The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” may affect the western parts of the country through the weekend. READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/2/habagat-to-bring-weekend-rains-to-western-philippines-pagasaSubscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletinVisit our website at http://mb.com.phFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletinTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletinInstagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletinTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin#ManilaBulletinOnline#ManilaBulletin#LatestNews

The four-day Hong Kong Brands and Products Shopping Festival kicked off at the AsiaWorld-Expo on Friday. To celebrate the achievements of Hong Kong athletes in the Paris Olympics, everyone can enter for free today. The venue has over 250 indoor stalls, divided into six themed exhibition areas, selling various products such as seafood, cooking utensils, health products, and fruits. The opening hours of the shopping festival are from 10.30 am to 7 pm. The adult ticket price is HK$10, while children with a height of 1 meter or less, seniors aged 65 or above, and people with disabilities can enjoy free admission.

People management a focal point at 30th National Retail ConferenceMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), through the National Retail Conference and Expo (NRCE) organizing committee, is offering sessions designed to tackle issues on effective people management and forging relationships that benefit both employees and the company. At the 30th National Retail Conference and Expo (NRCE) slated on Aug. 29 to 30 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, the NRCE committee recognizes that amid rapid technological advancements across all fronts, many companies often overlook their most crucial asset – their people. One of the key sessions, “Champion Mindset in Developing Dynamic Retail Teams,” will explore practical strategies for cultivating a champion mindset within retail teams. Dr. Maria Luisa Guinto, an associate professor and sports psychologist from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, will complement Sangalang’s insights by delving into the psychological aspects of building and maintaining a champion mindset. Her expertise will provide a deeper understanding of the psychological resilience and strategies necessary for consistent performance excellence in retail and beyond.

Zero absorption equals floodsLast Monday, I passed by the San Francisco del Monte district in Quezon City, and I was surprised that the Grab driver took a different route, avoiding the road along a creek. Imagine how much worse the situation would have been if San Miguel Corporation had not voluntarily undertaken the river dredging and clean-up of the Pasig River system, Tullahan River, Bulacan River system, San Juan River, as well as the San Isidro River in San Pedro, Laguna. According to published data of SMC, the Pasig River clean-up was 26 kilometers long and produced 1,185,207 metric tons of waste and silt. The Bulacan River system was 70.36 kilometers in length and had 4,041,523 metric tons of waste and silt removed by SMC. The perennial headache Tullahan River is 10.9 kilometers with 1,124,183 million metric tons.

Marcos urged to get all education agencies 'on the same page'MANILA, Philippines — The country's learning crisis has become so pervasive at all levels that different agencies need to consolidate their policies to drive effective reforms, according to a congressional body tasked with reviewing the education system. Senators serving as commissioners of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) on Tuesday filed a concurrent resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to create a "cabinet cluster" to unify the current fragmented implementation of education policies and reforms. EDCOM 2 is pushing for the creation of a cabinet cluster composed of the three main education agencies: the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Why unify different education agencies? In its Year One report, the congressional body pointed out that since the "trifocalization" or separation of education agencies into DepEd, CHED and TESDA in the 1990s, there has been a "lack of effective coordination among education agencies toward agreed-upon goals."

BEIJING, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on China's economy:  Why the Chinese economy is still rather resilient? But judging byeconomic data from the first six months of 2024, there's still considerable resilience ineconomic development, and the Chinese economy will maintain a positive trajectory over the long run. Given the relatively weak momentum in the global economy, the frequent frictions in international trade, and insufficient domestic demand in China, the overall stable performance of China's economy bears testament to the resilience of the Chinese economy. These have powerfully endorsed the pleasing performance of China's economy. AdvertisementChina Mosaichttp://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htmWhy the Chinese economy is still rather resilient?

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) announced on Thursday that for the first half of 2024, they have recorded a near 90 percent increase in fraudulent activity targeting the personal data of the inquirers. During the first half of 2024, the PCPD received nearly 600 inquiries relating to fraudulent activities targeting the personal data of the inquirers, which represented an increase of almost 90 percent compared to 312 cases year-on-year. The PCPD also noted a surge in various types of scams, all of which aimed at swindling money along with personal data out of citizens. Fraudsters also obtain victims’ biometric data, such as their facial images and voice, through social media, video calls, or online public footage to create videos using deepfake technology and impersonate victims’ friends, relatives, or colleagues to swindle money along with personal data. To illustrate that it is easy to produce fake videos in the AI era, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Ada Chung Lai-ling, also recorded a video demonstrating instant face swapping through AI deepfake technology.

At least 30 people are dead and 35 are missing in central China, state media reported Thursday, following days of torrential rain that lashed the country earlier this week. The downpours were triggered by Typhoon Gaemi, which moved on from the Philippines and Taiwan to make landfall in eastern China a week ago, with hilly, landlocked Hunan province hit particularly hard. On Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV said that "the roads, electricity and communications in eight towns in Zixing city that were most severely affected by Typhoon Gaemi have basically opened". "Initial findings show that there have been 30 deaths and 35 are missing," the report said, adding that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing. On Tuesday Xinhua said four people had been killed and three people were missing in Zixing.

About 21 million visitors arrived in Hong Kong in the first half of 2024, representing a 64 percent increase year-on-year, with overnight visitors accounting for 50 percent of all arrivals during the period. HKTB said the city has received 700,000 meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) tourism sector travelers, making MICE travel the fastest-recovering visitor segment in Hong Kong. Each overnight MICE visitor spent an average of HK$8,000, which is about 20 to 30 percent higher than the average per capita spend of all inbound overnight visitors. MICE visitors also stayed in Hong Kong for 3.7 nights on average, higher than the average of 3.2 nights for overnight visitors. The events are anticipated to attract approximately 1.7 million visitors to Hong Kong, bringing HK$7.2 billion in consumption revenues and adding approximately HK$4.3 billion to the local economy.

SINGAPORE, Singapore — Typhoons in Southeast Asia are forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change, according to a joint scientific study released on Wednesday. Coastal communities and cities like Hai Phong in Vietnam and the Thai capital Bangkok are "facing unprecedented threats from longer lasting and more intense storms", a statement about the study said. Published in the peer-reviewed Nature partner journal Climate and Atmospheric Science, the study "highlights significant changes in tropical cyclone behaviours in Southeast Asia". It added that climate change, which has caused ocean waters to warm, can alter the paths of tropical storms in the region, home to more than 650 million people. "There were two takeaways: First, we should be acting to reduce emissions, so we can curb the impacts of future storms," Andra said.

The MMDA, in collaboration with the DPWH, is currently implementing the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, which involves the rehabilitation of existing pumping stations and construction of new ones. The MMDA chief attributed the massive flooding in NCR to improper waste management practices that affect waterways and clog the drainage system. The problem of flooding must be addressed, not just through the government’s flood management projects, but also through the discipline of the public in their respective waste management efforts,” Artes stressed. Additionally, the MMDA has initiated community-based solid waste management programs that include strategies targeting changes in people’s behaviors and practices in solid waste management introduced to various barangays. Addressing Metro Manila’s perennial flooding problem requires a multifaceted approach that includes upgrading infrastructure, improving waste management practices, and fostering community cooperation.

Critics argue that PhilHealth funds should be used to expand health coverage and improve benefit packages for Filipinos, especially the poor and indigent. Read more: Watchdogs question PhilHealth fund transferPrior to Marcos Jr.’s Sona last July 22, over 60 professional organizations from the health care sector signed a letter addressed to the President, urging him to issue a directive to return the P89.9 billion unused fund to PhilHealth. PhilHealth initially requested a P101.5-billion subsidy from the national government for 2024 to support the National Health Insurance Program. This legislation was a pledge to care for our most vulnerable, guaranteeing PhilHealth benefits, including comprehensive outpatient services,” Leachon said. RELATED STORIES:PhilHealth to recommend premium contribution rate cut to MarcosBankrolling other services using PhilHealth funds unethical – MakabayanYour subscription could not be saved.

File PhotoThe Biden administration plans to unveil a new rule next month that will expand U.S. powers to stop exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from some foreign countries to Chinese chipmakers, two sources familiar with the rule said. A spokesperson for the U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, declined to comment. The Foreign Direct Product rule stipulates that if a product is made using American technology, the U.S. government has the power to stop it from being sold - including products made in a foreign country. Equipment, for example, could be designated as falling under export controls simply because a chip containing U.S. technology is incorporated into it, they said. "Effective export controls rely on multilateral buy-in," said a separate U.S. official who declined to be identified.

Alfredo Pascual resigns as DTI chiefTrade Secretary Alfredo Pascual at a Department of Trade and Industry event in July 2024. MANILA, Philippines — Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual has quit his post, said the Palace on Wednesday. The Presidential Communications Office announced his resignation in a Facebook post. “His focus on MSMEs was absolutely correct, and we are beginning to see the fruits of that policy. Benjamin Diokno was replaces as Finance Secretary in January and Vice President Sara Duterte had resigned as the Education Secretary and NTF-Elcac vice chairperson in June.

Paris Olympics athletes, fans melt in 'brutal' heatA view shows Olympic Rings set by the Pyramide du Louvre, designed by Chines-US architect Ieoh Ming Pei, within a gala dinner hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the French Presidency at the Louvre Museum in Paris, on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, on July 25, 2024. The forecasted return of some wet weather may come as relief to athletes, spectators and officials who baked in unforgiving weather throughout the day. A report released last month ahead of the Games and backed by climate scientists and athletes had warned about the dangers posed by extreme high temperatures. Players have been issued with refillable bottles but the world number 27 said it was impossible to keep the water cool. Officials at the tennis activated a heat protocol, allowing a 10-minute break between the second and third sets.