Lee tells new graduates to be businessmen

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

A PARTY-list congressman has unwrapped an entrepreneurial program which, according to him, would benefit all Filipinos across the country.

Addressing the graduates of the Sorsogon State University, Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said his program eyes setting up new businesses in every province nationwide.

The Sorsogon-born lawmaker and founder of the LKY Group of Companies said he drew inspiration from the US TV show "Shark Tank,” and he would lead a group of investors that will be formed and would solicit business proposals from young entrepreneurs all over the country, including Sorsogon. "This is a program that will benefit everyone, because each successful business will produce jobs and livelihood opportunities that can support Filipino families," Lee said.

The lawmaker, whose family businesses now employ over 3,000 Filipinos, added that one of his objectives was to convince young Filipinos to forget about going abroad and go into business right here in the Philippines.

Laguna mayors nix franchise renewal for local power firm

A GROUP of mayors from ten municipalities served by the First Laguna Electric Cooperative Inc. (FLECO) has urged legislators to reject a measure granting a new franchise to the utility due to its alleged unreasonably high power rates and poor services.

In a petition sent to the House of Representatives, the executives of the local government units (LGUs) from Cavinti, Famy, Kalayaan, Mabitac, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan, and Sta. Maria have appealed to lawmakers in both chambers of the legislature to deny a new franchise for FLECO. FLECO applied for franchise

Technician blamed for Friday’s brownout at NAIA 3

A TECHNICIAN working for MServ, a subsidiary of Meralco, was tagged as a suspect in last Friday’s brownout that disrupted operations at the Ninoy Aquino International AirportTerminal 3 for more than 30 minutes.

“MServ was quick to identify that an oversight occurred when one of their personnel inadvertently left a testing cable attached to one of the electric equipment that caused the power interruption. Shortly after power went off, the generator sets kicked in causing minimal disruption in airport processes,” said Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) officer-in-charge Bryan Co.

According to Co, MServ was tapped to lead the full electrical audit of NAIA Terminal 3 as part of the improvement initiatives of the airport following the Labor Day eight-hour power interruption that affected the same terminal.

He said the firm’s technical team assured the airport authority and the public that the latest incident was “not equipment related but a procedural lapse on the part of the MServ personnel.”

Co said the erring technician will be dealt with accordingly.

The airport management claimed there were no flight cancellation during the power interruption, but seven flights were delayed.

MIAA officials offered a public apology following the incident.

Senator Grace Poe said the airport management must exercise technical oversight so these human errors are minimized. Joel E. Zurbano renewal in December last year through House Bill No. 6484 to the House of Representatives’ 19th Congress. It currently holds an existing franchise granted by the National Electrification Commission in May 1978, which will expire on May 16, 2028.

Among the mayors who signed the petition were Arrantlee Arroyo of Cavinti, Lorenzo Rellosa of Famy, Sandy Laganapan of Kalayaan, Alberto Reyes of Mabitac, Ronald Cosico of Paete, Vincent Soriano of Pakil, Gerald Aritao of Pangil, Patrick Ellis Go of Siniloan, Rocelle Carolino of Sta. Maria, and Cezar Areza of Pagsanjan. Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has expressed confidence that extraction of the remaining industrial fuel from a sunken tanker in Oriental Mindoro would be ultimately completed by June 19.

The PCG’s target date of completion comes much earlier than earlier predictions by National Task Force on Oil Spill Management which said on June 1 said the siphoning operations might take 30 days to accomplish.

“Their operations are very efficient and I am convinced that 100 percent of the oil would be retrieved from the tanks by June 19,” PCG spokesman Read Admiral Armand Balilo said during Saturday’s New Forum in Quezon City.

Balilo was referring to the Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. which was using remotely controlled mechanisms to collect the remaining oil from the tanks of the M/T Princess Empress which went down off Pola and Naujan towns in Oriental Mindoro last Feb. 28. .

The ill-starred vessel was reportedly carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it developed engine trouble, giving rise to the massive environmental disaster.

Approximately 50 liters and 75 liters of oil have been recovered from COT No. 1 Starboard and COT No. 1 Port, respectively.

The amount of oil recovered from COT No. 2 Starboard and COT No. 2 Port is yet to be determined.

As of May 31, about 83.74 percent or 64.43 km. of the 79.33 km. of affected coastlines have been cleared of oil slicks, leaving only 16.26 percent or 12.89 km. awaiting the cleanup operations.

The ongoing operations have so far collected about 44,656.30 liters of oily water mixture; and 10,708 sacks, 997 drums, 119 pails, and 648 1-tonner bags of oil-contaminated sand/debris and oily waste from Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

Taguig-Makati land row seems far from over

ZURBANO

n By JOEL E.

THE Taguig City government on Saturday appealed to Makati City officials to refrain from issuing statements in connection with their territorial dispute.

The Taguig officials, in a statement, said they were informed of recent social media posts claiming that the Taguig-Makati row over Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation areas, already decided with finality by the Supreme Court, was not yet over.

The posts asserted that Makati Mayor Abigail Binay spoke to First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo regarding the case.” “Public officials should refrain from issuing inaccurate statements which serve to validate these false and misleading social media posts and result in erosion of confidence in the justice system of the country,” the statement read.

“Mayor Binay, a member of the bar and an officer of the court, should be the first to categorically disown such harmful rumors instead of fanning the same by issuing careless or imprecise statements,” it added.

Binay, according to Taguig, claimed that Makati received a document setting the case for oral arguments.

while cost of damage

Manny Palmero

Pope resumes work from hospital room, thanks well-wishers

POPE Francis thanked those who have sent him get-well wishes following his hernia surgery, as the Vatican said Friday he was back at work from his hospital room.

“I sincerely appreciate the prayers and numerous expressions of closeness and affection received in the past few days,” the 86-year-old said on Twitter.

“I am praying for everyone, especially those who suffer. I ask you to keep me in your prayers,” he said.

Francis underwent a three-hour operation at the Gemelli hospital in Rome on Wednesday, and was said to be cheerful when he woke up.

The head of the Catholic Church had breakfast Friday before spending “most of the morning in an armchair” rather than in bed, the Vatican said. AFP