PHILIPPINES, VIETNAM AGREE TO WORK ON SOUTH CHINA SEA CODE OF CONDUCT

MANILA — The Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen coordination in dealing with maritime issues, particularly in working on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

Philippine diplomats traveled to Ha Long, Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday to hold talks with their Vietnamese counterparts during the 10th Philippines-Vietnam Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns.

In a statement, DFA said the two countries also agreed to explore a "broad range of potential maritime cooperation activities to enhance their strategic partnership."

"The two countries expressed serious concern over unilateral activities that undermine peace and stability in the region. They committed to work together to protect their rights and legitimate interests under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and enhance confidence-building measures between relevant agencies," the DFA also said.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela Ponce, who headed the Philippine delegation to the meeting, said discussions with their Vietnamese counterparts were "critical" in strengthening ties between the 2 Southeast Asian countries.

"The delegations also conveyed their governments’ gratitude for the humane treatment accorded by both countries to Filipino and Vietnamese fisherfolk found in distress at sea," the department said.

Other issues tackled during the meeting include enhancement of joint activities in the fields of marine scientific research, meteorology, marine environment protection, search and rescue, oil spill preparedness and response, fisheries, and facilitation of maritime trade.

"Vietnam is the Philippines’ only strategic partner in ASEAN with formal relations spanning almost 47 years," the DFA said.

STRONGER PH-US TIES NOT ABOUT CHINA: US AMBASSADOR CARLSON

MANILA — US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Wednesday defended the renewed partnership of Manila and Washington in the face of mounting tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

Speaking to ANC, she cited the countries' 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which mandates the Philippines and US to come to each other's aid if either country is under attack.

"Our commitment to the Philippines stands on its own. Our relationship stands on its own. It's not about any third country. It's not about any single challenge," Carlson told "Headstart".

"It's not about China. It's certainly not about China alone. It's about what we do together and it dates back decades."

She also defended US interest in making the Indo-Pacific free and open, which White House previously described as the most dynamic region in the world.

The region hosts the South China Sea, a major shipping passage that sees trillions of dollars worth of global trade cruising annually.

"Economic security is national security. So, making sure that we guarantee prosperity for our people means we have to have open sea lines of communication. We need to ensure that overflight is guaranteed," Carlson said.

"So, absolutely, we wanna work with the Philippines [and] like-minded partners to make sure these sea lanes are open and that we have a peaceful region so that our people can prosper."

MARCOS EYES REVIVAL OF PHILSUCOR

MANILA — President Marcos is eyeing the revival of the Philippine Sugar Corp. (PHILSUCOR), a state-run firm that provided financing to facilities used in the manufacture and distribution of sugar and its by-products, which was abolished during the previous administration.

In a video message released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos said revitalizing PHILSUCOR was one of the suggestions made during his meeting yesterday with stakeholders of the sugar industry in Malacañang.

“It’s financing for farmers, especially for cooperatives and farmers’ associations. They were not able to work that much because they tried to abolish the PHILSUCOR in 2019, I think. But it was not abolished,” Marcos said in Filipino.

“We will revive and modify it. We will see what changes can be made so we can adjust it according to our present situation and continue their work in providing assistance to our farmers, to our farmers’ groups,” he added.

95 MILLION SIMS REGISTERED AS OF MAY 10: DICT

A total of 95 million SIMs have been registered as of May 10, Department of Information and Communication Technology Secretary Ivan Uy said on Thursday.

The total is about 90 percent of the expected 100 to 110 million potential registrants out of the total 168 million active SIMs in the country, Uy told Teleradyo.

Uy said Filipinos should take advantage of the SIM registration deadline which was extended until July 26.

He said while the SIM registration is ongoing, Filipinos must remain vigilant to avoid becoming victims to scammers that are using fake SIM registration sites to collect personal data.

Official SIM registration must be done through official channels:

Smart - smart.com.ph/simreg or simreg.smart.com.ph

Globe - new.globe.com.ph/simreg

DITO - https://digital.dito.ph/pto/download/app

NEXT FIVE YEARS SET TO BE HOTTEST PERIOD EVER: UNITED NATIONS

GENEVA — It is near-certain that 2023-2027 will be the warmest five-year period ever recorded, the United Nations warned Wednesday as greenhouse gases and El Nino combine to send temperatures soaring.

There is a two-thirds chance that at least one of the next five years will see global temperatures exceed the more ambitious target set out in the Paris accords on limiting climate change, the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.

The hottest eight years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2022, with 2016 the warmest -- but temperatures are forecast to increase further as climate change accelerates.

"There is a 98-percent likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record," the WMO said.

The 2015 Paris Agreement saw countries agree to cap global warming at "well below" two degrees Celsius above average levels measured between 1850 and 1900 -- and 1.5C if possible.

The global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15C above the 1850-1900 average.

The WMO said there was a 66 percent chance that annual global surface temperatures will exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the years 2023-2027, with a range of 1.1C to 1.8C forecasted for each of those five years.

"WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency", said the agency's chief Petteri Taalas.

"A warming El Nino is expected to develop in the coming months and this will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory.

"This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management and the environment. We need to be prepared."

DBM RELEASES P15.1 BILLION TO BUILD 5,000 CLASSROOMS

MANILA — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released more than P15 billion to construct nearly 5,000 classrooms nationwide.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman recently approved a special allotment release order for P15.15 billion and the corresponding notice of cash allocation to the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Education (DepEd).

At least 4,912 classrooms will be constructed in 1,194 areas.

The allocation will cover the construction, replacement and completion of kindergarten, elementary and secondary school buildings as well as technical-vocational laboratories.

It will also cover the installation and replacement of disability access facilities, construction of water and sanitation facilities as well as overall site improvement.

On the other hand, P131.43 million will be used for engineering and administrative overhead expenses.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte had earlier said classroom shortage is the most urgent issue that should be addressed to bridge the education infrastructure gap.

President Marcos had committed to give priority to the construction of new classrooms as face-to-face classes resume.

MODERNA SAYS 'MOVING AT SPEED' TO OPEN PH FACILITY BY THIRD QUARTER 2023

MANILA — Pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm Moderna said on Thursday it is working quickly to build and open its service center facility in the Philippines by the third quarter of 2023.

In an interview with ANC, Moderna Senior Vice President Patrick Bergstedt said Moderna's Philippine service center is 1 of only 3 of its kind globally, next to the ones in Georgia and Poland.

"We are moving at speed and we hope to have this facility operational in the third quarter by September," Bergstedt said.

Moderna's shared service facility will be for financial services, human resource services, regulatory and IT, he said. It will also be for "pharmacovigilance" or the "the monitoring of the safety and tolerability of vaccines," he said.

When asked what made Moderna choose the Philippines instead of other countries in the region, Bergstedt said it was because of the quality of talents and the established IT-BPM space.

"It’s really the quality of the people and that your shared service business is really an established business," he said.

Moderna said it would hire about 40 to 50 employees before the end of the year, which would eventually continue to expand in phases.

Moderna is known for its COVID-19 vaccine, but Bergstedt said its portfolio includes other vaccines for respiratory and other diseases.

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PNP RELEASES P7.54 BILLION FOR MID-YEAR BONUSES OF PERSONNEL

MANILA — The Philippine National Police has released more than P7.54 billion for the mid-year bonuses of its personnel, the PNP said in a release.

The mid-year bonus will be equivalent to one month of the basic salary of a police officer. Bonuses of more than P90,000 will be subject to tax, the national police added.

Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., PNP chief, said the bonuses for the 227,832 personnel of the national police are sourced from regular appropriations in the 2023 national budget. Mid-year bonuses are legislated in the General Appropriations Act.

"The mid-year bonus serves as a testament to our commitment to our personnel's welfare," Acorda said in the release. "It is an acknowledgment of their dedication and sacrifices. I hope that they will utilize this bonus to augment their financial capability to support their respective families."

The bonuses, totaling P7,544,095,221, will be released through the payroll accounts of PNP personnel on May 18, Thursday, the PNP said.

Police personnel with pending cases or who are "serving punishment" will not receive their mid-year bonuses yet.

SOME MONEY WITHDRAWN IN GCASH FRAUD: BSP

MANILA- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said fraudsters behind the unauthorized cash transfers targeting Gcash users were able to withdraw some of the stolen money.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla noted that while all affected GCash users had their balances corrected, some funds remain unrecovered.

“Effectively, GCash is shouldering the difference,” Medalla said. He reiterated that the incident was caused by phishing, not hacking.

The central bank chief also said that the security features of local digital payment platforms are satisfactory but consumers need to be vigilant.

He said users should not share their OTP or one-time password, because this is the last level of protection.

"Kasi kahit mapasok ka, pero hindi mawi-withdraw ang pera kasi ang bangko kailangan ng OTP,” Medalla said.

GCash earlier submitted its regulatory report to BSP regarding the incident.

“Kung matetrace natin ang may-ari ng accounts na ‘yon, meron pa rin silang pananagutan,” Medalla said.

LUGGAGE WITH P19 MILLION SHABU ABANDONED AT NAIA

MANILA — A piece of luggage abandoned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 turned out to contain 2.8 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu when Bureau of Customs (BOC) officers examined it yesterday.

The luggage was sent unaccompanied from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia via Bangkok, Thailand on Philippine Airlines Flight PR 737.

It arrived at the airport on Dec. 24, 2022 and was stored in the Interline Baggage Room pending being claimed by its owner.

BOC-NAIA district collector Yasmin Mapa said BOC officers examined the luggage yesterday after the lapse of the requisite waiting period of three to four months for its registered owner, Norman Peñaflor, to claim it.

The luggage contained shabu valued at P19 million as well as clothes, bags and range tools, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

YASSI PRESSMAN OPENS UP ABOUT BOYFRIEND JON SEMIRA

MANILA -- Actress Yassi Pressman has opened up about her boyfriend, entrepreneur Jon Semira.

Appearing on "Magandang Buhay" on Wednesday to celebrate her 28th birthday, Pressman said she met Semira a few years ago through their common friends.

Pressman also said that Semira moved back to the Philippines for her.

"Taga-Canada po kasi siya. Canadian and he used to live here daw po in the Philippines. He then went back to Canada and then nag-meet po kami roon. Tapos now he's moved back for me. Nagwo-work lang po siya in Singapore, tapos here, pabalik-balik," Pressman said.

Asked to describe their relationship, Pressman said: "I think it's pretty secure. Something I guess I was needing after a lot of the things that have happened in my life. And finally parang it feels like home na no pressure, no stress, very, very light."

Pressman went public with her new romantic relationship in July last year when she greeted Semira on his birthday through an Instagram post.

Pressman, 27, was last linked to her “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” leading man Coco Martin. However, she has consistently denied having romantic ties with the actor over the years they were paired on screen.

Meanwhile, Pressman also talked about her relationship with her sister Issa, who became a target of bashers online.

Pressman reminded the public to always be careful and choose to be kind in social media.

"I think it's always important that we always choose our words and we are always kind online because hindi mo alam ang epekto nun sa isang tao after few yeas. Kung sa 'yo binabato mo lang sa ibang tao, hindi mo alam (ang epekto). ...Let's just be a bit more careful," Pressman said.

Asked how they keep their relationship as siblings strong, Pressman said: "Marami ring honestly times na hindi kami nagkakasundo and I think that's pretty normal. One of the things that I really, really appreciated nung birthday ko was parang na-acknowledge niya ang pagkukulang and communication. At ako rin in-acknowledge ko rin sometimes 'yung if I'm too much or if I'm too little or if I'm not present. Ang importante with us ay napag-uusapan po namin kahit yung mahirap pag-usapan."

SPORTS

SEA GAMES 2023 PHILIPPINES MEDALISTS MAY 16 - FINAL LIST

NO.      MEDAL NAME              SPORT EVENT                                     DATE

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GOLD

52         Gold    Alvin Lobreguito Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling            Men's freestyle 57 kg     16-May

53         Gold    Trixie Lofranco  Arnis pictogram.svg Arnis          Women's individual anyo non-traditional open weapon       16-May

54         Gold    Crisamuel Delfin            Arnis pictogram.svg Arnis            Men's individual anyo non-traditional open weapon          16-May

55         Gold    Ronil Tubog      Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling            Men's freestyle 55 kg     16-May

56         Gold                Basketball pictogram.svg Basketball       Men's 5x5            16-May

                        Mason Amos

                        Justin Brownlee

                        Marcio Lassiter

                        Jerom Lastimosa

                        Chris Newsome

                        Calvin Oftana

                        CJ Perez

                        Michael Phillips

                        Chris Ross

                        Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser

                        Christian Standhardinger

                        Arvin Tolentino

57         Gold    Gretel de Paz    Kickboxing pictogram.svg Kickboxing            Women's low kick -57 kg            16-May

58         Gold    Claudine Veloso            Kickboxing pictogram.svg Kickboxing           Women's k1 -52 kg        16-May

SILVER

80         Silver   Jennifer Alumbro           Cricket pictogram.svg Cricket            Women's T10    16-May

                        JK Andreano

                        Josie Arimas

                        Catherine Bagaoisan

                        Joan Diosino

                        Jonna Eguid

                        Joelle Galapin

                        Johannah Hulipas

                        Christine Joy Lovino

                        Lolita Olaguier

                        Romera Osabel

                        Riza Penalba

                        April Saquilon

                        Alex Smith

                        Simranjeet Smith

81         Silver   Gina Iniong-Araos         Kickboxing pictogram.svg Kickboxing           Women's kick light -55 kg          16-May

82         Silver   Hanniel Abella   Fencing pictogram.svg Fencing  Women's team epee        16-May

                        Ivy Dinoy

                        Alexa Larrazabal

                        Andrea Matias

83         Silver   Jeffeson Manatad          Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling            Men's freestyle 92 kg     16-May

84         Silver   Chino Sy Tancontian     Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling            Men's freestyle 97 kg     16-May

85         Silver   Mary All-In Aldeguer      Arnis pictogram.svg Arnis            Women's team anyo non-traditional open weapon           16-May

                        Jeanette Agapito

                        Crystal Jane Sapio

86         Silver   Bryant Arocena Floorball pictogram.svg Floorball            Men's tournament         16-May

                        Christofer Bernardo

                        Fredrik Cantos

                        Christian Castrillo

                        Patrik Castrillo

                        Mattiece Cortez

                        John Embile

                        Fredrik Escabel

                        Simon Sicat Laraño

                        Luis Manila

                        Melvin Alm Mendoza

                        Henielee Pastor

                        Michael Peña

                        Lucas Perez

                        Ludvig Porral

                        Victor Regalado

                        Kim Rosello Varga

                        Claude Vitaliano

                        Lucas Werelius

87         Silver   Jeremy Pacatiw Kickboxing pictogram.svg Kickboxing            Men's k1 -67 kg 16-May

BRONZE

109        Bronze Ran Abdilla       Volleyball (indoor) pictogram.svg Volleyball            Men's beach     16-May

                        James Buytrago

                        Jude Garcia

                        Jaron Requinton

110        Bronze John Dexter Tabique     Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting        Men's 89 kg      16-May

111        Bronze Loella Andersson          Floorball pictogram.svg Floorball            Women's tournament    16-May

                        Angelica Bengtsson

                        Jerylou Berdan

                        Jerymae Berdan

                        Annica Cahatian

                        Imma Cruzado

                        Michelle Cruzado

                        Grace Embile

                        Hanna Esteves

                        Keziah Espidillon

                        Heidi Hyrylainen

                        Marika Lehvilla

                        Sara Porral

                        Ronnalyn Ranta

                        Jade Rivera

                        Roxane Ruiz

                        Nathalie Lopez Sundin

                        Pauline Tolentino

                        Pia Tolentino

                        Dianne Villegas

112        Bronze Prince John Felipe         Fencing pictogram.svg Fencing            Men's team foil  16-May

                        Shawn Nicollei Felipe

                        Nathaniel Perez

                        Samuel Tranquillan

113        Bronze Carl Dave Asaneta        Judo pictogram.svg Judo            Mixed team       16-May

                        Megumi Delgado

                        Rena Furukawa

                        Dylwynn Gimena

                        Jayvee Ferrer

                        Keisei Nakano

                        Ryoko Salinas

114        Bronze Jhonny Morte    Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling            Men's freestyle 65 kg     16-May

115        Bronze Billy Joseph Ang            Jet Ski pictogram.svg Jet ski            Runabout 1100 stock     16-May

116        Bronze Jeric Arce         Arnis pictogram.svg Arnis          Men's team anyo non-traditional open weapon  16-May

                        Mackjohn Niel Pineda

                        Mark David Puzon

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 56.20

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The surest way to work up a crusade in favour of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behaviour "righteous indignation" -- this is the most delicious of moral treats. - Aldous Huxley