MANILA, Philippines — An advisory group warned that the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act or Senate Bill 2699 which seeks to reduce regulatory oversight of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) could lead to more abuses. SB 2699, if passed, will eliminate the need for a congressional franchise for telecommunication companies, which diminishes the regulatory powers of the NTC. But in our zeal to encourage investments, it would be prudent to maintain the regulatory oversight of the NTC. One of the main pushers of the Konektadong Pinoy Bill is Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who is rallying support from different government agencies and business organizations to fast-track the passage of SB2699. AdvertisementThe proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act is awaiting deliberations at the Senate.

Lou Dominguez is a wife, mother, baker, and owner of The Sourdough Breadhouse in Quezon City. She bakes an assortment of sourdough bread for cafes and individual customers around Metro Manila. She started baking as a hobby in 2018 when her sisters encouraged her to give sourdough baking a try. During the pandemic, she was encouraged further to sell her bread, and the business took off. Now, at 60, she is still full of passion and energy to expand her business and hone her craft in all things sourdough.

Jorick Bautista turns to his clutches anew as Far Eastern University outlasts Adamson in overtime, 76-72, in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Oct. 12, 2024. Bautista sent the game into overtime with a late triple then poured nine of his total 21 points in the extra period to will the Tamaraws to their second win in eight games, bouncing back from their loss to UST last timeout for seventh place. Adamson dropped to fifth with a 3-5 win-loss card, losing three straight games. Video by Niel Victor MasoyGet the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

REMEMBER THE TIME People visit the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, now known as the atomic bomb dome, in the city of Hiroshima, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 12, 2024. "We know the horror of nuclear weapons because we know what happened in Hiroshima." He voiced hopes that the Nobel prize would help "the experiences of atomic bomb survivors spread further spread around the world," including by persuading people to visit Hiroshima. Future generationsKiwako Miyamoto, 65, said the Nobel prize was a "great thing, because even some locals here are indifferent" to what happened. Advertisement"I was born 10 years after the atom bomb was dropped, so there were many atom bomb survivors around me.

Technology: The future is hereI was in San Francisco for a couple of days where I was invited to deliver remarks and take part in a forum for the Fleet Week Senior Leaders Seminar onboard the USS Tripoli, an America-class amphibious assault ship. The San Francisco Fleet Week is the biggest civic event of the West Coast, attracting over 1.2 million visitors to the Bay Area annually. I am simply amazed to see driverless taxis on the streets of San Francisco – proof of the AI boom that’s happening – with many women saying they prefer “robotaxis” because they feel safer. According to Armscor CEO Martin Tuason, they already have the base to grow and the technology to start with. Being a treaty ally, the Philippines can ask the US for technology transfer which they would probably give “in a heartbeat,” Martin says.

Zero HungerEvery Oct. 16, World Food Day celebrates the creation of the United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO is a UN specialized agency leading international efforts to combat hunger, enhance nutrition, promote sustainable agriculture, and ensure food security. This year’s theme captures the spirit of FAO’s mission – “right to foods for a better life and a better future.”Food and nutrition security builds a better life for Filipinos. Zero hunger is achievable for the Philippines! As we celebrate World Food Day, let FAO’s so-called “four betters” also be our guide to zero hunger by 2030, so that all Filipinos’ future includes “better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Social media platform TikTok said it will slash hundreds of jobs, with a significant number of employees in Malaysia expected to be affected, as the company shifts to AI-assisted content moderation. TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, said Friday it would cut several hundred jobs around the world, without providing a breakdown by country. Less than 500 jobs in Malaysia are expected to be affected by the move. A TikTok spokesperson said that the job cuts were part of an effort to boost content moderation. The government of the Southeast Asian country has since asked social media platforms to apply for an operating license in an effort to tackle rising cybercrime, including online fraud, sexual crimes against children and cyberbullying.

MANILA, Philippines — A measure that will discontinue the use of the mother tongue as a medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3 lapsed into law on Thursday, October 11. Republic Act (RA) No. 12027 or the Act of Discontinuing the Use of the Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3 amends Sections 4 and 5 of RA No. Article continues after this advertisementUnder RA 12027, “[t]he medium of instruction shall revert to Filipino and until otherwise provided by law, English,” while the regional languages will serve as a supplementary media of instruction for the students. READ: Government shortcoming failed mother tongue program, lawmaker saysIt also provides optional implementation in monolingual classes, or a group of learners who speak the same mother tongue and are enrolled in the same grade level of a school year.

Businesses previously found failed to have complied with a citywide ban on single-use plastics during the transition period will be the first to get checked by officials starting October 21, as the six-month adaptation period ends. The first phase of the ban, which took effect on April 22, prohibits the supply of Styrofoam and disposable plastic tableware for dine-in meals, alongside a prohibition on the sale of these items. Secretary for the Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan wrote in his blog on Saturday that authorities would prioritize inspecting retailers to ensure restricted single-use plastic cutlery and products would no longer be available. They will then receive a fixed penalty ticket if they still cannot meet the rules after the 10-day period. He also quoted the local chain restaurants as saying that the six-month grace period is sufficient for them to clear out their inventory of single-use plastic tableware and make a switch to alternatives.

US slams China’s ‘increasingly dangerous’ movesPresident Marcos shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the 12th Asean-US summit in Vientiane, Laos yesterday. “These should all reinforce ASEAN centrality and if implemented, provide a framework to help manage disputes in the South China Sea,” he said. “I believe we all recognize that the South China Sea is a strategic challenge that cannot be readily solved. “We must all remain open so as to seriously manage differences and reduce tensions,” he said, noting that tensions ramain in the South China Sea. “These kinds of behavior cannot be ignored, and demand of us concerted and serious efforts to truly manage our disputes in the South China Sea,” he said.

GENEVA, Switzerland — The World Trade Organization (WTO) raised its outlook for global goods trade this year slightly, but cautioned on Thursday that increasing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over economy policy pose "substantial" risks to its forecast. The World Trade Organization on Thursday slightly raised its trade outlook this year but is proceeding with caution amid the problems the world is facing. AP PHOTOThe Geneva-based WTO projected that global goods trade will increase by 2.7 percent this year, compared with the 2.6 percent it forecast in April. Last year, the volume of world merchandise trade was down 1.1 percent, pushed lower by high inflation and rising interest rates. The global trade body cautioned that "rising geopolitical tensions and increased economic policy uncertainty continue to pose substantial downside risks to the forecast."

REUTERS - AMMAR AWADA year on from Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, unsubstantiated claims about the number of children killed have maintained traction, whereas an AFP tally established that 37 minors died, including two babies. According to an AFP tally based on data from Israeli authorities, only two children under the age of five were confirmed killed during the onslaught. In total, 10 minors were killed at Beeri on October 7, and 10 others were taken captive to Gaza, AFP's tally showed. Six Bedouin children aged between five to 15 and a 12-year-old Jewish boy were also killed on October 7 by rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel. The other minors killed by Hamas commandos died in kibbutz communities, on Zikim Beach north of Gaza.

Tax revenues rise to P2.77 trillion in 9 monthsPreliminary data released by the Department of Finance showed that tax collections from January to September reached P2.77 trillion. Preliminary data released by the Department of Finance showed that tax collections from January to September reached P2.77 trillion. This is nine percent higher than the P2.54 trillion revenues in the same period last year. Tax revenues are expected to account for 89 percent of overall revenue collections for the year at P4.269 trillion. For September alone, tax revenues reached P212 billion, 9.2 percent lower than the P233.53 billion in collections last year.

Not one of them so far commits to bring down the national debt during their tenure. The debt has become an inexorable force in our nation’s life. Unfortunately, any politician who commits to bring down the national debt will never win an elective post. Bringing down the national debt will require a lot of fiscal discipline. When the Philippines experienced a debt crisis in the early 80s, the event nearly killed our economy.

AP PHOTO Rafael Nadal reacts waves after the men's doubles quarter-final tennis competition at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. Nadal won that one, 9-7 in the fifth set amidst the dying evening light, part of the left-hander's supremacy head-to-head. I always hoped this day would never come," Federer posted Thursday. A few months after that Laver Cup, Nadal hurt his hip and eventually would have surgery in June 2023. He went 112-4 in the Slam held at Roland Garros, with titles arriving in 2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-20 and 2022.