‘MORE VIGOROUS’ ERUPTION LIKELY–PHIVOLCS

Mayon Volcano could have a “violent or more vigorous” eruption that can build up in just a matter of hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday.

More than 37,000 residents or 9,500 families have been affected by the ongoing volcanic unrest, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman said in his province alone, more than 33,000 residents may be forced to evacuate should Mayon Volcano be placed under Alert Level 4.

Paul Alanis, resident volcanologist at the Mayon Volcano Observatory, said the escalation from the “quiet eruptions, lava flows and small explosions” could happen very quickly.

“It is possible that it (the volcano) could turn violent or [have] what we call a more vigorous type of eruption,” he said.

“The behavior being exhibited by the volcano has happened before, not just in Mayon but also in Taal Volcano (in Batangas). We have to raise its alert level from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 in less than five hours,” Alanis said.

Mayon remains under alert level 3.

The volcano is still sending out lava flows “very quietly,” Alanis said, adding that the lava was moving very slowly down the slope about one kilometer from the crater.

Phivolcs said the volcano emitted 149 tons of sulfur dioxide on Wednesday, which is much lower than the recorded average of 500 tons daily.

“It is quite an anomaly since it is far below the average of the volcano’s emission of 500 tons a day which is low,” he said.

Other parameters have also kept the alert level at 3, he said.

“As of now, the sulfur dioxide is quite low, which could mean only two possibilities. One is that there’s really not much gas in the magma. That is why we have a very quiet type of eruption occurring. The other scenario is the possibility that the volcano is being blocked right now and that pressure is building up,” Alanis said.

BRACE FOR 90-DAY EVACUATION–PBBM

LEGAZPI CITY—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered national agencies to cover 90 days of relief assistance to evacuees of the areas around restive Mayon Volcano to unburden local government units (LGUs) responding to the disaster.

Three months, government scientists and local experts say, is the estimated maximum period of unrest in Mayon, which state volcanologists said could unleash a “more vigorous” type of eruption as it already is spewing lava and ashes.

The President visited Albay province, landed in Legazpi City, and conducted an aerial inspection of the areas affected by the increasing activity of the volcano, particularly around Guinobatan town.

Albay Gov. Greco Lagman said the province would need at least P196.7 million to continue supporting evacuees for 90 days.

The President responded by telling his Cabinet to study the proposed budget, as Albay’s P30-million quick response fund could only sustain evacuees for about 14 days.

“Let us be prepared to take as much of the load as soon as possible off of the local government units so they can have – we don’t know if a storm will come (to Albay), or something else might happen, so they can still have reserve (funds),” Mr. Marcos said in Filipino.

“We will not consume their quick response fund, number one,” President Marcos said during a situation briefing at the Albay Astrodome in Legazpi.

“Number two, we should use as a working number: a minimum of 45 days. The 45 days to 90 days come from both the science of DOST (Department of Science and Technology) and the experience of the locals. When we were asking them, ‘How does this go?’, they said 45 to 90 days. So that’s the working number we’ll use,” he added.

MARCOS APOLOGIZES AFTER AIRCRAFT PROBLEM DELAYS SOUTH COTABATO VISIT

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday apologized for the hours-long delay in his attendance at the launch of South Cotabato's modern rice production program after the plane he was in suffered "technical issues."

"Humihingi ako ng paumanhin sa inyo dahil pinag-antay ko kayo ng ilang oras. Mukhang ginugutom na kayo," Marcos told South Cotabato farmers present in the launch of the province's consolidated rice production and mechanization program.

Marcos and his delegation were scheduled to arrive in South Cotabato at 9 a.m., but the event started shortly before 12 noon.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil told reporters that the plane carrying Marcos and his party encountered "technical issues," prompting them to return to Villamor Airbase in Pasay City and board another plane.

The President was okay despite the incident, Garafil said.

In a statement, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said that Marcos' plane had a "minor technical issue" on its flaps operations, which was discovered shortly after takeoff.

"It is nothing serious, but since the PAF maintains the highest standards of flight safety, the pilots decided to do a precautionary return to base and have the aircraft thoroughly checked," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said.

"There was a ready back up aircraft, which is a C295, and so the presidential movement was resumed immediately," she added.

In his speech, Marcos affirmed his administration's commitment to attain food security and self-sufficiency in the Philippines, which he said was one of the reasons why he led the launch of South Cotabato's integrated rice processing center.

"Ginawa nating prayoridad na... tiyakin [nating] magkaroon ng sapat na food supply. May sapat na pagkain para sa ating mga kababayan. [Para] kahit may krisis o may pandemya, makakaasa tayo na kaya nating pakainin ang lahat ng mamamayang Pilipino," he said.

ISIS-SOUTHEAST ASIA LEADER KILLED IN MARAWI ENCOUNTER, SAYS MILITARY

MANILA — The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Southeast Asia was killed after fighting off troops who attempted to arrest him in Marawi City on Wednesday, the military said.

Policemen and soldiers were supposed to serve an arrest warrant against ISIS-Southeast Asia leader Abu Zacharia in Barangay Bangon, when he threw a mortar and 2 hand grenades towards the troops, the military's Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).

A 10-minute firefight ensued, killing Zacharia and wounding one soldier, the Wesmincom said in a statement.

Zacharia was a leader of the terrorist Maute Group that laid siege on Marawi City in May 2017, leading to a 5-month gun battle that left the city in ruins and killed some 168 soldiers and policemen, 47 civilians and 1,000 terrorists.

Zacariah, whose real name is Faharudin Hadji Satar, took over the helm of ISIS Southeast Asia in late 2021, the military said.

He was the target of previous military operations in Lanao del Sur.

Hours after the encounter that killed Zacariah, government forces also "neutralized" another key leader of the Daulah Islamiyah — Joharie Sandab alias Morsid, DI-Philippines Sub-Leader and Amir for Finance and Logistics — when he resisted arrest in Bangon, Marawi City, the military said.

 "The subject also threw a hand grenade toward the operating troops. Fortunately, the hand grenade did not explode," the AFP Wesmincom said.

"The government forces were left with no choice but to return fire. The exchange of fires resulted in the death of Morsid," it added.

DILG CHIEF WARNS OF ‘POWERFUL SYNDICATE’ INSIDE PNP

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is looking into the possibility that a powerful syndicate inside the police force was behind the P6.7 billion drug bust in Tondo, Manila eight months ago.

DILG secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said this group could be the reason investigators find it difficult to gather information and why no one was cooperating during the probe.

Abalos said this prompted him and then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to call for courtesy resignations of police generals and colonels in January.

“I felt so frustrated, what’s happening here. What we should do after the resignation, we want to make sure to [let] them [know] that we’re serious. We will put you behind bars. That’s what we are doing right now. We are really house cleaning everything,” said Abalos in an interview with CNN Philippines.

While the graft charges and other criminal complaints against 50 police officials were already filed on Friday with the Office of the Ombudsman, Abalos said the National Police Commission and the PNP have yet to find answers on where the 990 kilos of shabu came from and who were the persons behind it.

PBBM EYES INFO EXCHANGE BETWEEN PH, UAE

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to come up with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the exchange of information between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This developed after UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzabi, during his courtesy visit to Mr. Marcos at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Tuesday, pitched the proposal for the two nations to forge a partnership for the sharing of information.

“The President has directed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to draft an MOU on this, saying that he is looking forward to signing an agreement with the UAE,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

During the meeting, the UAE ambassador briefed President Marcos that the Arab state launched the exchange of information program in 2018 as a “platform knowledge.”

The envoy said the Philippines and the UAE governments may exchange information through an MOU, noting that a similar agreement has been done with over 40 countries, including Egypt, Spain and Jordan.

He raised the proposal, as he noted that a lot of companies from the UAE have expressed intent to put up a business in the Philippines.

“This program is to exchange information (between our) countries. We have more than 40 countries now in this program. It’s a government exchange program by the Office of the Prime Minister,” the UAE official, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), told Mr. Marcos.

Garafil said the UAE government has also reaffirmed its strong commitment to support the Marcos administration’s initiatives to protect the environment and boost the Philippine economy.

This, as the ambassador and other officials from the UAE expressed appreciation for the Philippines as it sees the Gulf state as a “country that has no enemies and a country that is a good friend to everyone,” Garafil said.

Garafil noted that the UAE delegation also relayed the invitation for Marcos to attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held in December this year at the Expo City in Dubai.

However, it was not mentioned if Mr. Marcos accepted the invitation.

THE REST

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CHINA NAVY TRAINING SHIP VISITS THE PHILIPPINES

MANILA -- A Chinese navy training vessel berthed in the Philippines on Wednesday for a rare port visit as the two countries contest reefs and waters in the South China Sea.

Dragon dances and a brass band greeted the 165-metre (542-foot) Qi Jiguang in Manila to mark its final stop on a Southeast Asian tour through Vietnam, Thailand and Brunei.

"It's a goodwill visit," Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian told reporters, without offering details.

Commissioned in 2017, the ship "conveys the concept of mutual trust concerning China's peaceful development", read a leaflet distributed by its crew to visitors.

Beijing claims most of the strategic South China Sea including waters close to Philippine shores, ignoring a 2016 international tribunal ruling that voided its claims.

Chinese coastguard or navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships carrying out supply missions to islands in the disputed sea that host Philippine garrisons, Manila says.

In February, Manila accused a Chinese ship of shining a military-grade laser at a Philippine coastguard boat escorting a supply vessel to the Spratly Islands.

The Qi Jiguang, which is larger than any Philippine warship or coastguard vessel, is the first Chinese navy ship to visit the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos won the presidency last year.

BI EASES RULES ON FOREIGN MINORS COMING TO PH ALONE; MAY PAY TRAVEL FEES ONLINE

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has announced that foreign minors traveling to the Philippines without their parents may now pay their fees online.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the application and payment for waiver of exclusion ground (WEG) for foreign minors could be accessed through the BI’s online payment portal.

“This project is part of our continuing efforts to institutionalize paperless transactions in the bureau, reduce red tape, and deliver more efficient and faster services to the public,” Tansingco said.

Under the Philippine Immigration Act, “children below 15 years of age who are unaccompanied by a parent or not coming to a parent in the Philippines, could not be allowed to enter the Philippines.

However, the minors may only be allowed entry, even if unaccompanied, if they have been issued a WEG by the BI and have paid a fee of P3,120 to the government.

According to a BI operations circular signed by Tansingco last May 25, applicants should file their WEG application within 72 hours from the minor’s scheduled arrival by logging into the BI’s online portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.

They should fill out the WEG application e-form and upload clear digital or scanned copies of the documentary requirements, such as affidavit of support and guarantee, the parent’s and minor’s passport information, travel consent, return ticket, and valid entry visa, if applicable.

PALACE: JUNE 28 A HOLIDAY FOR EID’L ADHA

June 28 will be a national holiday in line with the Islamic celebration of Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

Proclamation No. 258, dated 13 June 2023 and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, said Eid’l Adha is one of the greatest feasts of Islam being celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan.

“Following the 1444 Hijrah Islamic Lunar Calendar, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has recommended that 28 June 2023, Wednesday, be declared a national holiday, in observance of Eid’l Adha,” the proclamation added.

Republic Act No. 9849 declared the “Tenth day of Zhul Hijja, the Twelfth month of the Islamic Calendar, a national holiday for the observance of Eidul Adha (Eid’l Adha), with a movable date.”

FIRE LEAVES 283 FAMILIES HOMELESS

MANILA  — At least 283 families were left homeless when a fire broke out at a shantytown in Quezon City yesterday.

The blaze, which the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said started at around 2:01 a.m., destroyed around 100 houses along Pascual street in Barangay Bagbag, according to barangay officials.

The BFP’s National Capital Region field office said the blaze reached second alarm before it was controlled by firefighters at around 5:20 a.m.

Barangay Bagbag captain Richard Ambita said in a report that 283 households or 1,169 individuals were affected by the blaze.

There were no casualties during the fire, according to barangay officials.

In Mandaluyong, three people were injured and at least 180 families were displaced when a fire broke out at a slum community in Barangay Addition Hills yesterday.

The BFP identified those injured as Adelin Garcia, 30; Mark Carlos, 25, and Rogelio Perena, 67.

The fire along F. Martinez street started at around 11:20 a.m. and reached fourth alarm before it was put out at around 1:06 p.m.

The city fire department said some 160 families or 450 individuals lost their homes and sought shelter in an evacuation center.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, which destroyed P1.2 million worth of property.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

LIONS, KNIGHTS SLUG IT OUT IN DO-OR-DIE

MANILA  — Archrivals Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda and Wangs Basketball @27 Strikers-Letran dispute the last finals seat in the win-or-go-home Game 3 of their PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup semifinals series today at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

The Red Lions and the Knights split their first two matches in contrasting fashion, making their last duel at 3 p.m. an interesting one for another chapter in their storied rivalry. The winner gains a shot at reigning champion EcoOil-La Salle in the best-of-three finale starting next week.

La Salle swept University of Perpetual System Dalta in the other semis bracket last Thursday.

Letran drew first blood on a stirring fightback from 24 points down en route to a 93-87 win in overtime in the series kickoff, then San Beda quickly retaliated with a statement 74-51 win in Game 2 last Tuesday to force a rubber match.

Now, the battlelines are drawn as they gun for each other’s heads.

“It’s a test of character for us. We know we can bounce back as long as we play within our system. It will be an exciting game,” said coach Rensy Bajar as Letran eyes to prove its mettle as the three-time NCAA king.

But momentum is on San Beda, seeking to live up to expectations as the D-League’s top-ranked team in the elims.

“I’m sure, coach Rensy (Bajar) will adjust. It’ a do-or-die Game 3. They’ll be ready and we have to be ready for it. We have to show much more effort than Letran,” said coach Yuri Escueta.

SPORTS

DIWA NG PAKAKAIBIGAN NANGIBABAW SA 2023 ASEAN PARA GAMES SA CAMBODIA

CAMBODIA - Nagpakitang gilas ang mga atletang Pinoy sa 12th ASEAN Para Games sa Cambodia. Ikinagalak nilang makasama ang mga kapwa atleta at itinuring ding magandang karanasan ang kumpetisyon. 

Pare-pareho mang medalya ang inaasam, nangibabaw pa rin ang diwa ng pakakaibigan sa lahat ng mga atleta. Kahit sa gitna ng laro nakitang nagtutulungan ang mga manlalaro kahit magkalaban ang kanilang koponan. Nakuha ng wheelchair basketball 3 by 3 team ng Pilipinas ang silver medal. Bigo man sa gold, masaya pa rin ang team ng Pilipinas na nakapasok sa finals.

“’Yung Thailand kasi is defending gold, silver. (We tried) talaga na masungkit o makuha sa kanila ang gold ngayon pero kinapos lang kami ngayon sa 3x3,” sabi ni Philippine Wheelchair Basketball Player Kenneth Christopher Tapia.

Maganda rin ang ipinakitang suporta ng iba-ibang lahi sa koponan ng Pilipinas. Napa-awit pa ang isang Thai supporter ng OPM hit na ‘Pinoy Ako.’

Bigo man ang Team Pilipinas sa cerebral palsy football, masaya ang mga manlalaro sa kanilang naging karanasan sa torneo. 

Ayon naman sa mga tauhan ng Team Thailand, malaki ang potensyal ng mga manlalarong Pinoy. Inimbitahan na ang koponan sa isang tournament sa susunod na taon. Masaya si PH Paralympic Committee President Michael Barredo sa ipinapakitang galing ng mga Pinoy para athlete.

“So far we are on track. The last of the games last year sa Indonesia, we had a total of 28 gold medals. We are on track to at least match, if not better the performance in Indonesia last year,” ani Barredo.

Thailand ang susunod na host country sa 2026.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.94

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty an' wealth have both failed. - Kin Hubbard