IN BRIEF

QC LGU to hold sustainability award

THE Quezon City government is urging barangays, Sangguniang Kabataan, youth-based organizations, and businesses to showcase their best practices on disaster resiliency and sustainability to be recognized in the first-ever Quezon City Green Awards.

“Initiatives and solutions to the adverse effects of climate change and disasters should be people-centered and truly responsive to the challenges faced by and the circumstances of the communities. Their ideas will help the city develop better programs for every QCitizen, particularly for those who are most vulnerable and marginalized,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

Launched in May, the Quezon City Green Awards recognizes and incentivizes groups and organizations that implement outstanding and inclusive programs on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Climate Action. Rio N. Araja

Hagedorn: Bill causing ‘problems’ for China

PUERTO Princesa City—Palawan 3rd

District Rep Edward Hagedorn revealed that Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian had warned him that his proposed bill to declare parts of the West Philippine Sea as a marine protected area is causing significant problems for Beijing.

During Hagedorn’s address at the 3rd Community-Based Sustainable Tourism Convention 2023 at the PGP Convention Center within the Provincial Capitol Complex on June 9, Hagedorn shared that the Chinese Ambassador, Huang Xilian, cautioned him about the potential implications of his proposed bill.

Hagedorn claimed that the China envoy warned that if the law were to succeed, it would transform from an environmental issue into a territorial concern due to the contradictory claims involved. Roy Tomandao

Undesirable alien escapes from custody

A CONGOLESE who was barred entry to the country by immigration officers for being an undesirable person escaped while being held inside the holding area at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The foreigner, whose identity was not revealed, was denied entry into the country by the Bureau of Immigration on June 18.

The Congolese was under the custody of the security officers of an international airline company and was able to sneak from his airport security and join a group of arriving passengers. His escape was found out only during the headcount by Immigration officers the following day, June 19.

NAIA Terminal 3 manager Elsie

Lucero said the foreigner was supposed to be sent back to his country of origin when the incident happened. Vito Barcelo the agriculture sector will always be an important contributor to the nation’s economy, noting that the government should continuously develop this sector. He also underscored the importance of agriculture to the growth and development of the Philippine economy.

“Agriculture is and will always be an important contributor to our national economy. In the first quarter of 2023, the agriculture sector grew by 2.2 percent while contributing 9.1 percent to our total gross domestic product,” the chief executive noted.

“And every analysis, even if it’s not the farmers who do the analysis, even those in the banks, even the World Bank, ADB, they always say your economy will not grow if you don’t improve this sector because everything we do in the economy is based on a strong and vibrant agricultural sector,” the President added.

The President said that despite some modest gains, there are still several undertakings ahead to improve the sector through several programs and projects.

“That’s why we need to observe, study and guard the various forces that we feel sometimes become an obstacle to our per-