Day: July 16, 2024

MANILA: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday lauded the adoption of a United Nations Human Rights Council (UN-HRC) resolution that seeks to protect and promote the human rights of seafarers around the world. The resolution will allow the Philippine government to ‘advance the rights and interest of Filipino seafarers’ who make up over a quarter of the roughly 2 million seafarers globally, the DOTr said in a statement. ‘Aspiring for the Philippines to be recognized as the ‘Maritime Capital of the World,’ we will ensure the rights and welfare of Filipino seafarers are properly protected,’ it said. The resolution

BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) already has 104,000 registered members as of Tuesday. Of the total, almost 5,000 cardholders have already availed of hospitalization services since the flagship health program began in May 2023. Under the BacCHP ordinance, the city government guarantees PHP15,000 for the hospital bills of each cardholder and their dependents. In an interview, BacCHP focal person Mae Cuaycong said the city government spends PHP9 million to PHP10 million each month for patient admission payments in all partner-hospitals. ‘Our funds are getting low so the last instruction of the mayor (Alfredo Abelardo Benitez)

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Over 3.1 million hectares (ha) in the Ilocos Region have been planted with tree seedlings since the National Greening Program (NGP) started in 2011, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Tuesday. At the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency in San Fernando City, La Union on Tuesday, DENR-Ilocos Region Executive Director Crizaldy Barcelo said the seedlings planted, mostly in upland forests, have an 85 percent survival rate. These include mostly indigenous species and high-value crops like mango, bamboo, mangrove and coffee. Barcelo said tree-planting activities now include protected areas.

MANILA: Coach Richard Villaseran’s King’s Gambit Online Chess School players achieved podium finishes in recent tournaments. Villaseran’s students pocketed six medals in the elementary division of the Palarong Pambansa which ended in Cebu City Tuesday. National Master (NM) Pat Ferdolf Macabulos, representing Central Luzon, bagged the individual bronze and team bronze (with Elexis Jazz Aves Mendez) in the standard category as well as the individual silver and team silver, also with Mendez, in blitz. Ralz Jaweh Devibar of Davao Region bagged silver in standard team and bronze in blitz team, both with Aaron Aton. NMs Keith Ilar and John Cyrus

MATANOG, Maguindanao del Norte – Amid incessant moderate rains and gloomy weather, police personnel from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) on Tuesday continued clearing flood debris and rocks to restore normalcy here. This town was the hardest-hit area in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) following flash floods and mudflows on July 9 that left five children dead. Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn, PRO-BAR regional director, said 120 personnel have already been deployed, and 400 personnel are on standby to serve as a Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF). As of July 15, a sufficient number of designated