by magnolia_eic | Mar 5, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) will be convened soon to dialogue with manufacturers, producers and retailers to ensure supply and price stability of basic commodities as the El Niño phenomenon is expected to affect supply and prices of agricultural products.
Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila, who is co-chairman of the NPCC, told a press conference that he is calling for a dialogue with all the stakeholders to determine what causes price increases although he said that so far only prices of chicken have moved up.
He, however, admitted that the El Niño would impact on the supply and prices of agriculture products particularly rice and corn but not immediately on processed products.
He said that together with the Department of Agriculture, the DTI will strengthen its price monitoring activities and the government is ready to make the necessary interventions.
Based on the estimates by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the El Niño’s impact would account for a .4 percent of the country’s GDP, which is expected to hit between 2.6 percent to 3.6 percent.
Inflation though is expected to remain benign at 3.5 to 5.5 percent this year. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 3, 2010 | Headlines
THE Department of Health (DoH) has sent experts to Nueva Vizcaya to shed light on the death of two persons and the hospitalization of 150 others in a village in Lasam town.
Local experts suspect the cause of deaths and illnesses were due to the anthrax bacteria.
However, DOH Secretary Esperanza Cabral said it was unlikely the deaths were caused by anthrax.
Dr. Eric Tayag, National Epidemiology Center (NEC) chief said in an interview that two
epidemiologist will coordinate with local experts to study the cases and to find out if there are more cases that were unreported.
Last Friday, two people were reported dead and 150 more fell ill after eating meat taken from a dead carabao. But doctors in the area are yet to release a full report on the cases. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 3, 2010 | Headlines, National News
The Supreme Court has affirmed with finality its decision upholding the constitutionality of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
In a two-page resolution, the Court en banc, held that the petitioners led by the Bayang Alyansang Makabayan, former senator Jovito Salonga and lawyer Evalyn Ursua, formerly the counsel of Subic rape victim “Nicole,” failed to raise new arguments that would warrant the Court’s reversal of its ruling issued on February 11, 2009.
In its February 2009 decision penned by now retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, the Court upheld the constitutionality of the VFA as it was “duly concurred in by the Philippine Senate and has been recognized as a treaty by the United States.”
It pointed out that Section 25, Article XVIII, 1987 Constitution provides that “foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.”
Thus, the Court ruled that the presence of US soldiers in the country is allowed under the VFA.
“The VFA, which is the instrument agreed upon to provide for the joint RP-US military exercises, is simply an implementing agreement to the main RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty,” the SC said. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 3, 2010 | Headlines, National News
Manila, Philippines — Malacanang announced Wednesday the members of the Cabinet who would be replacing those who were deemed resigned as of March 2.
Justice Secretary (formerly Agnes Devanadera)
– Solicitor General Alberto Agra
Agriculture Secretary (formerly Arthur Yap)
– Secretary Ad Interim Bernardino Dizon
Head of Presidential Management Staff (formerly Hermogenes Esperon)
– Maritime Industry Authority head Elena Bautista
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – (formerly Augusto Syjuco Jr.)
– Rogelio Juan
Executive Secretary (formerly Eduardo Ermita)
– Leandro Mendoza
Click here for full article from Inquirer.net
by magnolia_eic | Mar 2, 2010 | Headlines, National News, World
The 75 documented Filipinos residing or working in Chile have been accounted for and reported safe, the spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.
“So far, they do not have any reports of any Filipinos who have been affected or hurt during the earthquake. They have been able to account for almost all of the Filipinos,” DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya told in an interview on Sunday afternoon, citing information from the Philippine embassy in Chile.
He added that a worker in the embassy had only injured his ankle at the height of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted the South American country early Saturday morning.
Contrary to earlier reports that there were about 89 Filipinos in Chile, Malaya said there were only 75 Filipinos serving as missionaries, engineers and businessmen or were spouses of Chile nationals.
Malaya also quoted Philippine Ambassador to Argentina Rey Carandang as saying that Filipinos in Argentina, located east of Chile, “were fine.” As of Sunday noon, international media pegged the quake’s death toll to about 214. (PIA-Bohol)
