for those who would like to witness the competition and exhibitions.

Prices and updates for the event will be posted soon on HRRACI’s official Facebook page.

Aside from the cooking show, the 2nd Cebu Tourism and Hospitality Awards was also launched Thursday.

The event is a recognition granted by the HRRACI to regular employees with achievements in Cebu’s tourism and hospitality industry and who have showed exemplary performance in their respective area of responsibilities.

Dr. Joseph Stephen Descallar, HRRACI board member and vice president of Academics for Asian College of Technology, said the awards symbolize the strength and resiliency of the food and tourism industry from the damage brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Here we’ll see the individuals who have continued to persevere despite all the hardships and obstacles, and it is only right to recognize these people for without them, our businesses will not continue to thrive as they are right now,” he said.

Awards include Front-of-the-House Employee of the Year, Heart-of-the-House Employee of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, and Hotel & Resort Manager of the Year.

The awards are open to both HRRACCI and Non-HRRACI members.

Criteria for nomination include Educational Attainment, Training Certificates, Awards & Achievements, and Work Tenure.

A panel interview will be conducted at the Cebu Grand Hotel on September 7, 2023.

Nomination fees range from P4,000 to P5,000 for HRRACI members and P5,000 to P6,000 for non-HRRACI members.

Awards night will be held at Robinson’s Galleria on November 15, 2023.

New members of HRACCI were also officially introduced and took their oath-taking on Thursday, such as Belmont Hotel Mactan, ELFLASH Construction Services, and NutriAsia Food Service. (Miguel Angelu Lumen, CNU Intern)

Taiwan-based TSMC says semiconductors manufacturing at its Arizona plant will no longer begin in 2024.

NG KHAI Development Corporation successfully held its B.E.A.T (Business, Education, Arts and Technology) 2023 Educational Summit in celebration of its 30th anniversary in the business industry on Thursday, July 20, 2023.

The annual summit aims to present the newest digital solutions in aiding schools and companies to develop and utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in a responsible way.

Company president Wilson Ng said working together can greatly overcome the risks of AI.

"Artificial intelligence is coming and it looks like they may be smarter than us. But I think we know that as long as we work and sing together, we will overcome," he said.

Myles Ng, head of Human Resources office, said discovering these AI tools will be beneficial as long as people utilized their potentials appropriately.

"Try it. Explore it. Encourage it. All of these tools are gonna help us until we give it a try," he said.

Transformation on education

In the same event, Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) University president Engr. Bernard Villamor talked about “Tradition to Transformation: Unleashing the Power of Digital Innovation in Education,” where he stressed the value of digital information as AI became more widespread, touching and developing the education sector.

"Digital information is no longer an option to education, but it's a necessity," he said.

"The academe in the age of technology is not an alternative. An academe with good use of technology is transformative," he added.

Villamor also talked about the university's top digital transformations, as a trusted education provider that made the lives of the students, faculties, and administrators easier.

Enhancement not replacement

Department of Information and Communications Technology-Central Visayas (DICT 7) Director Frederick Amores mentioned the ethical concerns of AI in education, such as privacy, surveillance, bias and discrimination, and autonomy.

"There are certain risks that have to be considered," he said.

But he pointed out the benefits of AI, saying its existence is not a threat and will not definitely replace people.

"It will not replace people, it will enhance productivity. Our goal is to use it and improve," he said.

Amores also spoke about the legal framework of AI -- House Bill 7396 or “An Act promoting the development and regulation of AI in the Philippines.”

"AI is a technology that is still in its infancy, we have an opportunity to develop it and make it a useful tool for improving productivity and our quality of life," said Amores.

Partnerships

NG Khai Development Corp. partners, such as HP, Lenovo, Sophos, Samsung, Dell Technologies, Westcon Comsor, Holowits and E-Cloud Valley, highlighted their technological innovations and how it can improve the educational sector.

The event concluded with a raffle draw where attendees received prizes such as flash drives, cable chargers, Dell monitors, Samsung smartphones, LED TV and Chromebook.

The event is a two-day showcase of the latest and greatest technological innovations for education and enterprise partners. (Camille Erika Butas and GK Marie Dejacto, CNU Interns)

A MOTORCYCLE driver lost his life after colliding with a stationary ten-wheeler truck carrying steel bars.

The tragedy happened early on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Sitio Guiwanon, Barangay Poblacion, Compostela town in northern Cebu.

The victim, Jason Estenzo Jurado from Catmon town, northern Cebu, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Staff Sergeant Cristito Aresco of the Compostela Police Station identified the truck driver as Juan Paslon Anario, 47, from Pinamungajan town.

According to Aresco, the victim died after crashing his Honda Click motorcycle into the back of the 10-wheeler truck while traveling north.

The truck was parked along the roadside without any warning signs, according to the police.(BBT, TPT)

July 21, 2023 12:41 PM

In a region where US influence was paramount, other actors are now vying for influence.

The Supreme Court will hear Rahul Gandhi's appeal against his conviction in a defamation case.

Residents fear they will be left to shoulder the financial burden, while construction work is behind schedule due to soaring costs of materials and manpower shortage.

Fishers can now resume their fishing activities in all parts of Oriental Mindoro, Gov. Humerlito "Bonz" Dolor said on Thursday, five months after MT Princess Empress sank and leaked oil into the sea.

The suspects stole the jewel from a pawnshop at Lucky Plaza and fled to Malaysia.

From the prolonged absence of China’s foreign minister to Singapore’s political memes, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

July 21, 2023 11:10 AM

The Cambodian authorities have been criticised for suppressing opposition and dissent ahead of the polls.