Pinoys see economy rising—OCTA

HALF of the adult Filipinos in a survey think the local economy will post an improvement in the next six months, while some 40 percent believe there will be no changes from the present, the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted by OCTA Research and released on Sunday showed.

Conducted from March 24 to 28, 2023, the survey found that 50% of respondents across the country think the economy will be better than the present, higher than the 46% recorded in October 2022.

The highest optimism was recorded in the Visayas with 69%, followed by balance Luzon with 47%, the National Capital Region

Tourists...

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Tourism – Bicol Region, there will be designated viewing sites per municipality around Albay, which has traditionally seen an influx of tourists whenever the volcano churns lava and toxic gas.

“We do not have any reason to close Bicol to tourists. There are destinations that are not affected by the Mayon Volcano. Tourism should continue to flourish in Albay,” said Herbie Aguas, regional director of DOT-Bicol.

“Foreign and domestic visitors are still welcome in Albay. They can watch the Mayon Volcano from an area that is safe and away from the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ),” he added.

Legazpi tourism officer Pita Pacres said there are several safe areas that provide a perfect view of Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes named after a mythical character, Daragang Magayon (Beautiful Maiden).

Pacres said the Legazpi Boulevard and Highlands Park in Estanza are among the areas that have an unobstructed view of the volcano, which according to the National Geographic had its first recorded eruption in 1616 and has erupted about 58 times since then, “ranging from sputters to calamities.”

ATV or four-wheel rides are still allowed, for as long as these activities are done outside the PDZ.

Airport operations remained normal, according to Bicol International Airport manager Rolando Bocito. Flying any aircraft close to the volcano, however, is prohibited.

“We have increased our inspection of the runway to ensure there are no contaminants like ash fall that can affect the operation of an aircraft,” he said.

But for Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, the public must refrain from sightseeing near the restive volcano because its emissions contain sulfur and sulfur dioxide.

“These attach to hemoglobin and poison the blood. The dust in the ash can also stick in our lungs,” Herbosa said in a press briefing yesterday.

"Remember there is a concomitant health risk for being close to the eruption because of inhaling sulfur dioxide gas or the particulate matter," he added, advising the spectators to wear an N95 mask.

Thousands of people living near Mayon have already taken shelter in evacuation centers as officials said the volcano is already erupting.

“This is a real eruption, but it’s not hazardous because it is at the summit near the mouth of the volcano,” said Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), speaking in a mix of English and Filipino.

Seismology researchers said they had recorded at least one volcanic earthquake in the past 24 hours and red-hot rocks were falling from Mount Mayon.

More than 12,800 people inside the sixkilometer permanent danger zone have been moved to evacuation centers, the Office of Civil Defense said, most from farming villages at or near the foot of the volcano.

Speaker,...

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Romualdez on Sunday said P1 million worth of assistance was allocated to each of the three districts of Albay.

The affected areas are the 1st District under Rep. Edcel Lagman, 2nd District under Rep. Joey Salceda, and 3rd District under Rep. Fernando Cabredo.

The assistance from the Speaker's office will be coursed through their respective offices.

“The members of the House of Representatives are one with the people of Albay during this challenging time. Mayon Volcano's eruption is something that we cannot stop, but so is showing malasakit to our countrymen when difficulties arise. Together, we will ride out this calamity," he said.

The P1 million in assistance for each

Obiena...

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“It all started with a dream to jump over 5m and set the National Record to now be the 24th person of all time to go over the 6m barrier and the first ever Asian/Filipino,” said Obiena, who was emotional after the completion of the competition, in his message to fans on Facebook.

(NCR) with 46%, and Mindanao with 43%.

In terms of socioeconomic classes, the highest optimism was seen in Class D with 51%, followed by Class E with 50%, and Class ABC with 44%.

Geographically, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) posted the highest percentage with 79%, while the lowest of the districts is broken down into P500,000 in cash and P500,000 worth of relief packs from Romualdez's personal disaster response fund.

Phivolcs said rocks were falling from a disintegrating lava dome being pushed out of the crater by molten material below the earth.

The rocks were raining down on areas up to two kilometers away and sulfur dioxide emissions had tripled since Saturday, state volcanologists said.

A five-step alert system for the volcano was raised from 2 to 3 on Thursday, with authorities warning of possible respiratory illnesses from inhaling fumes.

Residents of Tumpa in Camalig were asked to stay at the Bongabong evacuation center where some evacuees have complained of poor conditions, saying it was too hot to stay inside the modular tents.

There was also a lack of water in the restrooms.

The OCD said it is working on delivering drinking water and helping with proper waste management in evacuation centers. It has also positioned food packs and non-food items for quick delivery to affected communities.

The provincial government of Albay said it will buy the produce of farmers inside the PDZ to ensure they will not return to the area.

These goods will then be used to feed the evacuees, said Albay Gov. Edcel “Grex” Lagman.

The Department of Health said it has earmarked P1.8 million for a contingency fund that would aid those affected by Mayon Volcano’s intensified unrest.

Herbosa said P303,000 in logistics was mobilized in local government units affected by Mayon Volcano’s recent activities.

“I am asking for more money because the regional director asked me for additional funds,” he said.

Herbosa said the DOH is monitoring the situation in evacuation centers, given that crowded places are prone to the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

All hospitals, including non-DOH hospitals, specifically in the Province of Albay are on Code Blue Alert or on a 24-hour duty due to possible Mayon Volcano eruption.

Herbosa said they deployed additional personnel from the DOH central office to help out the local staff.

He also directed the regional office in Bicol to prepare emergency logistics for affected areas or to treat patients.

"They were given more supplies such as face masks, potable water, medicine, and... hygiene kits in place across all municipalities,” Herbosa said.

"We have also coordinated with the Bicol Medical Center for a fast lane for volcano-related emergencies, especially for cases such as inhaled gasses or burns,” he added.

So far, no person has been confined because of volcano-related illnesses.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity are common in the Philippines due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide.

Five years ago, Mayon displaced tens of thousands of people after spewing millions of tons of ash, rocks, and lava.

The country's most powerful eruption in recent decades was Mount Pinatubo in 1991 that killed more than 800 people.

Before dawn Sunday, hundreds of volunteers trooped toPureGoldEmbarkadero in Legazpi, Albay to repack and prepare relief goods for the displaced families.

About 1,420 relief packs for each district were readied for distribution.

The Speaker's office also coordinated with the Department of SocialWelfare and Development under Secretary Rex Gatchalian so that P10million worth of assistance would be released to each district through the agency's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

The P500,000 cash assistance will be turned over to each of the three districts on Monday. The relief packs will be distributed soon after. Rio N. Araja

Obiena’s performance allowed him to join world no. 1 Armand Duplantis among the few who have leaped six meters and beyond.

Coached by Vitaly Petrov, Obiena’s previous highest jump was at 5.94 meters, which he set when he bagged a bronze medal in the World Athletics Championship in July 2022. “It took a few moments to sink in. But when it did, tears began to fall, there was was recorded in Soccsksargen with 12%.

Some 6% of respondents said they think the economy will be worse than the present in the next six months, down from the 10% percentage of pessimists in the previous survey conducted in October 2022.

The biggest percentage of pessimists was seen in Mindanao with 11%, followed by NCR with 7%, balance Luzon with 5%, and the Visayas with 3%.

Socioeconomically, the highest percentage of pessimists was in Class ABC with 11%, backed by Class E with 8%, and Class D with 5%.

The Davao Region had the highest percentage of pessimists with 19%, while

900-m...

From A1 ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas may occur at Taal. Meanwhile, the agency said Kanlaon’s plume was obscured, and its edifice was

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Meanwhile, an employment provider said local hospitals should hire retired and experienced nurses who have worked abroad to address the lack of registered nurses in the country.

LBS Recruitment Solutions Inc. President Lito B. Soriano, whose recruitment agency has deployed over 8,000 registered nurses to Saudi Arabia and other countries, said retired nurses bring a wealth of competencies, experience, expertise, and specializations in their work abroad in the military and international hospitals.

They can also be mentors to the nurses who may be hired under the DOH hiring program, Soriano said.

Last week, new Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said he wants to tap nursing graduates without a license to combat the shortage in the local health workforce.

Herbosa noted there are 4,800 vacant positions for nurses in the government.

“Nurses are in great demand while the supply is short, so we would urge both the lowest was seen in CAR and Region II (Cagayan Valley) with zero percent. inflated. The last time it generated 1,089 tonnes of sulfur dioxide was on June 5. male and female high school graduates to consider taking the nursing career path,”

Results also showed that 40% of respondents thought that there would be no changes in the next six months, while 4% were neither optimistic nor pessimistic.

The survey focused on the views of adult Filipinos regarding their quality of life and the economy, as commissioned by Go Negosyo. It has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

Just last week the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) maintained its economic growth projection at 6.0% to 7.0% for 2022, and from 6.5% to 8.0% from 2024 to 2028.

Like Taal, entry into the four-kilometer radius PDZ of Kanlaon Volcano, and flying any aircraft close to it are prohibited. Possible hazards like sudden steamdriven or phreatic eruptions may also occur, according to Phivolcs.

Rillo said.

Thousands of high school students will graduate next month and enter college in August or September.

The World Health Organization, in its State-of-the- World’s Nursing 2020 report, projected that “without action, there will be a shortfall of 4.6 million nurses worldwide by 2030.”

In the Philippines, “the shortfall of nurses is expected to be 249,843 by 2030, unless greater investment is made now to retain them in the local health sector.”

Reacting to the WHO report, Rillo has been batting for a 75 percent increase in the minimum starting pay of nurses employed in government hospitals, in a bid to slow down their exodus to overseas labor markets.

He filed House Bill No. 5276 to increase the entry-level monthly pay of nursing staff in public Anticipating the impending shortage of nurses, the Commission on Higher Education in July last year removed the decade-old moratorium on the opening of new BSN programs.