PH, Saudi joint special hiring program crafted

The Philippines and Saudi Arabia are developing a joint special hiring program for skilled Filipino workers, the Department of Migrant Workers said Friday.

DMW Secretary Susan Ople said the possibility of the joint special hiring program was raised due to Saudi Arabia’s push to develop its tourism sector.

“We discussed the possibility of the Philippines and Saudi Arabia having a joint special hiring program for skilled Filipino workers because they are expecting a huge demand, especially for their tourism sector. They are embarking on expansion plans, and they want to attract more tourists to Saudi Arabia,” Ople said at a press conference.

“We said that perhaps if they give us the numbers and the profile ofworkers needed, then we will continue to discuss if there is a needfor the DMW to work closely with TESDA and other institutions and to put together a special hiring program just to meet the demands and requests of Saudi employers for skilled workers as well as the Saudi government,” she added.

Saudi Arabia plans to bring investments to the Philippines as well, Ople also said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PH rainy season could start next week—PAGASA

THE start of the country’s rainy season may be declared next week – just as the strongest storm in the world this year barrels into the country’s area of responsibility, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Friday.

At a press conference, Esperanza Cayanan, PAGASA Deputy Administrator for Research and Development, said the rainy season would be declaredwhen the rainfall criteria in PAGASA’s reference station are observed and fulfilled.

"We now have the rainfall criteria in our reference stations and most probably, we would be getting the required amount of rainfall. What we are seeing right now is that, next week, it would be possible to declare the [start of] the rainy season,” said Cayanan.

She noted that the rainy season differs from the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat.”

“We have the southwesterly wind flow, indicating the Southwest Monsoon. But the rainy season is based on the rainfall criteria. There should be large area receiving rainfall,” she said.

“By next week, it’s possible that we will declare the onset of the rainy season,” Cayanan added.

Party-listers...

From A1 leadership, the House has successfully tackled critical challenges and advanced initiatives that have strengthened our economy and safeguarded the rights and freedoms of all Filipinos. We firmlysupport his leadership and look forward to working together to address the urgent needs of our nation,” the coalition statement said.

Romualdez on Friday said the signing into law of a bill condoningbillions of pesos of debt of agrarian reform beneficiaries will help many farmers boost productivity.

The House of Representatives approved on Dec. 12, 2022 its version of the measure, or House Bill (HB) 6336, while the Senate approved thecounterpart measure on March 6, 2023. The measure is now awaiting the President’s signature.

The bill condoning agrarian reform debt is among the 31 the House has approved to date, out of the 42 priority measures President Marcos had identified through the Legislative-Executive Advisory Council (LEDAC). (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

US,...

From A1

Thailand, aim to respond to emergencies more promptly, ensuring the procurement of vital goods and sharing of information, under a new scheme, according to the sources.

The US-led initiative covers four pillars -- fair trade, supply chain resilience, clean energy and proper taxation and anticorruption.

It is also regarded as a symbol of the world's biggest economy's reengagement in the fast-growing region after its withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal in 2017.

Russia and China, which are deepening their economic and security partnership amid increasing tensions with the United States and other countries, are not part of the IPEF.

In Brief

Recto cites bill allowing early voting for PWDs

BATANGAS Rep. Ralph Recto has cited the House-approved bill allowing persons with disabilities (PWDs) to vote early during elections as “the assistive device” that removes the barrier that prevents PWDs from exercising their suffrage.

But more than that, it is “an access ramp to democracy” which could give millions of PWDs the political muscle to elect more of their kind to public office, Recto said.

He said the PWDs, numbering in the millions, have not broken “the political glass ceiling,” Recto said.

“No sector is grossly unrepresented. The truly marginalized remain unseen and unheard of in policymaking bodies, from local councils to Congress,” he added.

The PWD who served as a member of Congress, was the late journalist Art Borjal, a sectoral representative appointed by President Corazon Aquino. He was in office until June 1992. Maricel V. Cruz

Solon presses passage of salt industry bill

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee on Friday pushed for the immediate passage of a measure that seeks to revitalize the salt industry in order to create jobs and to increase the income of salt producers.

Lee, one of the authors of House Bill No. 8278 or the “Philippine Salt Industry Development Act,” welcomed the approval of the measure on 2nd reading.

He said the bill “is expected to envigorate our salt industry and create 3,000 to 5,000 jobs for our countrymen, especially in rural areas, where they’re needed most.”

According to him, “it is about time that we pass this bill to put an end to the suffering of our salt farmers and salt producers.”

“It is not right that we still import 93 percent of our salt needs and leave our salt industry behind -- [the Philippines being] an archipelago country with one of the longest shorelines in the world,” Lee said. Maricel V. Cruz

QC orphanage loses fire safety certificate

AN OFFICIAL of the Bureau of Fire Protection has revoked the fire safety inspection certificate of the Gentle Hands Inc. (GHI) orphanage in Quezon City for alleged violation of the Fire Code.

“GHI was found to have violated pertinent provisions of the revised implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9514 or the Fire Code of the Philippines during said inspection resulting in the revocation of its FSIC,” said Senior Superintendent Aristotle Banaga, city district marshal.

“Our office is strictly monitoring for compliance and corrections of the defects and deficiencies stipulated in the Notice to Comply (NTC), which we have immediately issued after the conduct of the said fire safety inspection,” he added.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development gave Gentle Hands 20 days to answer the allegations. Rio N. Araja

MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development turns over a baby to his mother at the agency’s Reception and Study Center for Children in Quezon City, ending four months of separation between the two (see story In Brief) Manny Palmero