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FDA advised the public to exercise "extreme caution" in purchasing and consuming processed pork meat products. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) temporarily banned the distribution of pork meat products, including the meatloaf brand Ma Ling, from countries affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF). Photo from  unlideals.com According to  Memorandum 2019-048 , the FDA directed all importers, distributors, retail outlets, and other dealers “to immediately recall all pork meat products imported from countries suspected to be affected by ASF virus.” The ASF-affected countries are China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, and Belgium. As defined by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the African Swine Fever is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, warthogs, European wild boar, and American wild pigs. It is caused by DNA...

Photo from Google Images World Competitiveness Rankings 2019 Got Philippines On 4 Spots Higher Than in 2018 PHILIPPINES – The Philippines moved four(4) steps upward in the World Competitiveness Rankings 2019. Annually, there are global competitiveness rankings that are out. They are based on several factors like the economy of the country and as well as the infrastructures. One of those that releases reports on competitiveness rankings is the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a business school in Switzerland. Recently, it released a report on the World Competitiveness Rankings 2019. Based on a report on GMA News, in the World Competitiveness Rankings 2019, the Philippines moved four(4) steps upward from its previous spot. From being on the 50th mark last year, PH is now in the 46th spot out of a total of 63 economies sorted out. The IMD rankings considered four factors – economic performance, infrastructure, government efficiency, ...

Smiling children of South Cotabato. Image from Celineis \\By Frances Kristine Alvero, PN Smiling children of South Cotabato. Image from Celineism. GENERAL SANTOS CITY  — The number of recorded crimes against children in South Cotabato province has continued to decrease since last year, thanks to the success of Oplan Tokhang and improved awareness on the problem among residents. Lt. Josie Alog, women and children section chief of the South Cotabato Police Provincial Office (SCPPO), said Tuesday the recorded crimes against children in the province’s 10 towns and lone city dropped by nearly half since last year. In 2018, Alog said they recorded a total of 239 cases, which was 45 percent lower than the 524 in 2017. Alog said they saw the same trend in the first quarter of the year, with a total of 39 documented cases that included acts of lasciviousness, incestuous rape, attempted rape, and statutory rape. Alog attributed the decreasing incidence to their contin...

THE so-called “Bikoy” black propaganda that maligned President Duterte and his family boomeranged against the Yellows, and contributed to voters’ anger toward their candidates, which led to their electoral rout. It will also likely be another case that will help to finally bring the troublemaker Antonio Trillanes 4th to jail. The episode though will likely be a boon for Bicolano businessmen Elizaldy Co and his partners in the Misibis Bay resort in Albay. Co last week filed libel charges against Google Philippines, the owner of YouTube and Facebook, and demanded P1.1 billion in damages under the country’s Cybercrime Act. Included in the charge were the two internet giants’ country directors Kenneth Lingan and John Rubio, respectively. These two though are either just moronic servants, or Yellow sympathizers. Co should sue Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook founder and head Mark Zuckerberg for a billion dollars for their lies against the Republic’...

Photo from GMA News Philippine and Japanese businesses on Wednesday forged P288.804 billion worth of investment deals on the sidelines of President Rodrigo Duterte's third visit to Japan. The investment pledges, which are expected to create 82,737 jobs, were signed ahead of Duterte's attendance at a business forum in Tokyo where he promised a competitive and corruption-free environment in the Philippines. The list of signed agreements released by Malacañang is as follows: 1) Memorandum of Cooperation: Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry and Japan External Trade Organization - Enhance bilateral cooperation on investment promotion activities between the Philippines and Japan 2) Memorandum of Understanding: EMS Group, Tescom Denki Co. Ltd. and Outsourcing, Inc. - Partnership in skills training and human resource development and deployment, manufacturing, and assembly 3) Memorandum of Understanding: Advanced World Systems, Inc. Alsons...

Photo from Eurasia Future Under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, The Philippines has experienced an upturn in its economic fortunes with both Asian and western investors looking at the potential of a consistently growing ASEAN economy that is both ideally located as well as being home to a young widely English speaking population that is hungry for new opportunities. Duterte’s foreign partnership model is one that seeks friendship and economic connectivity with all, and hostility with none. As such, Duterte has worked with fellow ASEAN partners towards common regional development goals, whilst also building new bridges to major Asian powers including China, Russia, Turkey and India. All the while, Duterte has strengthened relations with Japan and The Republic of Korea while developing a healthy working relationship with Donald Trump. The success of Duterte’s most recent visit to Japan is a further example of how Duterte’s leadership has allowed The Philippines t...

Members of the Mamanwa community gathered to pay their last respects to slain tribal leader Rodito Boklas, who was buried in a simple ceremony in Barangay Libas, Jabonga on Friday morning. PHOTO/Caraga PulisPio The New People’s Army (NPA) on Friday admitted that it was behind the May 20 killing of Datu Rodito Lapugan Boklas, a tribal leader of Mamanwa community in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte. Ka Oto, spokesperson of the NPA’s Front Committee 16 in Northeastern Mindanao, said the NPA “punished” Boklas “by death” for committing various crimes, including being an alleged military asset. “Datu Boklas was a military asset, committed physical abuse against his wife and other forms of abuses against villagers during fits of drunken rage,” Oto said in a radio interview. Boklas was cleaning his farm in Sitio Tagbuaya, Barangay Bangonay when at least five rebels abducted him on Monday afternoon. A day later, his remains were discovered a...

Philippine Coast Guard acquires additional 31 million pesos worth of rescue vehicles and other equipment in preparation for the expected typhoon during the blessing and lauching ceremony lead by Admiral Elson Hermogino at the PCG Headquaters in Manila (Photo from The Daily Tribune) New rescue boats worth P31 million will enhance the preparedness of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) against threats of typhoon during the rainy season. Twenty aluminum boats worth P16 million and 20 personal watercraft worth P15.5 million were acquired, the PCG said Wednesday. The rescue boats to be deployed in all PCG districts nationwide will be manned by the Coast Guard Special Operations Force for maritime search and rescue, maritime security and coastal patrol. PCG Commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino will lead a blessing and launching ceremony for the equipment at the PCG national headquarters Thursday, 30 May. Source and Original Article from: >>> The Daily Tribune

Photo from inquirer.net TOKYO – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to “dispose” Smartmatic, the provider of the vote counting machines (VCMs) for the Philippines’ automated elections. “I would like to advise Comelec now, I won’t delay this: Dispose of that Smartmatic and look for a new one that is free of fraud,” Duterte said during his meeting with the Filipino community here. “I will assure you, I will bring this matter before the nation. And I will tell them: “Stop it because you are creating a problem that will explode,” he added. While the Comelec is an independent constitutional body, the President said he would tell the Comelec to look for another technology provider for the 2022 elections. He said he was supposed to tell this during his fourth State of the Nation Address but said he’d rather not delay his statement. “I was reserving that for the SONA. I will tell the Comelec, it’s an independe...