Feed aggregator

A COLLECTOR of a money remittance company is asking individuals to return the money that they found in SRP after it fell from his backpack.

On Tuesday at past 10 a.m., July 4, 2023, motorists were astounded to see peso bills of various denominations strewn along the viaduct of South Road Properties (SRP).

People hurriedly exited their cars, including delivery drivers, to collect the cash that was scattered across the road.

Tony, not his real name, brought the money worth around P4 million and placed it in his backpack.

While driving a motorcycle, his backpack's zipper broke, causing it to open, letting the money bills fly out into the air.

Only around P700,000 was left in his bag.

Tony got off his motorcycle to get the money, but other drivers also swiftly took it and did not return it to him.

“Nabantayan nako nga nanglupad na ang kwarta mga 50 meters away nga pagtan-aw nako sa side mirror, mao to nihunong ko aron pamuniton ang mga kwarta,” he said.

(I noticed that the money was flying about 50 meters away when I looked in the side mirror, so I stopped to pick up the money).

There were several individuals who returned the money to Mambaling Police Station.

A businessman, who refused to be named, also turned over P13,000 to the Carbon Police Station.

At least P1.3 million was recovered by the collector, and the total amount of money now in his possession is P2,083,110.

Tony believes that there are still about P2 million that have yet to be recovered.

He was appalled by the delivery riders who, instead of returning the money bills they had gathered, put them in the top boxes of their motorcycles and rode off.

Since he has worked for the company for the past ten months, he acknowledged that this is the first time he has experienced such an incident.

He added that the sum of money was sizable because it was earmarked for the payroll of some companies.

He revealed it was customary for the company to transport the money on a motorcycle so this can easily reach to their office in Mandaue City.

Tony and his supervisor hoped that the people would return the cash.

“Hinaot nga mauli pato ang kwarta kay wala tawon koy mabayad anang kwartaha kung pabayran sa among kompanya kay nanginabuhi raman ko tawon unsaon nako pagbayad,” Barrientos said.

(I hope the money will be returned because I am unable to do so if our company asks me to pay; I'm just making a living, how can I pay).

Police Major Jonathan Bethooven Taneo, chief of Mambaling Police Station, said they are now tracking the video clippings that spread online including the CCTV camera in the area to identify the people who took the money.

Taneo said they will sue those identified if the collector and the company are willing to cooperate. (AYB, TPT)

Sikh separatists tried to set fire to the building – there was no major damage nor any injuries and police are investigating.

Indonesia and Australia signed deals to collaborate on mining key minerals – lithium and nickel – used for the production of EV batteries.

The UK had criticised Hong Kong for placing bounties on eight pro-democracy activists based overseas.

PHILIPPINE-BASED education platform Bitskwela will host the grand debate of the "Bull or Bear: Philippine Web3 Debate 2023" on July 15, 2023, at 5 p.m., at the Ayala Malls Central Bloc, Cebu IT Park, Cebu City.

Themed "Web3: The New Internet - A Debate on Web3 Adoption in the Philippines," the event aims to facilitate the discussion surrounding the adoption of Web3 technologies and what it takes for the country to be at the forefront of it.

Debaters for the event include Dr. Donald Lim from the Philippine Blockchain Council, Coach Miranda Miner of the Global Miranda Miner Group, Tyrone Bretana from Tier One Alliance, Nathan Senn from Hive & DBuzz, content creator Giu Comia, and creativepreneur Ashtley Sandoval.

Special messages from Cebu City Second District Representative Edu Rama, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Director Emmy Delfin, and Engr. Royden Rusiana from DICT Cebu will be featured at the event, underscoring the government's support for the advancement of Web3 in the country.

In a statement from the DICT office, Delfin said, “The Department of Information and Communications Technology is driven to support the Web3 debate, Bull or Bear, by our strong conviction in the transformative capacity of new technologies like Web3 and blockchain. We see these digital innovations as key catalysts reshaping various sectors, and this debate serves as an ideal platform to stimulate meaningful discourse on the opportunities and challenges related to their adoption in the Philippines.”

"We are thrilled to expand the Bull or Bear franchise to the Visayas, following our successful events in NCR, Luzon, and Mindanao. Cebu, with its vibrant Web3 community, was the perfect starting point for our Visayas leg. We are excited to push the limits and deliver an exceptional experience for the Web3 enthusiasts in Cebu," said Camille Puentespina, chief product and tech officer of Bitskwela.

The Bull or Bear Cebu edition, hosted and moderated by Kish Morales, is co-presented by GCash and Blockceler8 by Uniquecorn Strategies and is supported by the DICT, Go Digital Pilipinas, Ayala Malls, Philippine Airlines, and Sphera Solutions.

"At Bitskwela, our mission of 'Helping people own a piece of the internet' goes beyond mere access but is about empowering individuals with a deep understanding of what that 'piece' truly represents and equipping them with the knowledge to seize it. Through our ongoing efforts, we aim to arm individuals with invaluable information, enabling them to seize their stake in the digital realm and shape a future where internet ownership becomes a tangible reality for all,” Bitskwela Chief Operating Officer Vince Edralin said.

Other key partners of the event are Bitget, a top crypto exchange and copy trading platform helping users trade smarter by providing a secure, one-stop trading solution; Tekkon, a Web3 app that promotes social good by empowering users to help fix their local community's infrastructure; Hive, a firm that is changing social media with blockchain tech; and CoinW Exchange, a world class integrated trading platform.

The event offers limited seating and those who are interested to participate may reserve their slot at https://www.bitskwela.com/bull-or-bear. (PR)

Onion prices, which reached P600 a kilogram by late 2022, prompted hearings at the House of Representatives and at the Senate and made headlines abroad.

July 04, 2023 7:00 PM

The vessel was sailing from Brunei to Malaysia.

Filipino women in STEM are also graduating but not staying in the workforce, the study also found, with data showing a significant drop in the retention of women in STEM one year after they complete their studies.

Average payment delays in China fell last year, according to a Coface survey, but it was still almost twice as long as Japan, and also more than for firms in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and India.

July 04, 2023 6:15 PM

India also urged SCO to tackle global challenges such as food, fuel and fertiliser shortages.

Irresponsible economic policies by developed nations have increased tensions globally, the Russian president has claimed   

The uncontrolled accumulation of debt by Western countries is increasing the risk of a new global financial crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday.  

Ad

Authorities have warned of "multiple natural disasters" as heavy rains lash parts of the country.

SOME residents in Cebu City were not satisfied with Mayor Michael Rama's State of the City Address (Soca), saying the local chief executive failed to address the major issues the city is facing like flooding, livelihood, and water security.

Myrna Chiangco, a resident from Barangay Lahug, said Rama's statements did not address the main issues the city has been facing for years.

"Singapore-like Cebu City ang ganahan ni mayor pero unsaon man pagka in-ana kung example, kada muuwan ug kusog, grabe kaayong baha kay wa gihapo'y tarong ang drainage system," Chiangco said.

(The mayor wants Cebu City to be Singapore-like, but how can that be when Cebu City’s streets are always flooded every after heavy rains because there is no proper drainage system.)

"Open more roads daw unya ang mga roads naa ron pirmi gibaha," she added.

(He said open more roads, but the roads are flooded.)

A street cleaner from Cebu City Hall who refused to be named also shared her dissatisfaction with Rama’s Soca, saying the mayor did not discuss further the main problems in the city.

The street cleaner also questioned City Hall's priorities.

"Ang pangbuhaton nuon nila kay mag pintal-pintal og mga poste, or mag-himo og mga design-design diras Carbon imbis solusyonan nang mga dagkong problema," she said.

(They paint lampposts or make designs at Carbon (Market) instead of providing solutions to the bigger issues.)

Zed Castro, a senior citizen who lives in Barangay Labangon, wished that Rama would be able to stand by his words when preaching about a Singapore-like Cebu City.

"He keeps bragging about Singapore-like Cebu City. Dako-dako jud nag trabahuon (That’s a big task). I just wish he does his work," Castro said.

Castro was looking for more from Rama's Soca.

"Pag June 15 biya niingon siya nga inig Soca kay i-tackle niya aside atong isyu sa CCMC, katong housing, livelihood, transportation, kanang mga butanga niya di lagi kumpleto?" he said.

(On June 15, he said that on his Soca, he will be tackling issues aside from the one on Cebu City Medical Center, including housing, livelihood and transportation, but why it isn’t complete?)

Disappointed with Rama's speech, a senior citizen from Cebu City expressed his sentiments.

“Ang iyang mga plano kunohay gipakita ra sa video, wala na siya ga-istorya. Nindot nga nakahuna-huna sab siya aning problema sa tubig diri sa Cebu pero hinaot mas nag tutok unta siya pa jud sa mga problema sa Sugbo dili kay nag storya pa sa laing walay lami nga butang,” she said.

(Plans were only made visible through videos, not in speech. It's good to hear that he is addressing the water issue in Cebu, but he should have more to say and more ideas on how to fix the other significant issues here rather than just babbling gibberish.)

A mother of two, living in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, is hopeful that Rama fulfills his promises for a better and improved Cebu. (Miguel Angelu Lumen and Angel Leduna, CNU Interns)

A MAN who pretended to be a delivery guy had stolen around P14,000 from a bakery located in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City on Sunday, July 2, 2023.

Supervisor of Pan de Manila-Mabolo branch Alnie Mirante, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Monday, July 3, said the man identified himself as Junjun Ortega who claimed to be a delivery man from the bakery's partner logistics company.

Mirante said that Ortega went to the bakery around 1:25 a.m. Sunday and told the cashier that he needed to collect payment for the delivery of eggs to Pan de Manila's other branch in Mandaue City.

Mirante said that Ortega claimed that the head cashiers knew about the collection of payment, and even mentioned the names of Joan and Karen, both are head cashiers.

The cashier in-charge during such time, who was still on her second month, easily believed Ortega and gave him the forms and the money for payment.

Mirante also said that the incident was not the first time to happen in their branch, adding that the man has done this multiple times since 2017, but he was only identified recently because of the newly installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera that was installed in the store.

In previous incidents, the man had stolen money ranging from P6,000 to P8,000, said Mirante.

"He started doing this to us since 2017 and it took a while before he came back. They say he targets bakeries and uses the excuse of needing to collect payment for eggs," said Mirante.

"Our branch seems to be his target, but since we have rotating staff, the new employees don't know him," Mirante added.

Mirante said they have already filed a blotter around 4 p.m. Sunday. (Merry Razel Sister and Lesly Sagayap, NWSSU Interns)

Women's freedoms have steadily shrunk since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

Phivolcs said in a notice that “continuous tremor-like series of weak volcanic earthquakes that steadied and increased in strength” have been recorded since Monday afternoon. 

July 04, 2023 5:22 PM

It is unclear how the experiment would proceed as government permits and ethical approvals are required.

UP to 60 government officials in Cebu have launched a manifesto to show support to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco amid the issues faced by her office.

They include some mayors, councilors and members of the House of Representatives.

“We, the Congressmen, City Mayors, Municipal Mayors, and Councilors under the banner of a united and indivisible One Cebu Island, declare our full and unwavering support to the Department of Tourism (DOT) led by our very own, a Cebuana, Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco,” part of the manifesto reads.

The officials believe that there is an intention to sabotage the accomplishments of the DOT under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Given the circumstances, it is not difficult to see that the goal of all this is to sabotage the great accomplishments of the DOT Secretary, who continues to deliver to the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.,” according to the manifesto.

“We strongly believe this demolition job to be perpetrated by individuals with their own questionable agenda, perhaps to sway the trust and confidence of President Marcos in a Cebuana — who represents the very island that delivered the highest number of votes to the President and the Vice President in the 2022 Presidential Elections,” it added.

Majority of the Cebuano officials signed the six-page manifesto except for Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel 'Cutie' Del Mar and Danao City Mayor Thomas 'Mix' Durano.

Last week, the DOT released its new slogan "Love the Philippines," which received mixed reactions.

But the provincial board pushed a resolution to support the new slogan during its session last Monday, July 3, 2023.

The slogan is said to promote the country as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

In the privilege speech of Cebu 5th District Provincial Board (PB) Member Andrei Duterte, he slammed the critics of Secretary Garcia-Frasco regarding the new tourism slogan.

Duterte believes that the remarks were made to embarrass the secretary and damage her supposedly good reputation.

Duterte's defense is that he has seen how persistent and dedicated the DOT Secretary is in her work, despite the fact that she is serving as mayor of Liloan town.

“The entire Province of Cebu finds it imperative to fully support this initiative, as it also resonates with the province’s efforts to fully utilize the benefits of tourism for economic recovery, economic growth and countryside development,” Duterte said in his resolution.

“As the chairman of the committee on tourism and as someone who witnessed first-hand how hardworking our Cebuana secretary is, I cannot just let this issue pass,” he added.

In line with this, the PB urged the Cebuanos to rally behind the DOT and Secretary Garcia-Frasco. (ANV, TPT)

Japan's plan to drain radioactive water into the Pacific has been opposed by China and South Korea.

THE brother of the suspect in a shooting incident at a billiard hall in Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City has surrendered to the police.

According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of Talisay City Police Station, that last Sunday, July 3, John Niño Cantila Gevereola, who is of legal age, and Norman Simbajon alias Nono, 27, were playing billiards when they got into an argument.

Norman’s younger brother, Lester allegedly went to his rescue and shot Gevereola, according to Caballes.

Norman surrendered on Monday, July 3.

Caballes asked Norman to convince his brother to surrender as well along with the weapon he had used in the shooting. (BBT, TPT)