PH, Malaysia to boost food security ties

By Charles Dantes

THE Philippines and Malaysia agreed to convene their Joint Commission to discuss new areas of synergies, in particular on food security, halal industry, and Islamic banking.

"In the spirit of exploring synergies for future partnerships, we agreed to convene the next Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting in the near future. I believed the date that we decided upon was around sometime in October," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during a

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Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of "violent, lifethreatening conditions" as severe winds and heavy rain pounded the lightly populated region.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is in Malaysia for a three-day visit, assured the public that the government will do its best to provide aid to people affected by Egay as it made landfall in Aparri on Wednesday. He added that about P173 million worth of assistance,food, and nonfood items, is on standby and ready to be delivered to those in need.

Search, rescue and retrieval personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Coast Guard are also ready to provide help, he also said.

A woman selling bread rolls died when she was hit by a falling coconut tree in Ramon municipality in the northern province of Isabela on Wednesday, provincial disaster official Constante Foronda said. National disaster officials, however, were still validating reported deaths.

About 12,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Cagayan province, including 431 in the Babuyan islands, following warnings of three-meter storm surges, Cagayan provincial disaster official Ruelie Rapsing said.

Flooding has also been reported in the coastal municipalities of Lallo, Pamplona and Claveria.

About 1,500 people were also evacuated from coastal communities in neighboring Isabela, Foronda said.

"We won't allow them to go home until we get the all clear from the experts," he said.

Some evacuees have sheltered with neighbors who had concrete houses, while others were taken to municipal halls.

"The roof of the Sanchez Mira municipal hall was blown off," Rapsing said.

"The windows of an evacuation center there also broke so we had to move them to multi-purpose halls back in their villages."

The weather agency also warned the typhoon had intensified the seasonal southwest monsoon, bringing heavy rains

Marcos...

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Cup! A momentous first-ever World Cup win for the Philippines! Mabuhay ang Filipinas," said Mr. Marcos in a tweet.

The Filipinas' 1-0 win against New Zealand, came from Sarina Bolden's towering header at the 24-minute mark after Sara Eggesvik perfectly set her with a cross.

New Zealand failed to score a goal behind the Philippines' stonewall defense led by goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.

Bolden's goal is the Philippines' firstever goal in football's grandest stage.

The Filipinas will face Norway on

Satirist...

joint press conference with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Malaysia yesterday.

Mr. Marcos said discussions between the Philippines and Malaysia will focus on transnational crimes, agriculture, Halal industry, Islamic banking, education, across the rest of Luzon and the central islands.

The provincial government of Ilocos Norte declared a state of calamity in response to the impact of Egay and the rain it brought.

Heavy rainfall, flooding in low-lying areas, power and communication interruptions, and road blockages have been reported throughout the province. The extent of the damage is still being assessed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Heavy rains brought on by Egay caused massive flooding in Chico River Wednesday, sweeping away cars and other vehicles in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Bontoc's official Facebook page showed photos of several vehicles being inundated by the flood. Local officials urged people living in low-lying or flood-prone areas near Chico River or its tributaries to evacuate to higher ground or designated evacuation centers.

Egay had been a super typhoon as it swept across the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday but weakened as it neared the Philippines.

It is expected to weaken further as it moves across the South China Sea, grazing Taiwan as it heads towards southeast China.

Egay made a second landfall on Dalupiri Island in Aparri, Cagayan, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday

Its first landfall occurred in Fuga Island and Aparri at 3:10 a.m.

The center of the eye of the typhoon was estimated at 70 kilometers west northwest of Calayan, Cagayan.

It was moving northwestward at 10 km/h, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 4 was raised in the northwestern portion of Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

Signal no. 3 was hoisted over Batanes, northern and central portionsof Cagayan, the rest of Ilocos Norte, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.

Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Isabela, the rest of Cagayan, the rest of Ilocos Sur, the rest of Abra, the northern and central portions of La Union,and the

Sunday with the aim to advance deeper in the competition.

Philippines head coach Alen Stajcic said the Women's World Cup debutantes faced a "monumental" task to beat Norway and squeeze into the tournament's knockout stages.

Ranked 46th in the world, the Philippines blew Group A wide open with a shock 1-0 win over co-hosts New Zealand on Tuesday.

The Philippines can reach the last 16 by beating Norway, ranked no. 12, on Sunday, the same day New Zealand faces Switzerland.

Stajcic said his team, who bounced back after losing their opening game to the

From A1 loved ones, and friends, it is with deep sadness and heavy heart to announce the passing of our beloved father, [Willie Nepomuceno] on July 26, 2023, at the age of 75. He has peacefully joined our creator.”

Nepomuceno’s son, Wilson, said that his father was rushed to the Marikina Valley Medical Center on Monday “after falling off the bed and hitting his head on the floor.”

“Farewell, Tatay. Though it's incredibly hard to say goodbye, I am grateful for the time we had together. Your love, guidance, and presence in my life have shaped me into the person I am today. Your legacy will forever be engraved in my heart. Rest well, knowing that you are deeply loved and missed,” Wilson said in a tribute post.

Nepomuceno's gift for satire and his uncanny ability to impersonate prominent figures like former presidents Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Benigno Aquino III, and Rodrigo Duterte were unparalleled.

With impeccable timing and comedic genius, he fearlessly brought political humor to the forefront, entertaining the masses while challenging the status quo. Nepomuceno also flawlessly mimicked beloved celebrities like Fernando Poe Jr, Dolphy, and Vic Sotto.

Apart from being an entertainer, Nepomuceno was also a cartoonist and journalist. He led the cast of the sketch comedy show "Ispup" and released six albums during his successful career.

He is survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

Payatas...

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The unique 3x3 tournament is played for three minutes per game in a doubleround robin system to determine the rankings to advance to the next stages.

The Payatas girls ended up with 10 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses to earn the tourism and culture, sports, and the digital economy.

“Building on our bilateral relations, our governments commit to closely coordinate efforts to build capacity in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the southern Philippines, in Muslim Mindanao, especially in sectors such as the Halal industry, Islamic Banking, and Food Security," the President said.

"We have outstanding MOUs, which both of us agreed to accelerate the process and where we should find ways to resolve and then hopefully sign prior to the — or during the commission meeting,” Prime Minister Ibrahim added. Malaysia has offered to aid the Philip- northern and central portions of Benguet experienced signal no. 2.

Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal,Laguna, the rest of La Union and the rest of Benguet, and the northern portion of Quezon, including Polillo Islands, were under signal no. 1.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon and monsoon rains affected 44,356 families or about 180,439 persons residing in 261 barangays in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen, with about 11,041 people taking shelter in 107 emergency evacuation centers.

Cesar Idio, director of the Office of Civil Defense Operations Service said the government has released some P1.45 million in assistance so far.

The Office of Civil Defense earlier said that the affected families are a combination of those displaced and families whose source of livelihood were affected but did not need evacuation.

The NDRRMC is also validating reports of one dead in Calabarzon and two injured in Calabarzon and Western Visayas.

Some 57 houses were reported damaged in Ilocos Region, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen, it added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday reported that Egay did at least P255,000 worth of damage to crops.

Citing the initial assessment of DA regional field offices in Calabarzon and Mimaropa, the department said the damage to crops affected 77 farmers, with the volume of production loss pegged at four metric tons (MT) and 40 hectares of rice areas.

“Most of the damage and losses were incurred at seedling, newly planted, and vegetative stages of rice,” said the DA’s Bulletin No. 3 on Typhoon Egay.

The Department of Energy said Wednesday typhoon Egay affected a total of 42 electric cooperatives and damaged some transmission facilities.

It said that 26 cooperatives were operating normally, while 13 were experiencing power interruptions. Six cooperatives experienced a total loss of power due to

Swiss, had to quickly shift focus to their final pool game.

"The job is not done," he said. "It's very important we switch back into competition mode and think what we have to do in the last game to try and squeeze out of this group."

Stajcic said the Philippines faces a tough assignment against 1995 world champions Norway, who have 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg in their squad.

"That's such a monumental task, especially when it's our third game in just over a week, so we have to recover physically and from the emotion," he said.

The Philippines shot up the rankings

Warrantless...

From A1 revision of the entire Omnibus Election Code (OEC).

“There are draft bills already in the Senate and the House of Representatives, but the Comelec’s version had incorporated all the proposed revisions to the OEC. Ours is a compilation. We will submit it before the end of the year,” he added.

Among the provisions in the OEC that should be revised is the prohibition of arrests during the campaign period, Garcia said.

Another OEC provision in the proposed amendment repeals a provision in the 1987 Constitution prohibiting warrantless arrests.

“We will authorize the PNP to arrest in flagrante de licto — caught in the act, allowing us to arrest election violators caught on the spot for buying votes,” pines in training Filipino personnel and officials to boost the capabilities of those in the vital sectors of development, Mr. Marcos said. a manual shutdown and tripping of transmission lines.

"With Malaysia being one of the leading halal economies in the world, cooperation in this sector would mutually benefit the growth of our respective halal ecosystems," he added.

In return, the Philippines committed to improve trade and investment ties.

In 2022, Malaysia was ranked 22nd among the Philippines' top investors and the fourth source of foreign direct investment with $105.7 million, registering a 56.4-percent growth from January to September 2022.

In his message from Malaysia, the President said power had been restored to 93 percent of affected municipalities.

Flight operations in Laoag International Airport and TuguegaraoAirport were suspended Wednesday due to bad weather, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

Vigan Airport reported minimal damage, while Lingayen Airport's ramp was flooded due to heavy rainfall. Part of the roof of the airport's fire station was also damaged due to strong winds.

In Area Center 2, Tuguegarao Airport continued to experience strong winds and rain.

“The airport has halted its flight operations for the day as commercial electricity has been down. While no major damage has been observed, minor flooding at the airport's taxiway has been reported,” said CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio.

“Basco Airport, Cauayan Airport, and Palanan Airport continue to experience strong winds and rain. The airports reported no damage to their facilities and commercial electricity remains available,” he added.

Cebu Pacific’s CebGo flights in Manila to and from San Jose Airport were canceled affecting a total of 155 passengers.

Iba Airport also continues to experience strong winds and rain but reported no damage to its facilities.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it would conduct immediate repairs on infrastructure damaged by Egay, saying the typhoon caused two road closures and limited access in four highways in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Central Mindanao (Region XII) and Region IV-B.

The DPWH has identified impassable roads as the Baguio-Bontoc Road in Mt. Province and Awang-Upi-LebakKalamansig-Palimbang-Sarangani Road, in Brgy. Kidayan, Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat.

Public works secretary Manuel Bonoan said several DPWH Quick-Response Teams were dispatched to expedite emergency repair work and to carry out clearing operations so that the affected roads may be reopened and ensure access for government relief efforts. With AFP since the Australian took charge in late 2021, qualifying for the World Cup for the first time by reaching the semi-finals of the Women's Asian Cup early last year.

Stajcic said this wealth of tournament experience would be an asset as they prepared to play the Norwegians, who have yet to win at this World Cup, losing to New Zealand then drawing with the Swiss.

"The players know the drill. There has been quite a lot of tournament experience in the last 18 months," he said.

"I think we have seen a lot of maturity and growth in the way they carry themselves off the field, let alone on it."

With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Garcia said.

Garcia also said among the amendments being proposed was improving the provisions for screening party-list applicants as well as allowing online voting, which will be beneficial for overseas Filipinos, specifically seafarers.

Garcia meanwhile warned candidates who will run in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) against premature campaigning.

Garcia said those who will file their certificates of candidacy (COC) from August 28 to September 2 will already be considered as candidates.

“Once you filed your candidacy, all your posters plastered around should be removed. If not, we will file a case against you, and at the same time, we will remove them and you may even be disqualified,” Garcia said.

“And since you are now a candidate, Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code is applicable to you ... which is premature campaigning.”