Agriculture Undersecretary Roger Navarro was quoted as saying that "distributing rice instead of money to 4Ps beneficiaries could help lower rice inflation, which soared to a 14-year record high of 22.4 percent last month." First, providing the rice equivalent of the monthly cash assistance will not guarantee that the beneficiaries will receive good quality rice. Substituting the rice equivalent of the cash assistance means depriving 4Ps beneficiaries of the power to decide what kind of rice to buy to satisfy their needs. Third, regarding the claim that providing the rice equivalent instead of cash will result in lower rice inflation, I am not sure whether any economist in his right mind will buy the argument. And as noted earlier, it is most likely that the rice equivalent will be in the form of regular milled rice.

Ayra WangHKTV mall has responded to claims from suppliers alleging that the online shopping platform failed to pay them over the past month and after complaints flooded its Facebook page. The company reassured them its financial standing is solid and that it would fulfill its contractual obligations by paying them accordingly. Another user, Fu Sai-kit, accused the company of being a "money-stealing company" and claimed that it manipulates contract terms and sets traps for merchants during contract renewals. Some comments specifically called for an explanation from Ricky Wong Wai-kay, the chairman of HKTV mall. Some within the group urged others to boycott HKTV mall by temporarily closing their stores for three days.

The official social media page of HKTVmall has been inundated with repetitive comments claiming to be from merchants, stating the platform has yet to settle last month's payments as of this Tuesday (Feb 20). The comments also accused HKTVmall of engaging in unethical practices by constantly modifying contract terms and coercing merchants into renewing contracts. In response, an HKTVmall spokesman dismissed the rumors, stating the comments were untrue. Regarding contract renewals, the contract states that merchants wishing to terminate their agreement must apply three months before the contract expires. HKTV added that it is important to note that the payment settlements and contract renewal arrangements have been in place for a considerable amount of time and are not newly developed.

‘Hostile takeover 101’Never come between a sabungero and his chickens or there will be hell to pay! In a text sent out to Senator Cynthia Villar, a top official of the PNP, as well as members of the media and a former undersecretary, described the experience as a course on “Hostile Takeover 101” step by step. The report was a bum report because there was no shipment of live birds on said date. The chickens arrived Tuesday and K-9s were again sent to go through the shipping boxes and live animals. Whether it’s the hostile takeover of “Mutt & Jeff” or BAI officials trying to get two minutes of fame to impress Secretary Kiko Laurel to get a promotion, the whole incident has backfired largely on the BAI and indirectly on Secretary Laurel.

Massive leak shows China firm hacked foreign governmentsBEIJING – A Chinese tech security firm was able to breach foreign governments, infiltrate social media accounts and hack personal computers, a massive data leak analyzed by experts this week revealed. “The leak provides some of the most concrete details seen publicly to date, revealing the maturing nature of China’s cyber espionage ecosystem,” SentinelLabs analysts said. Asked by AFP on Thursday about whether Beijing contracted hackers, China’s foreign ministry said it was “not aware” of the case. “As a principle, China firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks and cracks down on them in accordance with law,” spokesperson Mao Ning said. In one screenshot of a chat app conversation, someone describes a client request for exclusive access to the “foreign secretary’s office, foreign ministry’s ASEAN office, prime minister’s office national intelligence agency” and other government departments of an unnamed country.

BEIJING: A Chinese tech security firm was able to breach foreign governments, infiltrate social media accounts and hack personal computers, a massive data leak analyzed by experts this week revealed. "The leak provides some of the most concrete details seen publicly to date, revealing the maturing nature of China's cyber espionage ecosystem," SentinelLabs analysts said. Asked by AFP on Thursday about whether Beijing contracted hackers, China's Foreign Ministry said it was "not aware" of the case. In one screenshot of a chat app conversation, someone describes a client request for exclusive access to the "Foreign secretary's office, the Foreign Ministry's Asean office, prime minister's office, national intelligence agency" and other government departments of an unnamed country. Pieter Arntz, a researcher at Malwarebytes, said the leak was likely to "rattle some cages at the infiltrated entities."

Super rookie Casiey Dongallo said the UE Lady Warriors still consider their 18-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 loss to the UST Golden Tigresses an accomplishment. Speaking to the media at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 after the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball game, Dongallo said that despite a depleted lineup due to injuries, the Lady Warriors still kept in step against a 'great UST team'. Dongallo fired 23 points, 13 excellent digs and nine receptions in the contest. Video by Niel Vitctor 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

Recognizing the urgency of addressing the burden of dengue disease, the Department of Health (DOH) emphasizes the importance of implementing extensive prevention measures. These programs bring together medical experts who discuss effective dengue prevention strategies. The initiative is carried out in collaboration w ith the Ilocos Norte Medical So ciety and receives support from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Health Office and Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. Through fostering alliance s, communities can create a comprehensive network dedicated to raising awareness, implementing proactive healthcare programs, and fortifying defense against dengue. To learn more about prevention tips and the latest health updates on dengue, follow Iwas Dengue on Facebook or visit http://iwas-dengue.phADVT.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro and Gabriela Partylist Rep, Arlene Brosas, in a press briefing on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 urge embattled Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy to face the upcoming inquiry by the House of Representatives on the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) in March, calling his claim of being under threat as an excuse of a person who is on the run. Video by Red Mendoza

As the Indonesian news journal Kompas reported, Prabowo declared: "There was no joint statement and no press conference, yes. "Indonesia's position is very clear," said Prabowo at a defense ministry and Indonesian Armed Forces event after his Washington visit. Needed: Joint Asean securityWith its Muslim majority and its longtime opposition to Israel, Indonesia isn't likely to tie up with staunch Israel ally America. To help Asean stay neutral and resist superpower blandishments to take sides, Jakarta should go beyond just warning against such machinations. It must take the lead in forging joint security arrangements among Asean nations, especially those like the Philippines facing strong pressures from contending big nations.

The deal of the centuryThat is how San Miguel Corporation’s takeover of the operations and management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in the next 25 years turns out to be. So did SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang get himself a good deal despite promising an astronomical amount of P1 trillion to the government? At NAIA, revenues from passenger terminal fees are 46 percent of total airport revenues; the bulk, or 54 percent, comes from so-called aeronautical revenues. SMC is also the developer and operator of the recently jet-ready Caticlan (Boracay) airport, the country’s fourth busiest airport and the largest airport in Western Visayas. It generated total revenues of $800 million in 2019.

NSC denies provocation in Philippines-US joint patrolsThis photo shows a picture of the Philippine Air Force's FA-50 beside a B-52H Stratofortress during joint patrols on Monday. The NSC issued a response to the Chinese military's earlier statement, refuting claims that the joint patrols conducted by the Philippines and the US provoke trouble. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) reported that the aerial joint patrols on Monday included three FA-50 light fighters flying alongside a US Pacific Air Forces B-52H Stratofortress long-range strategic bomber. The NSC urged China to respect and follow international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which ruled in favor of the Philippines. “We urge China to respect the sovereign rights of the Philippines conducted within its territory consistent with its national interests and international law,” the NSC said.

As the Indonesian news journal Kompas reported, Subianto declared: "There was no joint statement and no press conference, yes. "Indonesia's position is very clear," said Subianto at a defense ministry and Indonesian Armed Forces event after his Washington visit. Needed: Joint Asean securityWith its Muslim majority and its longtime opposition to Israel, Indonesia isn't likely to tie up with staunch Israel ally America. To help Asean stay neutral and resist superpower blandishments to take sides, Jakarta should go beyond just warning against such machinations. It must take the lead in forging joint security arrangements among Asean nations, especially those like the Philippines facing strong pressures from contending big nations.

Consider, for instance, the different meanings the word "only" creates by virtue of the five positions it takes in the following sentences:"Only I think Jennifer belongs to this league." ("It's only I that think Jennifer belongs to this league.") "I only think Jennifer belongs to this league." ("This is what I think: Jennifer belongs only to this league and to no other.") Read this essay and listen to its voice recording in The Manila Times: "When the word 'only' goes haywire."

Dr. Rick Shangraw of the Arizona State University and Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo of the Mapua Institute of Technology explain how Artificial Intelligence can help content creators, journalists and other disciplines during a media forum at the Mapua University Makati Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024Video by Red Mendoza