Cybercrimes rise 152% in NCR

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CYBERCRIMES in the National Capital Region (NCR) are on the rise despite the SIM Registration Act, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said over the weekend.

Citing a report from the Philippine National Police, CICC said the cybercrimes in Metro Manila rose exponentially by 152 percent during the first half of the year, partly due to the carelessness of online users and the availability of malware online.

Data from NCRPO showed that the total number of cybercrimes reported to police from January to June 30 reached

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From A1 the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System (MWSS), it will review the monthly water bills of all government facilities. Notices on excessive use of water will be issued, it added.

The office also advised the public to report leaks along streets to the MWSS (8929-5691, 8922-2969, 0967-3197144, or cch@mwss.gov.ph), or to the water service providers Manila Water (1627) or Maynilad (1626).

WMRO’s Bulletin No. 2 was issued as the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies potable water to NCR and nearby provinces, continues to drop amid an impending El Niño dry spell.

As of July 8, 2023, the water level in Angat Dam was at 179.99 meters, which is below the 180-meter minimum operating level.

When below operating levels, the allocation for irrigation will be reduced and supply for NCR and the provinces of Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan will be at the minimum volume. As such, residents could expect lower water pressures main-

DOE:...

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Guevara said the completion of three critical transmission projects by August are also expected to provide additional power supply so thereare no yellow alerts for that month.

These are the Hermosa-San Jose, Cebu-Negros-Panay Project 3 and Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Projects.

Guevera said on Friday the Department of Energy is monitoring severalhydro power plants due to El Nino.

She said these are the 280 MW Angat, 720 MW Kalayaan, 345 MW Magat and 435 MW San Roque hydro facilities.

"We are monitoring their [water] level that will determine their capacity to generate hydroelectric power," Guevara said.

She said DOE conducted a simulation,

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From A1 during a meeting with the DMW, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Information and Communications Technology in Malacañang where the migrant agency presented the DMW Mobile App.

DMW Secretary Maria Susana Ople said they are just waiting for the approval of the DICT for the official launch of the DMW Mobile App to ensure its cybersecurity features.

The app contains the OFW Pass, a digital and secure version of the OEC, which serves as the digital identity of migrant Filipino workers.

After a two- to three-month transition period upon activation, the OFW Pass will completely replace the OEC.

“Hopefully within the week we will be able to launch the app," Ople said.

The OFW Pass and OEC have significant differences.

The OFW Pass, for instance, is a QR code generated and can be acquiredonly through the app, while the OEC requires

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From A1 military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea," the senator said.

She said the Senate hearing inquiry would discuss the US military's possible violation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Global flight tracker AirNav Systems showed that at 6:03 a.m. on Friday, July 7, a US Air Force C-17 with flight code MC244 / RCH244 landed in Manila from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

It then flew to Palawan before 1 p.m. and headed for the Yokota Air Base in Japan later in the afternoon.

Although the plane's call signal was repeatedly out of coverage during its journey, Marcos said flight tracker Flightradar24 recorded its departure from Palawan shortly before 4 p.m., Manila time.

6,250 up from 2,477 recorded during the same period last year.

Online scams during the same period almost tripled to 4,446 compared to 1,551 last year while illegal access reached 1,063, up 86 percent from 570 during the same period last year.

ATM and credit card fraud also rose during the first semester to 625 which is ly during the night, and possible interruptions in certain areas serviced by MWSS.

Under Memorandum Circular 22, President Marcos directed the WRMO to monitor the progress of all agencies towards conserving water through the analysis of their monthly water bills, with the aim of reducing their consumption by 10 percent.

Created last April by virtue of Executive Order No. 22, WRMO is mandated to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water resources in the country.

Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, said water interruptions which weregrowing in number and duration were unacceptable.

She said MWSS should take urgent action on the planned water service interruptions affecting almost 600,000 customers of MWSS starting July 12.

"MWSS should not take this matter sitting down as these recurring service cuts will affect over half a million consumers," the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said.

Maynilad said its customers may experience up to nine hours of nightly water service interruptions starting July 12 due to the decreasing water level of Angat based on historical data and forecasts of El Niño on power generation where it was revealed that about 300 MW to 500 MW of hydro capacity will be affected.

Guevara said the entry of the Ilijan natural gas power plant will also address demand, estimated at 720 MW.

She also said that National Grid Corp. of the Philippines' ancillary services providers will also provide additional capacity, if needed.

Also over the weekend, the National Economic and Development Authority(NEDA) said the El Niño phenomenon is unlikely to have a significant impact on inflation this year.

NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the brunt of El Niño is expected at the beginning of 2024 so the preparations must already be started.

Edillon also assured the public that onsite processing with a P100 charge. more than double the 241 cases reported during the same period last year.

The OFW Pass is valid until the expiration of the OFW’s work contract, while the OEC only lasts for 60 days.

Those who can avail of the OFW Pass are first-time OFWs; Balik Manggagawa OFWs or OFWs going to the Philippines temporarily, but will be returning to the same employer; and OFWs who have transferred to a different employer or whose contracts need to be registered and verified by the Office of the Labor Attaché.

The DMW will integrate its Mobile App with the BI’s eTravel and e-Gate systems, and eventually link it to DICT’s eGov PH Super App.

“The President said this should be free as one way to honor our modern-day heroes. The President underscored the sacrifices and honor that OFWs bring, not to mention their dollar remittances. They are the economic lifeline of so many households across the country," Ople said.

“The President's directive is for us to ensure our OFWs don't pay anything for the mobile app and the OFW Pass," she added.

Passengers on commercial flights to and from Manila's international airport also noticed two US military planes near the runway and shared pictures with Marcos' office.

On Saturday, a C-17 that took off from Tokyo the night before with flight code RCH323 was spotted north of Busuanga past 10 a.m., Marcos said.

It was off the radar until late afternoon when it again appeared in the same vicinity flying toward Polillo Island before exiting the Philippine territory past 6 p.m., she added.

The US Embassy in Manila earlier clarified that it has been coordinating with the Philippine government to grant permission for the entry of any US government aircraft into the country.

“The embassy coordinates with the Philippine government to receive diplomatic clearance for all US government aircraft that enter the Philippines,” acting US Embassy spokesperson Stephen Dove said in a statement after the June 26 arrival of US Air Force C-17.

Police Lt. Col. Jay D. Guillermo of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-NCR projected that the exponential growth of cybercrime will continue due to the availability of malware on the internet, ease of doing business of both private and government institutions, technological development, and careless online users.

CICC Division Chief Engineer Norman Ancheta (Cybercrime Monitoring and Public Complaints Coordination) said the group's Inter-Agency Response Center has received 4,615 complaints from January 1 to June 15 this year.

IARC was established on December 27, 2022 following the implementation of the SIM (subscriber identity module)

Dam. Poe said the MWSS should determine whether water utilities likeMaynilad are adhering to their obligations based on their franchise.

"MWSS should be proactive. It can't be just the bearer of bad news to consumers of Maynilad's water cuts," she said.

Poe said Maynilad should have acted urgently in investing and building its supply capacities to avoid being caught flatfooted by increasing demand for potable water.

"They should not be depending only on the strength of rain. If there's a water shortage, Angat Dam has always been blamed," Poe said.

Poe said the MWSS and the water concessionaire must tell the public of its long-term and short-term solutions to the water shortage.

She pointed out that the authority granted to concessionaires to distribute water to consumers carries a serious obligation to deliver efficient service.

She stressed again the need to establish a Department of Water Resources to give focus on water use, management, and sources.

Valenzuela City Rep. Eric Martinez on the government is taking measures to mitigate the negative effects of long dry spells, citing the reduction of water allocation for irrigation from Angat Dam in favor of residential use.

“The planting season has already concluded, eliminating the need for irrigation water at this point,” she said.

The National Water Resources Board earlier said it will reduce the allocation for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the National Irrigation Administration to 48 cubic meters per second (CMS) and to 20 CMS, respectively, until the end of July if the water level in Angat Dam falls below its minimum operating level of 180 meters.

Angat Dam's water level dropped to 179.99 meters early Saturday morning. After 24 hours, it further dipped to 179.56 meters.

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This would then be followed by maritime patrols by both the PCG and the AFP, he added in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, noting that the swarms of Chinese ships may be a precursor to an illegal occupation of the resource-rich Recto (Reed) Bank.

Tarriela pointed out that Iroquois Reef is only 128 nautical miles away from the mainland of Palawan province, and thus falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The PCG may deploy its 97-meter and 44-meter coast guard vessels in follow-up operations to drive the Chinese vessels away from Philippine territory, he added.

The Philippines and China should come up with an amicable arrangement to prevent the “megaphone war” in the WPS from turning into a violent encounter, international studies analyst Rommel Banlaoi said over the weekend.

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From A1 registration law. “Despite the ongoing implementation of the SIM Registration Act, cybercrime and cybersecurity-related concerns of the public are on the uptrend,” Ancheta said.

The Philippines" tourism campaign had little to no effect on foreign tourists, who continue to come to the country after three years of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abling-Yu said the country's tour operators continue to be more aggressive in their approach to attracting tourists to the Philippines, as foreign tourists themselves were just as aggressive in spending money for travel.

She added that while the "Love the Philippines" slogan did somehow help them in their tourism efforts, Phitoa "did not bank on the slogan that much."

Abling-Yu also said it was business as usual for tour operators in the country despite the flak that the Tourism department drew for using a promotional video with stock footage from other countries.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has terminated its contract with the ad agency DDB Philippines, which was responsible for producing and circulating the video online.

IARC, which receives complaints through social media, website, and telephone hotline 1326, received a total of 3,609 complaints related to SIM registration and 904 cyber complaints from January 1 to June 15.

Most of the cyber complaints are related to online fraud (364), illegal access (192) and online libel (103).

CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos has emphasized: “The need for a single portal is necessary to allow the government to have a firm grasp of reality in fighting cybercrimes.”

Sunday urged the public, relevant authorities, and all stakeholders to take immediate action and prioritize preparedness for the impending water shortage crisis.

He cited the alarmingly low water level in Angat Dam which supplies over 90 percent of Metro Manila's water needs, dipping below the minimum operating level of 180 meters.

This serves as a wake-up call for the urgent need for long-term solutions and comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impact of the El Niño episode and ensure the well-being of our communities, he said.

With no rains in sight and the El Niño scenario in effect, Metro Manila should prepare well, he said, adding that “every drop counts."

"A waterless National Capital Region will hamper economic activity. Our actions should be clear, definitive, and quick,” he said.

He cited the necessity for a collective effort to conserve water, implement water-saving practices, and explore alternative sources to ensure sustainability.

“We must face this challenge head-on and strive for long-term solutions that go beyond temporary measures,” he said.

Edillon also said the government must take advantage of frequentrainfall and accelerate the completion of small impounding water projects to help ease effects of El Niño.

The state weather bureau on July 4 announced the start of a "weak" El Niño on the Pacific Ocean. The weather bureau warned that the phenomenon could cause dry spells and droughts in the country in the last quarter of 2023 and the first half of 2024.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said during a briefing on inflation that if the agriculture sector suffers from El Niño, it would definitely affect prices.

In May, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the El Niño this year will "not deeply" hurt the Philippine economy as agriculture only accounts for "roughly 10 percent of the national income."

“The purpose of coordinated approach is to avoid accidents and prevent actualities in the area. What’s happening on the ground is what’s called a megaphone war… if the situation continues like that, then that will really raise risk of unintended violent encounter at sea,” the professor told ABS-CBN News.

Meanwhile, an Italian Marina Militare ship made a port visit to the Philippines on July 8, as Rome assured Manila its support to freedom of navigation amid the activities of China that are seen as threats to rules-based order.

The Philippine Navy welcomed the Italian vessel ITS Francesco Morosini, a Paolo Thaon di Revel-class offshore patrol vessel.

The ship arrived at the Port of Manila for a five-day stay as the Italian Ministry of Defense and Navy aimed to strengthen its "cooperation with the Philippine Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense," its embassy in the Philippines said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Amid calls for a congressional probe on the video fiasco, PresidentFerdinand Marcos Jr. said DOT Secretary Christina Frasco still enjoys his trust and confidence.

As of May 2023, there have been 2.38 million international arrivals to the Philippines, Abling-Yu said, citing DOT figures.

Meanwhile, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said she isbatting for a thorough investigation into the recent controversies surrounding the Department of Tourism's new branding campaign.

She cited the need for transparency and accountability as millions of pesos in taxpayers' money are involved in this issue.

Castro raised concern over reports suggesting the involvement of personalities with close ties to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“It is imperative that we shed light on this 'Frasco fiasco' to ensure that public funds are being utilized appropriately and that there is no undue influence from individuals associated with the Marcos regime," she said.