PPA tells importers: Stop using ports for storageIn a recent radio interview, PPA general manager Jay Santiago said several importers deliberately delay the withdrawal of their containers to save up on costs. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has warned importers against using ports as warehouses to avoid paying more for storage fees, asking them to pull their shipments out as soon as possible to prevent yard congestion. In a recent radio interview, PPA general manager Jay Santiago said several importers deliberately delay the withdrawal of their containers to save up on costs. An importer who parked a container in a port for 30 days would pay just P30,000. The PPA wants importers, particularly of agricultural products, to pull out their containers from the ports as fast as possible during the holiday leadup.

Newly installed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave him marching orders to craft a recommendation for a more cohesive and effective police force, restructure the National Police Commission, and ensure the safety of all candidates for the 2025 midterm elections. Video by Kristina MaralitGet 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

MANILA, Philippines — The damage to the country’s farm sector due to Supertyphoon Julian (international name: Krathon) has reached P607.38 million based on the bulletin issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday. The figure was 10.1 percent more than the P551.81 million reported by the DA on Oct. 4. Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Julian initial agri damage estimated at P36.34M; Batanes bishop asks for helpThe number of affected farmers in the Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos regions numbered 33,110, while 25,407 metric tons of agricultural commodities were damaged, spanning 17,344 hectares of land. Rice accounted for most of the damage at 70 percent or P427.65 million of the total. Infrastructure was next at P100 million, of which P92.68 million were irrigation facilities.

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on women is set to delve deeper into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo’s Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) ties, and invit more personalities linked to the illegal Pogo hub that started it all — Zun Yuan Technology Inc. The panel chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier disclosed that its next hearing on Guo’s case is scheduled on Tuesday. Upon the request of Hontiveros’ office, Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 allowed Guo and the aforementioned personalities to attend the hearing. A day after the Senate probe, Hontiveros said Guo did reveal a “crucial personality” linked to the country’s Pogo operations, but she admitted to not feeling satisfied with the dismissed Bamban mayor’s revelation. The NBI, however, earlier confirmed that she and Chinese national Guo Hua Ping are one.

IN celebration of their 7th Founding Anniversary, the Guild of Liturgical Designers (GOLD) and the UAP Committee on Liturgical Architecture and Sacred Spaces (UAP-Class) have joined forces to present the 4th Liturgical Architecture Conference (LAC) entitled "LANGKOB: Ecclesia Et Cultura: Integrating Catholic Tradition and Cultural Diversity in Vernacular Liturgical Architecture" on Oct. 14-16, 2024. A key highlight is the creation of the book "LANGKOB: Ecclesia Et Cultura," which will feature Davao City's Catholic churches and sacred spaces. It aims to contribute to the discourse on preserving and celebrating Davao's sacred spaces within the context of Catholic tradition and cultural diversity. Donato Magcale, along with UAP Area D District 1 officers, chapter presidents, and the organizing committee of the 4th Liturgical Architecture Conference 2024, will attend. Marie Stephanie N. Gilles, as the founding chairperson of the Guild of Liturgical Designers (GOLD) and of the United Architects of the Philippines Committee on Liturgical Architecture and Sacred Spaces (UAP-Class), is the convenor and head of the Organizing Committee of the 4th Liturgical Architecture Conference 2024.

10,000 more POGO visas downgradedThe site of Smart Web Technology, a Philippine offshore gaming operator on 50 Williams St. Pasay City, which was raided in 2023. MANILA, Philippines — More than 10,000 visas of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) foreign workers have already been downgraded their visas, the Bureau of Immigration announced. It is a significant increase from the 5,955 visas downgraded as of September 24. We encourage POGO workers to file as early as possible to avoid complications," newly appointed Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement. On September 28, the bureau said over 3,000 POGO workers had voluntarily left the country after their visa downgrade.

Two Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion near the international airport of Karachi on Sunday, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan said, in what it described as a "terrorist attack." Separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army said the explosion was an attack carried out by them using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeting Chinese nationals, including engineers. The embassy said a convoy from Port Qasim Electric Power was attacked near the airport. In August, it launched coordinated attacks in the province, in which more than 70 people were killed. It has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing's consulate in Karachi.

A KOREAN state-owned agency will develop a mass housing project in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Monday. With P9 billion in investments, the Korean Overseas and Infrastructure and Urban Development Corp. (KIND) will build 3,000 housing units on a 5-hectare site. BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang said the project would help address the housing needs of government workers and minimum-wage earners who will be relocating to New Clark City. "The infrastructure in New Clark City is there, the jobs are there, [but] the housing is just not enough," Bingcang pointed out. Bingcang assured the affordability of the housing units, whose monthly lease payments range from P5,000 to P7,000, with financing options available for up to 30 years.

They fear the globalized supply chains that help produce cheap goods and power global growth could become weapons in the hands of foreign adversaries. "Long, opaque supply chains leave gaps that can too easily be exploited, and we need a strategy for closing them in close collaboration with our allies." China has prepositioned cyber attackers to "wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing," Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray warned in April. Last year the US Navy reduced the number of Chinese supplies in its "critical technologies" supply chains by some 40 percent, according to Govini, a government data analysis business. "The bottom line is that in a world of grossly extended supply chains, vulnerabilities are part of the system," he said.

An Uber driver lost consciousness early Monday morning while driving in Sai Wan, leading his passengers to seek assistance from a nearby gas station. During the drive, he suddenly felt unwell and managed to pull the car over near the gas station at Water Street. The two female passengers, who were being transported from Lan Kwai Fong to the airport, quickly sought help. They ran to a nearby gas station, where the staff assisted them in calling the police. The unconscious driver was then transported to Queen Mary Hospital for emergency treatment.

HANOI — Vietnam's economy grew by 7.4 percent in the third quarter, government figures showed Sunday, despite severe economic damage caused by deadly Typhoon Yagi. Vietnam suffered $3.3 billion in economic losses as a result of Yagi, which swept across the country's north, causing devastating flooding and 345 deaths. AdvertisementThe United States was Vietnam's largest export market in the first nine months of 2024, according to the GSO. The ADB predicts 6 percent growth for Vietnam's yearend figure. AdvertisementThe communist state has long been a success story among Asian economies, and in 2022, its economy grew 8 percent.

It's hard to describe my reaction to last month's news that pagers were exploding all over Lebanon. All those emotions seemed rolled into one as I spontaneously erupted into bouts of laughter as each additional detail became widely known. No, this was a narrower mirth, one borne of excitement at the belated defensive triumph of a country I love. In this era, the only permissible way to hate the Jews is to hate them for having a state." * * *David Haldane is an award-winning American journalist, author, and radio broadcaster with homes in Southern California and Northern Mindanao.

That viral pictureIt’s too bad that we don’t have space on this page for cartoons, because I would have asked for one to illustrate this piece for this week. Last week, a picture I took of that same scene and which I (perhaps stupidly) posted on Facebook went viral. As psychologists will tell us, the same picture can mean very different things to different people. Historians, journalists and critics will exhaust the complexity of the big picture; they like landscapes. My little experiment with a picture that went viral just showed us how.

U.S. deploys transport planes to assist in ‘Julian’ relief opsKC-130J Hercules of the U.S III Marine Expeditionary Force at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. MANILA, Philippines — The United States has deployed personnel and aircraft to the Philippines to support relief efforts in Batanes following the devastation caused by Typhoon Julian (Krathon). The Philippine Air Force announced that two KC-130J Hercules transport planes from the U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Saturday afternoon, October 5, delivering personnel and equipment. “These aircraft, which departed from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, will assist in the ongoing relief efforts in the province of Batanes, which was severely affected by Typhoon Julian,” the Philippine Airforce said. According to a report by the Philippine News Agency, the following supplies have been distributed to assist affected communities, with the help of U.S. transport planes:1,000 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has designated five ranking officials to new posts, effective on Wednesday, October 9. The reorganization is aligned with the order issued by PNP Chief General Rommel Marbil on Saturday, October 5. Article continues after this advertisementBelow is the list of names of the police officers and their new assignments, based on the order:Police Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. – Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Deputy Chief, PNP for AdministrationPolice Major General Sidney Hernia – Acting Regional Director, National Capital Region Police OfficePolice Brigadier General Benjamin Sembrano – Acting Director, PNP Forensic GroupPolice Brigadier General Constancio Chinayog Jr. – Acting Director for Personnel and RecordsPolice Colonel Jeffrey Decena – Acting Deputy Regional Director for Administration, Police Regional Office 3