THE Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is gearing up for the third edition of its annual Sustainability Awareness Month (SAM) this June, in alignment with the bank's sustainability agenda. At BPI’s Sustainability Awareness Month Press Conference are (from left) Jovi Alonso, chief credit officer; Eric Luchangco, chief finance officer and chief sustainability officer; Cathy Santamaria, chief customer and marketing officer; Dino Gasmen, treasurer and head of global markets. AdvertisementOn June 26, "Beyond Green: Sustainable Agricultural Technologies and Poultry Practices" will introduce new innovations in the agriculture sector, specifically poultry production and waste management innovations. In recognition of its unwavering dedication to sustainability, BPI was honored as the Best Sustainable Bank in the Philippines by Finance Asia for the fourth consecutive year in 2023. For more information on BPI's 'Beyond Green' SAM activities and to register for upcoming events, visit BPI's official website.

The Chinese homegrown passenger aircraft C919 made its first cross-border commercial flight and arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday morning to fly over 100 local students to Shanghai for an internship program. The C919 and another homegrown ARJ21 first visited Hong Kong last December and the former delighted citizens with a demonstration flight over Victoria Harbour. Delivering a speech at the taking-off ceremony, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he has witnessed two “firsts” of the C919 today (Sat); it flew its first commercial flight in Hong Kong and for the first time sent Hong Kong students to a mainland exchange trip. Another HKUST third year student, Chan, hopes to spend a meaningful summer in Shanghai. He hopes students can get to know more about the country and this internship helps with their future employment.

Richard Marlee on June 1.Photographer: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said his country has “security anxieties” in its relationship with China even as trade ties have stabilized, as he called on Beijing to uphold the global rules-based order. • Australia Has ‘Security Anxieties’ With China Even as Ties Warm• Pentagon Chief Touts China Talks and Efforts to Box Beijing In• Marcos Swipes at China, Vowing Not to Yield in Disputed Sea? Israel as a democratic state, Hamas is a terrorist organization.”Australia Has “Security Anxieties’ With China, Deputy PM Says (11:58 a.m.)Australia has “security anxieties” in its relationship with China even as trade ties have stabilized, Marles said, as he called on Beijing to uphold the global rules-based order. “North Korea exported missiles and artillery and, in return, they received oil, food and military technology,” Shin told the forum. He told a regional defense forum the Indo-Pacific would continue to be America’s “priority theater of operations” despite Washington’s recent preoccupation with conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

MSERV to fuel hyperscale data center in Quezon CityIn a statement, Meralco Energy Inc. (MSERV) said the collaboration with STT GDC Philippines is expected to promote innovation and drive technological advancement in the digital industry. MANILA, Philippines — A unit of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is set to provide power to the largest hyperscale data center of ST Telemedia Global Data Centers Philippines (STT GDC Philippines) in the country. STT GDC Philippines is a joint venture of Globe Telecom Inc., Ayala Corp. and Singapore-based ST Telemedia Global Data Centers. A hyperscale data center is a large-scale facility providing critical data storage and applications to businesses. Together, we are not just providers of data center services but digital enablers toward a progressive future.

(UPDATE) CHINA said it is keeping the door of dialogue and communication open with the Philippines despite the dispute in the South China Sea. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao NingMarcos has pledged to take any opportunity to engage with China to halt aggressive actions and secure the rights of Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea. AdvertisementBeginning June 15, the Chinese coast guard will detain foreigners "illegally" sailing into parts of the South China Sea that China claims as part of its territory. Bajo de Masinloc is well within the West Philippine Sea, although China also claims ownership of the shoal. Under the ruling, trespassers can be held for up to 60 days without trial.

MANILA, Philippines — Five individuals were arrested in an entrapment operation inside a mall in North Avenue, Quezon City, for alleged qualified theft and falsification of documents in a computer shop. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Court hands lending company execs jail term for faking bank documentThe suspects were allegedly falsifying the official receipts issued to their customers, who are seeking repair service and buying gadgets in the store. “The receipts issued were not Silicon Valley’s authorized Receipts and rather came from another store,” the NBI said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT“The other individuals were arrested for selling electronic parts that are not being sold by Silicon Valley,” the NBI said. Arrested subjects were presented before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City.

TACLOBAN CITY — An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed while another was arrested during an encounter with government forces in the hinterlands of Basey, Samar on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTThe troops eventually figured in an encounter with around 10 suspected rebels. Meclat added that the troops, while conducting clearing and follow-up operations at the clash site, captured a wounded suspected rebel, who was immediately given proper medical attention. Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 802nd IB, commended the troops for their quick response to civilian reports of the suspected rebels’ extortion activities. The path of peace is ready to embrace you along with your families and loved ones,” he said.

And that’s been going on since she started to be conscious and observant on why she reacted to food additives, processed food and cured meats. With scaling up of food production to supply hundreds of fast food outlets and preservation of food to prevent spoilage, one is hard pressed to find unprocessed or whole foods. Natural food or food derived through natural means also helps us develop our taste for better food. If we fast or stay away from unclean or processed food, we may just discover again what food naturally tastes like. And quality for him is knowing the source of the food, not a chef’s interpretation of good food.

As things stand now, there is little hope that a global pandemic treaty can be forged anytime soon, if at all. What the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body overseeing discussions on the pandemic treaty was trying to accomplish was a global agreement that would address some of the serious problems exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. From the very beginning, it seems that almost every issue the treaty negotiations attempted to address pitted poor countries against rich countries. For the Philippines' part, the failure of the current efforts to create a pandemic treaty is a warning that relying on outside help is unrealistic, if not foolhardy. While the government should continue to participate in and support efforts to craft a pandemic treaty, our own contingency plans for managing the next pandemic must be carefully reviewed and strengthened.

In the summer heat, sweating can lead to more blisters while open wounds can lead to dehydration. Unlike most children in Andalusia, for whom summer means spending time at the beach with friends and family, for Leo, summer is agonizing. AdvertisementFortunately, governments have begun to realize they need to boost efforts to fulfill their human rights obligations to protect populations at risk. How these activities will be carried out and whether they lead to better protection for the people at risk remains to be seen. This is certainly the case for Andalusia and the rest of Spain, as we head into another hot, potentially record-breaking summer.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Friday that it targets expanding bike lanes in major cities and adjacent municipalities in the country by 2028. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Removing bike lanes, banning e-bikes: MMDA counters nat’l policy“We allocated almost P5 billion for planning and implementation of active transport projects. We plan to expand the bike lanes up to 2,400 kms by 2028,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said during the inauguration and expansion of bike lanes in Tagum and Davao cities, as quoted in a statement. “Yung construction ng bike lanes we will do this all over the country, inuuna muna natin major cities then susunod mga adjacent municipalities. READ: DOTr stresses proper bike lane enforcementAside from bike lanes, the DOTr said it is also constructing walkways to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

The Department of Health (DH) alerted members of the public on Friday to fraudulent advertisements published on social media and online platforms about free medical insurance provided by the Hong Kong government. The fraudulent advertisements, which displayed the DH logo, claimed that the government was providing free medical insurance for people aged 55 or older. But the DH clarified today that they have never published, or authorized the publishing of such advertisements, adding that all the remarks in the advertisements are false. The DH stated that they have reported the case to the police. The DH urged anyone who has provided his or her personal information to any suspicious websites or unknown persons via the advertisements to contact the police for assistance.

WATCH: Juan Karlos performs hits despite heavy rainMANILA, Philippines — The heavy rains did not stop singer Juan Karlos as he continued to perform for fans and music lovers at the recent Monaco Grand Prix Watch Party in Arcovia City, Pasig. The "High Street" star performed his hit songs "Ere," "Demonyo" and "Buwan," to name a few, amid heavy rains last May 26. Ang dramatic ng feeling," Juan Karlos said. Monza Barcade, the Philippines' first-ever racing-centric social gaming venue, shifted into high gear by holding a watch party for the much-awaited Monaco Grand Prix. RELATED: Juan Karlos' 'ERE' becomes 1st Filipino song to debut on Spotify global chart

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections First Division declared on Thursday that five election candidates have been disqualified. The decision comes after they failed to submit their statements of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) twice within the timeframe required by the poll body’s political finance and affairs department. ADVERTISEMENTBelow is the list of disqualified candidates based on Comelec’s announcement released on Thursday:1. Gene Tomas AlamaniReason for disqualification:Failure to file SOCE in relation to his candidacy as member, Sangguniang Bayan in Dinalungan, Aurora during the 2010 NLE and 2022 NLERuling:Your subscription could not be saved. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPPay the administrative fine of P20,000 for his second offense; and be perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

Young triathletes take the spotlight in IRONKIDS SubicMANILA, Philippines – The future of Philippine triathlon will have the chance to showcase their skills in a non-timed race focused on fun and participation when the Choco Hero IRONKIDS is held on June 8 in Subic Bay. Participants in the 13-15 age group will tackle a 250m swim, 6km bike and 2km run race. Younger age brackets include 11-12 (200m swim, 4km bike and 1.5km run), 9-10 (150m swim, 4km bike and 1.5km run), and 6-8 (and 100m swim, 2km bike and 1km run). Qatar Airways, ROKA, Santini, TriDot, Vinfast and Wahoo, boasts a strong international presence, with 44 countries represented in the Full IRONMAN race. The IM 70.3 Subic Bay attracts athletes from 39 countries, including 304 from the host, 24 from Vietnam, 13 each from Great Britain and Japan, and 10 from Thailand.