‘Kuha sa Tingi’ program targets stores in QC

GREENPEACE Philippines and incubator lab Impact Hub revealed plans to provide sari-sari stores with refilling stations of daily essentials in retail (or “tingi”) quantities to help curb the worsening plastic pollution.

Greenpeace Philippines and incubator lab Impact Hub said the program, called “Kuha sa Tingi” (KST) will target an initial 30 sari-sari stores, to be dubbed Tindahan ni Ate Joy, will have refill stations to offer daily essentials in tingi quantities beginning July 1.

Quoted by GMA News, Eunille Santos of Greenpeace Philippines, said four products will be available for refill: dishwashing liquid, fabric conduction, liquid detergent, and multipurpose cleaner and customers only need to bring their reus- able containers.

The KST aims to provide people with alternatives to products in sachets in the form of affordable and simple reuse and refill systems.

Santos also said Greenpeace Philippines and Impact Hub have tapped “several local manufacturers who provided us good quality products at a price that’s low enough for refilling to compete against sachets.” from climbing both political and military—as a leader, so to speak,” Sotto said.

According to Greenpeace Philippines, over 164 million sachets are used in the Philippines every day. The plastic problem is so bad that microplastics are now confirmed to be floating in Metro Manila air. Last year, microplastics were also found in human blood for the first time.

He also honored Biazon’s push for low-cost housing and benefits for soldiers while making sure that all sectors of society will benefit from it.

“He is a truly dynamic and multifaceted individual, a family man and excellent soldier, an extraordinary legislator, freedom fighter and de - fender of democracy who relished his life to the fullest and above all his accomplishments, he will be most remembered as a good father, a loving husband, and a dear friend,” Sotto recalled. Like Sotto, former Senator Jose Lina Jr. remembered Biazon as an excellent and outstanding Filipino warrior and a statesman, as well as a devoted public servant.

ACT backs

bill setting June-March school year

THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines and ACT NCR Union have thrown their support ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro in filing a bill to mandate the return of the June-March school calendar amid teachers, parents and students’ outcry after enduring the grueling heat in the first in-classroom classes during the dry season this school year 2022-2023.

Under the bill, the school year would start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last of August with particular provision on opening school year 20242025 in June to ensure urgent return to the pre-pandemic calendar upon its passage.

The bill also stipulated mandates for an “early” close of school year 20232024 on the fourth week of May 2024 and the grant of service credits as well as the guarantee of teachers’ remuneration for service rendered during their vacation.

Rio N. Araja

Solon cites importance of early dengue checkup

ANAKALUSUGAN party-list Rep.

Ray Reyes on Monday underscored the significance of promoting early consultation to help curb the rising cases of dengue.

“It is important to have a proper health-seeking behavior to visit the nearest health facility once you notice symptoms of dengue,” he said.

He cited data from the Department of Health showing the country was logging 51,323 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to May 20, or 30 percent higher than the number of cases reported in the same period in 2022.

He is the vice chairman of the committee on health. He said many diseases, such as dengue, could be easily managed if they are discovered at an early stage.

“This is why we remain focused on providing healthcare access to every Filipino without incurring additional costs,” he stressed. Rio N. Araja

Gomez asks panel to file charges against Oñate

LEYTE Rep. Richard Gomez is urging the House Committee on Natural Resources to recommend the filing of criminal and administrative charges with the Office of the Ombudsman against Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate and his wife Lourdes for supposed gross violation of the land and environmental laws.

He told the House committee leadership to “come up with a report and a conclusion” that the Oñate couple, along with complicit employees of the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “be charged” for violating the Forestry Act and environmental management laws for massive pollution of water, soil and air resources.

“I recommend that with these offenses, the committee would come up with a report and a conclusion that we will file this to the Ombudsman,” he cited.

He authored House Resolution No. 778 prompting an inquiry into the blatant violations of land use and environmental management laws in the municipalities of Palompon and Albuera in Leyte’s District 4.

FRANKFURT, Germany—When

Maike Biert was choosing a new heating system for her house in western Germany, she balked at the huge cost of installing a heat pump, instead opting for a gas boiler.

But there may not be such easy options in the future as the government prepares to pass radical climate legislation, which has been championed by environmentalists but which has sparked concerns that homeowners will be forced to shell out huge sums.

The new rules mean heating systems will need to be powered by at least 65 percent renewable energy, effectively banning new oil and gas boilers, as Germany seeks to slash emissions and become climate neutral by 2045.

After soaring in recent years, demand for heat pumps has plunged this year, as consumers waited to hear the details of the law, including potentially higher subsidies

The plan was watered down after it provoked a furious row in the ruling coalition, and was finally introduced in parliament Thursday.

But the saga was politically damaging, many details remain unclear, and homeowners are anxious.

“In principle, I am in favor of saving energy,” Biert, a 46-year-old who lives in Koenigswinter, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, told AFP.

“The problem is simply that you cannot and should not overburden people with this.”

When she was picking new heating last year, the married mother of two looked at the possibility of installing a heat pump—touted as more climatefriendly—which would have involved substantial renovations to her house.

She also looked at “hybrid solutions”, involving perhaps a mix of a heat pump and gas.

But she estimates the cost of such options would have been between 40,000 and 100,000 euros ($43,000 and $108,000).

“It would have meant a loan for us, and we did not want that,” added Biert, who ultimately chose a traditional gas boiler.

‘Still unclear’

The new rules were championed by the Green party, a member of the government, but fiercely opposed by their business-friendly coalition partners the FDP, sparking the worst crisis within the government since it took office in 2021.

Critics said the high cost of installing new systems would particularly impact middle- and low-income

EvEryman

By Richard Orsino

MAKATIZENS did not support Makati

City Mayor Abby Binay in her “tuloy ang laban” statement concerning the issue of transferring 10 barangays to the jurisdiction of Taguig.

The truth is many residents are in favor of the transfer. Their reason— to avoid the excessive politicking in Makati

It’s no secret there is a feud between Binay siblings, former Makati City Mayor JunJun Binay and Mayor Abby. Amidst the gravity of their siblings’ conflict, even their father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay cannot do anything and he households, with the tabloid press labeling it “the heating hammer”.

Advocates stress there is much support, such as subsidies for heat pumps, and urgent action is needed as the buildings sector was responsible for about 15 percent of Germany’s carbon dioxide emissions last year.

As fears mounted that the deal—and the coalition itself—could fall apart, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stepped in on Tuesday and oversaw emergency talks that resulted in a compromise.

The agreement, which still needs to go through parliament, stipulates that the new regulations will only apply for existing buildings if a municipal heating plan is in place for the area.

The rules were meant to come into force from 2024, but the compromise effectively means the new earliest start date for most is 2028.

The Greens are now pushing ahead to try to get it passed by parliament’s summer recess, but there is much uncertainty.

Verena Oerenbas, political adviser from the Residential Property Association, welcomed the compromise but said the level of government help for homeowners making the transition to renewable energy was still unclear.

“There are still no concrete proposals yet, so we don’t know how this funding will look,” she said. ‘Bad joke’

The weeks-long row has been damaging for the government, while providing a boost for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which criticised the law.

The Greens have come out of the saga particularly badly, with their popularity plummeting among voters opposed to the law and also among environmentalists angered by the compromise deal.

In comments to Funke media group, Luisa Neubauer, head of the German chapter of Fridays for Future, criticized the watered-down deal as “a bad joke” that amounted to “gutting” the law.

The Greens’ attempts to promote climate-friendly systems were not helped when reports emerged the party was struggling to fit a heat pump in its own Berlin headquarters.

A heat pump, which uses technology similar to an air conditioner or fridge, works by extracting warmth from the ground, outside air or a water source to generate heat.

After soaring in recent years, demand for heat pumps has plunged this year, as consumers waited to hear the details of the law, including potentially higher subsidies.

“The public debate in recent weeks has caused a great deal of uncertainty among consumers,” Bjoern Schreinermacher, of Germany’s Heat Pump Association, told AFP.

Conversely, there has been a “very, very strong demand for oil and gas heating,” as people rushed to install new systems ahead of an expected ban, he added. AFP