AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST WARSHIP DEPLOYED IN PHILIPPINE DRILLS

Australia's largest warship took part in joint drills with the Philippines and the United States in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, as they seek to strengthen defense ties in the face of China's growing military presence.

China deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise reefs in the contested waters, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

HMAS Canberra is one of several ships involved in Exercise Alon in the Philippines, which is being held for the first time as part of Australia's annual Indo-Pacific Endeavour activity. Alon is Tagalog for "wave".

More than 2,000 troops from Australia and the Philippines are taking part in the August 14-31 air, sea and land exercises. About 150 US Marines are also participating.

Monday's simulated air assault in the south of the Philippine island of Palawan happened around 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the Spratly Islands, where longstanding tensions between Manila and Beijing have flared.

"Like the Philippines, Australia wants a peaceful, stable and prosperous region which respects sovereignty and which is guided by rules-based order," Hae Kyong Yu, Australia's ambassador to Manila, said at Tarumpitao Point Airfield.

Such exercises were "critical" because "through these we are putting our words into action", she said.

The United States, Japan and Australia will also hold joint naval exercises off the Philippines this week.

PH 'EXPOSED' CHINA’S WEST PH SEA ACTIVITIES IN FIJI CONFERENCE: AFP

MANILA -- The Philippines "exposed" China's actions in the West Philippine Sea to some 20 defense leaders in the region during a recent international conference, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Monday.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. said it took place during the Chiefs of Defense Conference held in Nadi, Fiji from August 14 to 16.

The annual conference, which was co-hosted by Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Major General Jone Kalouniwai and Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino, brought together senior military leaders from over 20 countries to discuss challenges and opportunities in the region.

“Isa ako sa nag-attend. There were 24 countries plus NATO, so 25 kaming lahat na participants. Accordingly, it was the first time that China sent a representative. Pinadala nila ang kanilang deputy commander,” Brawner told reporters in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Preserving the Rules-Based Order to Enable Sovereignty in an Era of Strategic Competition.”

Sessions during the conference included lectures and discussions on efforts to uphold the international rules-based order and tools for developing resilient communities in responding to natural disasters, among others.

DFA CONFIRMS 2 FILIPINOS KILLED IN HAWAII WILDFIRE, VERIFYING 2 OTHERS

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that one more Filipino has been killed from the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, bringing the total number of Filipino fatalities to two.

The second reported fatality is Rodolfo Rocutan — a 76 year-old resident of Lahaina, according to DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega.

Rocutan renewed his passport at the Philippine consulate in Honolulu in 2022 and is “thus confirmed to have been a Filipino citizen at the time of death,” according to information provided by the Philippine Consulate in Hawaii.

Consul General Emilio Fernandez said that the Consulate is verifying reports of two more Filipino nationals who possibly died from the wildfires.

“Once again, the Philippine nation expresses its deepest sympathies to the families of all the victims of this tragedy,” Fernandez said.

The DFA last week confirmed the first Filipino fatality in the deadly blazes, which have left more than 100 dead and 1,000 missing in the four days it ravaged the island.

The destructive wildfires in Hawaii were caused by several conditions, including hot weather, strong winds, and a drought.

DFA has advised Filipinos who lost contact with their relatives in Maui, particularly in Lahaina, to contact the emergency hotline +18082539446 for additional information.

DEPED: KEEP SCHOOL WALLS BARE

No more alphabet charts. No more multiplication tables. No more pictures of national heroes or past and present presidents. Not even crucifixes.

Bare walls only for public classrooms was the directive of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“I know that President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) and all other former presidents and all heroes past and present will not at all be bothered if learners focus on their teachers, lessons, projects, and assignments,” Duterte-Carpio said in a statement.

“The order is what it is. Take out everything on the wall and let learners focus on their studies. Classrooms and schools should be clean, orderly, and functional,” added DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa in a TeleRadyo interview.

Under Department of Education Order No. 21, all schools shall ensure that school grounds, classrooms and all its walls, and other school facilities are clean and free from unnecessary artwork, decorations, tarpaulins, and posters at all times.

“The directive of the Vice President is bare walls for our classrooms to be clean, orderly, and functional,” Poa said in a television interview.

JEEPNEYS, TAXIS ASK FOR FARE HIKE AS OIL PRICES RISE

Jeepney operators in the Philippines plan to request a one-peso increase in minimum fares due to soaring fuel prices and rising inflation. They aim for a provisional increase of more than P1 for the first four kilometers, followed by a scaled increase for each additional kilometer. Traditional jeepneys currently charge a minimum fare of P9, while modern or e-jeepneys charge P11 minimum, although these briefly reached P12 and P14 minimum, respectively, until a government-mandated rollback in April. The president of the Pasang Masda group, Roberto Martin, expressed hope for commuters' understanding of the transport sector's challenges.

Taxi operators are also petitioning the government to raise the flag-down rate from P40 to P70 in response to escalating gasoline prices. The Philippine National Taxi Operators Association's president, Emmanuel Jesus Suntay, noted that their request has been pending since 2021, despite rising fuel costs. The last flag-down rate increase was granted in 2017 when gasoline prices were significantly lower, now standing at about P68 per liter.

Additionally, the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) will implement toll rate adjustments approved by the Toll Regulatory Board, ranging from P2 to P25. Meanwhile, gasoline prices have risen by as much as P1.10 per liter, with diesel and kerosene experiencing their seventh consecutive weekly increase due to fluctuations in the world oil market. Seaoil Philippines, Jetti Petroleum, Cleanfuel, and PetroGazz have all issued advisories on the latest oil price hike.

COMELEC OKS TRANSFER OF 10 MAKATI BARANGAYS TO TAGUIG CITY

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday approved the inclusion of 10 former Makati City barangays to its roster of villages in Taguig City for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls slated this October.

The resolution came after the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of 10 barangays within Fort Bonifacio—Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside, and Southside—to the jurisdiction of Taguig City, ending a decades-long dispute between the two cities over control of The Fort.

In its resolution, the poll body laid out a set of guidelines to its different departments on the transition process of the 10 barangays, including the reprinting of ballots.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told ANC that they have started printing 228,149 barangay and 67,716 Sangguniang Kabataan official ballots for the said villages, including additional voters who registered from December 2022 to January 2023.

Laudiangco also noted that residents of the said barangays do not have to do anything, as the Comelec would be "administratively transferring" their registration from Makati to Taguig City, including those who intend to run for posts in the coming polls.

"They all belong to the same barangays, so we expect that the [certificate of candidacy] filers will come from the same barangays, and they will not be coming from other barangays so there will be no complications," Laudiangco said, noting that barangay and SK candidates are set to file their candidacies beginning Aug. 28.

"But we really have to conduct a massive voter education [drive] to inform residents and voters of these 10 barangays that they will now be registered voters of Taguig City," he added.

Laudiangco also noted that the poll body was coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) to use the public schools in the said barangays as polling centers.

VILLAFUERTE FILES HOUSE BILLS TO CUT POWER, OIL PRICES

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Monday asked Congress to hasten the passage of three measures that mandate tax reductions to pull down the cost of power and petroleum products.

Villafuerte said passage of the measures will help the people cope with elevated inflation.

The lawmaker pushed this price-cut proposal as oil companies raised last week the pump prices of gasoline and diesel for the sixth time in six weeks amid rising global demand and continuous supply cuts by Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter.

In House Bill (HB) 8231, Villafuerte, sought the amendment of various sections of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997 by imposing a temporary suspension for three years of, or a 50 percent cut on, certain tax payments, to lower electricity rates and the retail prices of fuel products.

“This proposed measure seeks to reduce the excise tax on petroleum products and coal by 50 percent, suspend the imposition of applicable duties on their importation, and exempt the system loss charge in the sale of electricity from the value-added tax (VAT), for a period of 3 years,” Villafuerte said.

He filed HB 8241 “in a bid for the 19th Congress to mitigate the effects of the imposition of VAT and the increased excise taxes on petroleum products and coal that are too much of a burden on the consumers and businesses as we recover from the effects of Covid-19 and elevated inflation.”

ANGAT DAM WATER LEVEL SLIGHTLY DECLINES

MANILA — The water level in Angat Dam, a significant source of Metro Manila's water supply, has slightly decreased but remains above its minimum operating level. As of 6 a.m. on Monday, the dam's water level was 198.28 meters, down from 198.43 meters the previous day. The minimum operating level for the dam is 180 meters, with a normal high water level of 210 meters.

While the current decline is not a cause for immediate concern, experts hope for more rainfall in September and October to restore the dam to its normal-high level by next year. In July, the onset of El Niño was declared, increasing the likelihood of below-normal rainfall in the Philippines, with 26 provinces potentially facing drought by January 2024.

According to hydrometeorologist Edgar dela Cruz, the water level in Angat Dam is unlikely to improve without the passage of storms, with at least two storms needed to raise the dam's elevation. Other dams have also experienced slight declines in their water levels, although they remain higher than previous months due to recent storms Dodong, Egay, and Falcon.

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8 NEW BANGSAMORO TOWNS TO RISE IN COTABATO PROVINCE

The creation of eight new Bangsamoro municipalities in Cotabato province, Philippines, has raised expectations of increased commerce and trade in the area. The regional lawmaking body approved separate bills to establish these municipalities from 63 Bangsamoro barangays in the province. Cotabato province, which was previously under Administrative Region XII, saw these predominantly Moro barangays integrated into the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through a 2019 plebiscite.

The new municipalities, named Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan, are expected to receive immediate support from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) health ministry to develop medical facilities.

Local stakeholders, including traders and politicians, anticipate economic growth resulting from these new municipalities. Some of them are strategically located near the Liguasan Delta, which is believed to have significant untapped natural gas reserves, potentially the largest in Asia.

Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza expressed support for the creation of these new towns, emphasizing the positive impact on her province's investment climate and highlighting the planned construction of town halls and public markets in the newly established municipalities.

COMELEC WARNS VS PREMATURE CAMPAIGNING FOR BARANGAY, SK POLLS

The Commission on Elections on Tuesday warned aspiring candidates in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to refrain from premature campaigning or risk jail time and disqualification.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said August 28 is the start of the election period and the start of the gun ban, public works ban and social services ban "unless there is an exemption secured from Comelec."

Official filing of certificates of candidacy will be from August 28-September 2. Aspirants must be at least 18 years of age for barangay positions and at least 18 but strictly not more than 24 years old by the day of the election for SK posts.

Garcia said candidates should not engage in premature campaigning before the official campaign period from October 19-28.

"Ang premature campaigning may kulong na 1 hanggang anim na taon at disqualification. Bawal umikot. 'Yung pamimigay ng ayuda na wala namang ayudang dapat ipamigay at hindi naman regular na ginagawa ay pangangampanya na 'yan," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

Election day is on October 30, 2023, a Monday. Voting hours will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Votes with only the surnames of the candidates will be counted, Garcia said.

The Comelec and Philippine National Police are set to release a list of election hotspots in the country.

GLOBE SAYS BANK-RELATED SCAMS DOWN IN FIRST HALF OF 2023

MANILA -- Telecommunications giant Globe said there has been a significant drop in blocked bank-related scam and spam messages in its network in the first half of the year.

In a statement, Globe said they only blocked 4.85 million bank-related spam and scam messages from January to June, down from the 9.06 million during the same period last year.

In the second quarter of 2023 alone, there were only 779,254 blocked messages, a huge drop from the 5.1 million reported in the same period in 2022.

Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio noted that their company signed a memorandum with the Bankers Association of the Philippines, and signed partnerships with some of the country's largest banks to prevent cyber fraud in the country.

Globe said it blocked 2.72 billion scam and spam messages in 2022.

Globe said it has spent about $20 million to upgrade its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system. It earlier blocked person-to-person SMS with clickable URLs from all networks.

SMS-linked spam and scams proliferated in the Philippines last year, prompting the government to enact the SIM Registration Act.

PANGAMBA SA PATULOY NA PAGTAAS NG BIGAS, BILIHIN

Kasabay ng muling pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas, nanawagan si nanay Manilyn Galopo kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na pagtuunan ng pansin ang pagpapababa ng presyo ng bilihin dahil sa epekto nito sa mahihirap.

Ayon kay dating Agriculture Sec. Leonardo Montemayor, maaari pang tumaas ang presyo ng bigas sa mga susunod na linggo bago mag buwan ng Oktubre.

HABAGAT STILL AFFECTING SOUTHERN LUZON, VISAYAS, MINDANAO: PAGASA

MANILA - The southwest monsoon or habagat will continue to bring scattered rains to parts of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the state weather bureau said Monday.

In its 24-hour weather forecast, PAGASA said the habagat will continue to affect the western sections of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao may experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the habagat, while Metro Manila and the rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA warned of possible flooding and landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains.

No weather disturbance is expected within the Philippine area of responsibility, PAGASA added.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'DIRTY LINEN' STAR JANINE GUTIERREZ SUMALANG BILANG STAR PATROLLER

MAYNILA — Sumalang bilang Star Patroller si "Dirty Linen" star Janine Gutierrez sa "TV Patrol" nitong Lunes.

Ilan sa mga ibinalita ni Gutierrez ay ang kakatapos lang na fan meeting ng South Korean star na si Han Seung-woo at paparating na concert ni OPM icon Mike Hanopol.

Nag-ulat din siya hinggil sa tune up game ng Gilas Pilipinas para sa FIBA Basketball World Cup, pagkapanalo ng Spain sa FIFA Women's World Cup, at kakatapos lang na laban ni tennis player Alex Eala sa England.

Bida rin sa kanyang Star Patroller stint ang auditions ng "Tabing Ilog The Musical" remake.

Si Gutierrez ang bida sa hit teleserye na "Dirty Linen" na nasa huling linggo na.

Mapapanood ang "Dirty Linen" weekdays ng 9:30 p.m. sa Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and TFC.

SPORTS

TEAM USA ARRIVES IN MANILA FOR FIBA WORLD CUP

MANILA -- The United States men's basketball team arrived in Manila on Tuesday morning for their campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

The Americans are seeking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign in the 2019 edition, where they placed just seventh.

The powerhouse squad is in Group C along with Jordan, Greece, and New Zealand, and will open their campaign on August 26 against the Tall Blacks at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Currently ranked second in the world, the United States named a relatively inexperienced roster to the FIBA World Cup, with Josh Hart and Bobby Partis as their oldest members at just 28 years old.

Also included in their 12-man line up are: Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Austin Reaves, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr., Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Anthony Edwards.

They wrapped up their preparations for the World Cup by rallying past Germany in an exhibition, 99-91, with Edwards putting up 34 points.

Filipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra is part of Team USA's coaching staff, led by Steve Kerr.

Already in Manila are the national teams of Montenegro, Angola, Mexico, Egypt, the Dominican Republic, and Greece.

Still expected to arrive on Tuesday are Puerto Rico, Italy, Serbia, and New Zealand.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner. - Lao Tzu