Niigata City Aquarium “Marine Pia Heart” - Baikal Seal

https://at.tumblr.com/theyshapedlikefriends/niigata-city-aquarium-marine-pia-heart-baikal/o3jxazgopmfa

Shaped

OH MY GOD SHAPED

"Literature can save a life. Just one life at a time."

Teju Cole on carrying and being carried. Translation, refugees, new words.

New York Books, July 5, 2019

A reproduction of a scene from an ancient Greek vase depicting the flight from Troy, with Aeneas carrying his father Anchises on his back, nineteenth century

The English word translation comes from the Middle English, which originates from the Anglo-French translater. That in turn descends from the Latin translatus: trans, across or over, and latus, which is the past participle of ferre, to carry, related to the English word “ferry.” The translator, then, is the ferry operator, carrying meaning from words on that shore to words on this shore.

Every work of translation carries a text into the literature of another language. Fortunate to have had my work translated into many languages, I am now present as an author in the literature of each of those languages. Dany Laferrière, in his 2008 novel I Am a Japanese Writer, expresses this slightly strange notion more beautifully than I can:

When, years later I myself became a writer and was asked, “Are you a Haitian writer, a Caribbean writer or a Francophone writer?” I would always answer that I took the nationality of my reader, which means that when a Japanese reader reads my books, I immediately became a Japanese writer.

Much is found in translation. There’s the extraordinary pleasure of having readers in languages I don’t know. But there’s also the way translation makes visible some new aspect of the original text, some influence I didn’t realize it had absorbed. When I think about the Italian translation of my work, I can feel the presence of Italo Calvino and Primo Levi, unnerved and delighted that I mysteriously now share their readership. When I’m translated into Turkish, it is Nâzım Hikmet’s political melancholy I think of. Maybe those who like his work will, reading me in Turkish, find something to like in mine as well? In German, perhaps even more than English, I sense the hovering presences of writers who shaped my sensibility—writers like Walter Benjamin, Thomas Mann, Hermann Broch, and W.G. Sebald, among many others. Thanks to translation, I become a German writer.

I trust my translators utterly. Their task is to take my work to a new cohort of my true readers, the same way translation makes me a true reader of Wisława Szymborska, even though I know no Polish, and of Svetlana Alexievich, even though I know no Russian.

Gioia Guerzoni, who has translated four of my books into Italian so far, has worked hard to bring my prose into a polished but idiomatic Italian. Recently, she was translating an essay of mine, “On the Blackness of the Panther,” which ranged on various matters, from race, the color black, and colonialism, to panthers, the history of zoos, and Rainer Maria Rilke. It wasn’t an easy text to translate. In particular, the word “blackness” in my title was a challenge. To translate that word, Gioia considered nerezza or negritudine, both of which suggest “negritude.” But neither quite evoked the layered effect that “blackness” had in my original title. She needed a word that was about race but also about the color black. The word she was looking for couldn’t be oscurità (“darkness”), which went too far in the optical direction, omitting racial connotations. So she invented a word: nerità. Thus, the title became: “La nerità della pantera.” It worked. The word was taken up in reviews, and even adopted by a dictionary. It was a word Italian needed, and it was a word the Italian language—the Italian of Dante and Morante and Ferrante—received through my translator.

Translation, after all, is literary analysis mixed with sympathy, a matter for the brain as well as the heart. My German translator, Christine Richter-Nilsson, and I discussed the epigraph to my novel Open City, the very first line in the book. It reads, in English, “Death is a perfection of the eye.” The literal translation, the one Google Translate might serve up, would be something like “Tod ist eine Perfektion des Auges.” But Christine sensed that this rendering would equate “death” with “perfection of the eye,” rather than understanding that death was being proposed as the route to a kind of visionary fullness. So she first thought of “Vollendung,” which describes a finished state of fullness; then she thought further, and landed on “Vervollkommnung.” Vervollkommnung is a noun that embeds the verb “kommen,” and with that verb, the idea that something is changing and coming into a state of perfection. That was the word she needed.

Christine also knew that what I was calling the eye in my epigraph was not a physical organ (“das Auge”), it was the faculty of vision itself. But I didn’t write “seeing,” so “des Sehens” would not quite have worked. In conversation with my German editor, she decided on something that evoked both the organ and its ability: der Blick. So, after careful consideration, her translation of “Death is a perfection of the eye” was “Der Tod ist eine Vervollkommnung des Blickes.” And that was just the first sentence.

A young woman from Bonn named Pia Klemp is currently facing a long-drawn-out legal battle in Italy. Klemp, a former marine biologist, is accused of rescuing people in the Mediterranean in 2017. If the case comes to trial, as seems likely, she and nine others in the humanitarian group she works with face enormous fines or even up to twenty years in prison for aiding illegal immigration. (Klemp’s plight is strikingly similar to that of another young German woman, Carola Rackete, who was arrested in Italy this week for captaining another rescue boat.) Klemp is unrepentant. She knows that the law is not the highest calling. As captain of a converted fishing boat named Iuventa, she had rescued endangered vessels carrying migrants that had been launched from Libya. The precious human lives were ferried over to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The question Klemp and her colleagues pose is this: Do we believe that the people on those endangered boats on the Mediterranean are human in precisely the same way we are human?

When I visited Sicily a couple of years ago and watched a boat of rescued people with bewildered faces come to shore, there was only one possible answer to that question. And yet we are surrounded by commentary that tempts us to answer it wrongly, or that makes us think our comfort and convenience are more important than human life.

Because Pia Klemp’s holy labor takes place on water, it reminds me of an earlier struggle. In 1943, the Danes received word that the Nazis planned to deport Danish Jews. And so, surreptitiously, at great personal risk, the fishermen of north Zealand began to ferry small groups of Danish Jews across to neutral Sweden. This went on, every day, for three weeks, until more than 7,000 people, the majority of Denmark’s Jewish population, had been taken to safety.

Currently in my own country, hundreds of people die on the border in the name of national security. Children are separated from their parents and thrown in cages. A few years ago, I visited No Más Muertes (No More Deaths), a humanitarian organization in Arizona that provides aid to travelers by leaving water, blankets, and canned food at strategic points in the Sonoran Desert. These are activities that the US government has declared illegal. The organization also conducts searches for missing migrants, and often locates the bodies of those who have died of hunger or thirst in the desert.

A young geographer named Scott Warren, working with No Más Muertes and other groups, has sought to help travelers cross safely. He provides water and, when possible, shelter. For this holy labor, Warren was arrested and charged last year with harboring migrants. Although the case against him recently ended in a mistrial, the US Attorney’s Office in Arizona is seeking a retrial. Warren is far from the only No Más Muertes volunteer to have been arrested as part of the government’s war on those who offer life-saving help to our fellow citizens.

Can we draw a link between the intricate and often modest work of writers and translators, and the bold and costly actions of people like Pia Klemp and Scott Warren? Is the work of literature connected to the risks some people undertake to save others? I believe so—because acts of language can themselves be acts of courage, just as both literature and activism alert us to the arbitrary and essentially conventional nature of borders. I think of Edwidge Danticat’s words in her book Create Dangerously:

Somewhere, if not now, then maybe years in the future, a future that we may have yet to dream of, someone may risk his or her life to read us. Somewhere, if not now, then maybe years in the future, we may also save someone’s life.

And I think of a friend of mine, a filmmaker and professor from Turkey who signed a letter in 2016 condemning the slaughter of Kurds by the Turkish state and calling for a cessation of violence. She was one of more than 1,100 signatories from universities and colleges in Turkey. In response, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government initiated investigations of every Turkish signatory, accusing them all of terrorism. Most, my friend included, now face long trials and prison sentences. Many have been fired from their jobs or hounded by pro-government students. Some have already been jailed.

My friend and the other academics were carrying their fellow citizens. With the stroke of a pen, they attempted to carry them across the desert of indifference, over the waters of persecution. For this, they face consequences similar to those faced by Pia Klemp and Scott Warren: public disrepute, impoverishment, prison time. My friend finds herself in great danger for her stand, and so now it is her turn to be ferried to greater safety, because she did the right thing, and we must, too.

My Dress-Up Darling ED Theme Singer Akari Akase Makes Her Stage Performance Debut

    Ahead of the release of her singer debut single "Koi no Yukue" (Where does love go?), the ED theme for the winter 2022 TV anime My Dress-Up Darling, Japanese cosplayer Akari Akase made her stage performance debut at the "Odaiba! Hyperdimension Music Festival - Happy Valentine's Day Festival 2022 from Yokohama -supported by Coke ON" event held at Pia Arena MM in Tokyo on February 12.

  Akase, who appeared as the opening act of the event, cosplayed as Marin Kitagawa, the main heroine of the anime, as in the song's music video. It was her first live performance in front of an audience, but she drew them into her adorable world with her "Fuwafuwa Dance", which was choreographed to the lyrics of the chorus, "Fuwafuwa Fuwafuwa."

  "Thank you very much for the Hyperdimension Music Festival!," she says. "It was the first time for me to sing in front of an audience, but I enjoyed it very much. I have some regrets, but I sang this song with all my heart to the people listening to it, so I'm glad if they could feel it. I'm going to use this regret as a springboard to do my best in the future!"

              Meanwhile, Sony Music Labels announced today that the music video for "Koi no Yukue" has already been viewed over three million times on YouTube. The video featuring Akase's various cosplay from the anime was posted on YouTube on January 9, then immediately reached the one million views only in 14 days.

  He major debut song "Koi no Yukue" has already been available digitally, and its CD single is set to be released on February 23, 2022.

      "Koi no Yukue" MV:

    "My Dress-Up Darling" ED movie:

    First press limited edition CD jacket:       Regular edition:       Anime edition:

  Artist photo:

    Source: Sony Music Labels press release

  © 2021 Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

© Shinichi Fukuda/SQUARE ENIX, Kisekoi Committee

  By: Mikikazu Komatsu

New Years Eve Parties Bangkok Loynava Dinner Cruise

New Years Eve Parties Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

New Years Eve Parties Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River in Thailand. Loy Nava Cruise New Year EVE 2021 Dinner Cruise, a luxurious rice barge adventure into Thai way of life and the Thai heart. Five celebrity dining, traditional culture and touring, on the most effective original vintage teak wood rice barge at the river in Bangkok. Experience countdown new year 2021 with exceptional Thai hospitality and delicious food from round Thailand inside the comfort and calmness of this luxurious, open-air cruise.

New Years Eve Parties Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Celebration New Year EVE Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise Tour Code: BKKNYE03 Destination: Bangkok Start City: Bangkok End City: Bangkok Tour Type: Joint Tour Cruise Capacity : 75 Persons Type of Dinner Menu :  Thai Set Dinner,Seafood,Vegetarian Check in time: 17.45 Pm.(1st round) 10.00 Pm.(2nd round) Cruising time: 18.00 Pm. – 20.00 Pm.(1st round) 10.15 Pm. – 02.30 Am.(2nd round) Cruise Pier Drop-Off: Sri Phraya Pier Date Trip : Thursday 31 December 2020 Years Eve Parties Bangkok Dinner Cruise Attractions ICONSIAM The Holy Rosary Church Santa Cruz Church Wat Kalayanamit Woramahawiharn Temple of Dawn Wat Arun Grand Palace The Emerald Buddha Temple Rama 8 Bridge River Hotel 5-Star Asiatique the riverfront New Years Eve Parties Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise Itinerary 1st Round Cruising  Time : 18.00 Pm. - 20.00 Pm. 17.45 Pm. Check in at Sri Phraya pier 18:00 Pm.Depart from Sri Phraya ’s Pier , this pier is main pier of Loy Nava Cruise, then cruising up to North at the Chao Phraya "The River of Kings" 18:15 Pm. Your dinner time with on your menu request ( Thai set menu, Seafood Seat Menu and Vegetarian Set Menu, Halal food available for Muslim), then Loy Nava Cruise will lead you for see to  Bangkok river tourist attractions of Chaophrayariver such as; ICONSIAM,Wat Kalaya Mitr,Temple of Down,Grand Palace, Rama 8 bridge. 20:00 Pm.Arrive at Sri Praya Pier 2nd Round Cruising  Time : 10.15 Pm. - 02.30 Am. 10.15 Pm. Check in at Sri Phraya pier 11:30 Pm.Depart from Sri Phraya ’s Pier , this pier is main pier of Loy Nava Cruise, then cruising up to North at the Chao Phraya "The River of Kings" 18:15 Pm. Your dinner time with on your menu request ( Thai set menu, Seafood Seat Menu and Vegetarian Set Menu, Halal food available for Muslim), then Loy Nava Cruise will lead you for see to  Bangkok river tourist attractions of Chaophrayariver such as; ICONSIAM,Wat Kalaya Mitr,Temple of Down,Grand Palace, Rama 8 bridge. 11.59 Pm. Time for celebrate new year countdown to Year 2021 onboard and enjoy to see Firework for celebrate New Year 2021 02:30 Pm.Arrive at Sri Praya Pier, Have a good day and Happy New Year Loy Nava Dinner Cruise Savour a splendid ten path Thai Traditional Dinner aboard the oldest and simplest actual luxurious teak wood rice barge working on the river and revel in the same superlative carrier and interest to element that we have offered royalty, heads of state, international celebrities and people from all over the international for the past 45 years. It is an enjoy of Thailand you will never forget, must to visit Loy Nava Cruise dinner cruise Bangkok.  THAI SET MENU HORS D'oeuvres, A Traditional Starter  Moo/Gai Sat-ay Barbecued Pork/Chicken Satay in a shot glass of Satay Peanut Sauce Gai Hor Bai Toey Sous-vide marinated chicken with a perfume of Panda nus in a Panda nus Basket & Thai Plum Sauce Miang Som Oh  Pommelo & with fresh young coconut served on a Betel Leaf Dtow Hoo Gap Jaem Prik Seared Tofu with a slow-braised Capsicum Jam Nok Grata Num Chim Yam Quail Egg Ceviche marinated in lime, sugar, fish sauce with cilantro & onion SOUP Tom Yum Goong or Soup Pak Mildly Hot and Spicy Shrimp Soup with young Coconut or Soup of seasonal Thai Vegetables ENTREES Gaeng Massaman Neu-ah Mild Southern Massaman Curry of Aged Australian Black Angus Beef Gaeng Kee-aow Wahn Gai Green Curry of green Thai aubergine with Coconut Cream & Chicken cooked sous-vide Salat Ped Num Makaam Warm salad of Roast Duck with a sweet Tamarind Sauce Tord Man Moo/Gai Deep Fried Crispy Pork/Chicken Cakes with a Palm Sugar Sauce Pat Pak Roo-Am Mitr Stir Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce Kao Horm Mali Steamed Jasmine White Rice & Royal Project Organic Brown Natural Rice DESSERT Khao Neeow Mamuang Sticky Rice Sushi of Mango with Coconut Cream & Sesame Seeds Khanom Chan Thai Flag Jelly of Pomegranate, Coconut Cream & Blue Pea Flower Roti Gap Gluay Kai, Num Manaow, Num Peung Lemon Curd Pancake with Thai Miniature Banana, Sauce of Lime & Tropical Forest Honey with Candied Citrus Salat Ponlamai Ruam Salad of Unique Thai Tropical Seasonal Fruits & Berries with Thai Basil & Mint Saparot Song Yang Pineapple Two Ways - Fresh Phuket Pineapple & Pineapple Sweets Rang Nok Kai Tua Luang Sweet Taro Bird's Nest, Yellow Bean Eggs & Rice Flour Bird Coffee or Tea *Note Chicken substitute available for any pork or beef dishes *Certified Halal products available THAI SEAFOOD SET MENU Plah Adt gap Mayonnaise Baeb Thai Composed Fish Stick in a shot of Thai style Mayonnaise Por Pia Pla Salmon Wild Scottish Salmon Spring Rolls with a Rice Vinegar Coriander Sauce Miang Som Oh le Goong Pomelo & Shrimp with fresh young coconut served on a Betel Leaf Pla Toonah gap Jaem Prik Seared AAA Tuna with a slow-braised Capsicum Jam Pla Dip Thai Manaow  Marinated sea fish in lime, sugar, fish sauce with cilantro & onion SOUP Tom Yum Goong  Mildly Hot and Spicy Shrimp Soup with young Coconut ENTREES Goong Gap Hoy Malaeng Poo Pow Grilled Prawns & N.Z. Mussels with a mild white wine curry sauce & a spicy sauce Pla Dori Manaow Mildly spiced & herb John Dory with a Lime & Chili Sauce Tord Man Goong Deep Fried Crispy Shrimp Cakes with a Palm sugar Sauce Salat Hoy Shell Num Som-King Warm salad of wild Hokkaido Deep-sea scallops with an Orange-Ginger Vinaigrette Pat Pak Roo-am Mitr Stir Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce Kao Horm Mali Steamed Jasmine White Rice & Royal Project Organic Brown Natural Rice *Certified Halal products available Daily Dinner Cruise Bangkok Loy Nava Dinner Cruise Bangkok Bangkok Dinner Cruise  Dress Code Free style

1st Round Price/Person Adult : 5500฿ Child : 2500฿

* Child rate 3-9 year only Tour Price included; Welcome Cocktail Ten course Thai Dinner 1 bottle of wine per two persons plus unlimited wine refill Glass of "Champagne" Sparkling Wine Tea/Coffee Party favors New Years Gift

2nd Round Price/Person Adult : 8500฿ Child : 3500฿

* Child rate 3-10 year only Tour Price included; Welcome Cocktail and canapés Ten course Thai Dinner 1 bottle of wine per two persons plus unlimited wine refill Midnight glass of genuine French Fine Champagne New Year Celebratory Cake Digestif nightcap and tea/coffee French Petits Fours trays Party favours New Years Gift Tour excludes Personal expense How to use this tour? After confirmed we will get TOUR VOUCHER & Pier Map to you by mail for guarantee booking Please present either a printed or show on your mobile to the tour guide TOUR VOUCHER is valid only on the tour date and time specified

Booking here >> Read the full article

Wage public hearing tackles employee productivity

#PHinfo: Wage public hearing tackles employee productivity

RTWPB-7 Sec. Grace Carreon (standing) enumerates the grounds cited by the Cebu Labor Coalition (CELAC) in filing the petition for a P341.75 across-the-board minimum wage adjustment in Central Visayas during the Wage Public Hearing on Sept. 17, 2019 at Bethel Guest House, Dumaguete City. Photo also shows (l-r) DTI-7 Director Asteria Caberte, DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton, NEDA-7 Director Efren Carreon, Management Representative to the Board Philip Tan, and Labor Representative to the Board Jose Tomongha. (PIA7-NegOr)

  DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The wage public hearing recently held here tackled issues on employee productivity apart from the positions of various groups on the proposed across-the-board increase in the minimum pay of private sector workers in Central Visayas.

Representatives of sub-sectors under the employment sector in Negros Oriental and Siqujor moved for the status quo implementation of minimum wage for employees in private companies in the region and raised productivity concerns before members of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWB-7) which conducted the activity on Sept. 17, 2019 at Bethel Guest House.

This is the first public hearing held by RTWPB-7 in relation to the petition of Cebu Labor Coalition (CELAC) and other labor groups in Cebu to adjust the minimum wage of private employees to P341.75.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Regional Governor for Central Visayas and former Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce (NOCCI) President Ed Du reiterated the chamber’s opposition to the proposal, pointing out that there is no guarantee of proportional increase in productivity when there is a wage increase.

To this, Du said there should be more discussions on enhancing employee productivity rather than annual wage hikes especially in Negros Oriental which is an agricultural province.

“The government should focus its efforts on inclusive growth rather than annual wage hikes. We have to create more jobs, conduct more skills training, and hopefully increase productivity especially in the agri-marine sector,” Du echoed the opinion of the business chamber.

Negros Oriental Tripartite Industrial Council (TIPC) Vice Chair for Management and Construction Industry Representative Absalita Teves also called for the full enforcement of the “Tulong-Trabaho Act” which institutionalizes a Philippine labor force competitiveness program and free access to technical-vocational education and training program for skilled workers.

Teves said TESDA should also further expand their reach in training and certifying more Filipino workers, in construction sector for instance, so that the move for wage increase is justified.

She said she understands the reason for the said proposal but added that she is in favor for the status quo implementation for now, citing that increasing the minimum wage should also boost the productivity and competitiveness of employees.

“Wala akong pinapanigan. Nasa gitna ako. Lahat itong mga problema na ito ma-sosolve natin ito. Iyong mga wage increase because kailangan natin na taasan ang sahod natin due to our needs and demand. Hindi problema iyong hinihingi kung ang trabahante natin is productive and competitive (I am taking no sides. I stand on neutral ground. I believe we can solve this problem on wage increase. I understand the need for it due to our needs and demands. This will not be a problem if it can guarantee to boost the productiveness and competitiveness of our workers),” Teves explained. 

RTWPB-7 Management Sector Representative Philip Tan said to solve this concern on productivity, employers should also invest in their people in the proper way through development interventions.

“Putting in place productivity is not simple as just giving out money for this and for that. You really have to invest on your people and doing it properly. Selecting the right people is not just selecting the right people. Right people is one that you can create culture of your company. With the right culture, kung ikaw as employer may simpatiya ka sa employee mo (as employer you have a heart for your employee) that will be reciprocated,” Tan said.

Tan also encouraged representatives of management sub-sector to avail DOLE’s workplace productivity programs and services to further address this concern.

On the other hand, representatives of the Siquijor Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Siquijor Hotels, Restaurants, and Travel Agencies Association said they are also in favor for status quo implementation for now, noting several reasons such as supply and cost of water and and cost of logistics in transporting goods which affect the income of businesses in the island.

Siquijor’s main economic driver is tourism which is only seasonal and with this, the income of most businesses are unstable and unreliable, therefore they cannot provide for additional increase in the minimum wage for their employees.

In addition, Du also enumerated several factors to reinforce their call for status quo implementation to the proposed wage adjustment.

Du said prices of basic commodities in the province has remained the same from November 2014 to March 2019 as per the Consumer Price Index obtained in the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Quickstat Website.

Moreover, inflation rate in the province is pegged at 3.1 percent.

Although it went up on certain months in 2018 due to the implementation of TRAIN Law, it eventually went back to normal, Du added.

Aside from this, no major increase in the pump prices of oil, gasoline, and diesel took place in the past three years.

Negros Oriental TIPC Management Sector and Private Education Sector Representative Lilanie Dumalaon also expressed concerns on the increased employers’ share on the Social Security System (SSS) monthly contributions and other social benefit packages contributions with the pending wage increased petition.

The members of the RTWPB-7 assured participants of the public hearing that the issues tackled during the activity are noted and will be  considered when they deliberate and decide on the minimum wage adjustment.

CELAC and other labor groups in Cebu filed the petition to increase the minimum wage for private employees on the basis of increasing prices of basic commodities which eroded the purchasing power of Philippine Peso, implementation of the TRAIN Law, and increase prices of petroleum and oil products.

The groups also quoted a study that debunks the claim of management sector representatives noting that wages and commensurate compensation equale better and productive workers and low wages equal to low productivity level for workers.

Meawnhile, TIPC-Negros Oriental Labor Sector Representative Felizardo Calimpong requested the Board to also review the classification of cities and municipalities when they deliberate for the wage increase.

“I don’t know what are the parameters or bases in giving this classification. As you know, Dumaguete City is quite different from other municipalities in Negros Oriental like La Libertad, Ayungon, Tayasan which are very small municipalities compared to Dumaguete City. Dumaguete can be compared to the municipalities of Compostela (and) Toledo but why is it we belong to Class C?” Calimpong asked.

Calimpong mentioned that Compostela and Toledo belonged to Class A and Class B city and municipality, respectively.

Dumaguete City is the capital city of Negros Oriental and has been identified as one of the best places to retire.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-7) Regional Director Salome Siaton welcomed this point and said this will be considered when they deliberate on the wage increase.

Other members of the board who were present were Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) Regional Director Asteria Caberte, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7) Regional Director Efren Carreon, Board Secretary Grace Carreon, and Labor Representative to the Board Jose Tomongha.

In an interview after the public hearing, Salome noted that the public hearing was well attended and participated by labor and management sector representatives in the provinces and lauded the peaceful exchange of inputs including the issue on productivity.

“It doesn’t mean that when we are looking into productivity, we disagree with the petition but in addition to what the wage board will be doing, it  would also be a plus in terms of productivity because we are after the two-tiered minimum wage. The first is minimum wage compliance, the second tier is productivity,” Salome told members of the media.

“We are looking at the statistics. Tininingnan natin in terms of secondary data available in our offices. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is producing the data plus the data of DTI, data of NEDA, and lahat ng regional economic indicators we are looking into plus the GDP, consumer price index, plus the position paper. These are all the factors that we are going to consider,” Salome added.

RTWPB-7 will continue to receive position papers from other sub-sectors which were not able to attend in the public hearing until Oct. 11, 2019.

These can be sent through e-mail at [email protected].

Aside from Dumaguete, the board will also conduct public hearings in Bogo City and Cebu City and in Bohol. (ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Wage public hearing tackles employee productivity ." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1027639 (accessed September 26, 2019 at 01:33PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Wage public hearing tackles employee productivity ." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1027639 (archived).

Playing Koi || Raeger & Pia

๑ @bxtch-peas ๑

There was nothing fun about a plain, white-walled classroom and when the students came in, she wanted them to feel comfortable and not like fish trapped in a net. With that as her primary goal for her first week, she decorated her classroom to look as if it was under water. Sure, she also taught Botany, but her heart belonged to Marine Biology more - no shame in playing favorites this time.

Once she was finished and her room was to her liking, she made her way over to the school’s pool. It was about time she saw where she’d be teaching the other half of her classes.

“Oh my! It’s even better than I expected!”

Pia walked the perimeter of the pool, her smile getting brighter with every couple of steps. It wasn’t until she was back by where she started that she noticed a brunet looking over at her. She approached the student, still smiling.

“Hey! You were in my Botany class~”

92 statements

so i was tagged by @aelins to do this (and wow i'm sorry it took ages lol but anyways) thank you! ✨

RULES: you must answer these 92 statements (all under the cut) and tag 20 people you'd like to get to know a bit better.

tagging everyone on @tsoasupport @theravensnet @mythologicalnet @thegrishaversenet and anyone who sees this and wants to do it! (it's fun!) ✨

THE LAST:

Drink: water

Phone call: a friend

Text message: 9:38 this morning

Song you listened to: friends by bloodpop

Time you cried: uhh friday, bc i watched master chef and this guy named adam went home

Dated someone twice: yup (not a great idea)

Kissed someone and regretted it: yes

Been cheated on: nah

Lost someone special: yes

Been depressed: i think so, yeah

Gotten drunk and thrown up: gotten drunk yes but no throwing up yet lol

List 3 Favourite Colours: navy blue, white, gray

IN THE LAST YEAR, HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: yup, we got new recruits for the publication team

16. Fallen out of love: yes

17. Laughed until you cried: yup

18. Found out someone was talking about you: uhm no???

19. Met someone who changed you: yes (damn u acee)

20: Found out who your friends are: always have

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: yup

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: all of them, i don't really accept people i don't know or isn't friends with

23. Do you have any pets: yup, a dog

24. Do you want to change your name: nope

25. What did you do for your last birthday: just treated friends out

26. What time did you wake up: today? 9am

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: watching friends

28. Name something you can’t wait for: to graduate, really

29. When was the last time you saw your mom: she's with me in our house rn

31.What are you listening to right now: bad liar by selena gomez

32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: no, it's not a common name here

33. Something that is getting on your nerves: the heat, like no shit i can't stay on a warm place it bothers me so much

34. Most visited website: twitter and tumblr

35.-37. i'm not sure why this was left blank

38. Hair colour: black

39. Long or short hair: long

40. Do you have a crush on someone: yes, and i know that she likes me back. altho we had a bit of a falling out recently sigh

41. What do you like about yourself: that i'm a strong, independent woman (lol pia)

42. Piercings: just on the ears

43. Blood type: B+

44. Nickname: kim, but only my childhood friends call me that (with a few exceptions)

45. Relationship status: single

46. Zodiac: cancer

47. Pronouns: she/her

48. Favourite TV show: i don't really watch that much tv but i liked friends and the big bang theory

49. Tattoos: none... yet

50. Right or left handed: right

51. Surgery: none

52. Piercing: only my ears

53. Sport: swimming, but i got this problem with my breathing now that stops me from doing anything really tiring so :(( i can't go back to swimming, i stopped 5 years ago

55. Vacation: italy or amsterdam!

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: right now no

58. Drinking: also no

59. I’m about to: eat tho hahaha

61. Waiting for: me to finish college so i can finally take what i want hopefully

62. Want: to just be happy

63. Get married: yes yes yes

64. Career: i'm studying naval architecture and marine engineering now but what i want is to be a doctor

WHICH IS BETTER:

65. Hugs or kisses: kisses!!!!

66. Lips or eyes: eyes

67. Shorter or taller: taller

68. Older or younger: older

70. Nice arms or nice stomach: arms

72. Hook up or relationship: relationship

73. Troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a stranger: nope

75. Drank hard liquor: yes, only twice

76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: no

77. Turned someone down: yes

78. Sex on the first date: no

79. Broken someone’s heart: yes

80. Had your heart broken: yes

81. Been arrested: no

82. Cried when someone died: no

83. Fallen for a friend: yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: most of the time no

85. Miracles: no????

86. Love at first sight: nope not love

87. Santa Claus: never have

88. Kiss on the first date: yeah, it's okay

89. Angels: yes

OTHER:

90. Current best friend’s name: trixie

91. Eye colour: dark, dark brown

92. Favourite movie: kill your darlings, meet the robinsons

[TRANS] Hanryu Pia (May 2017) - B.A.P

“B.A.P as 6. I’m happy to be able to be on stage with all the members”

With leader Bang Yongguk coming back after his break due to his illness, B.A.P are finally making a comeback as 6 in Japan with “WAKE ME UP”. Starting with music programs in Korea first, they are currently in the middle of a world tour, how will things be for the “complete B.A.P” who have awoken after a long time?

The keywords for the new song are self-awareness, revolution and enlightenment. 

B.A.P have finally woken up as a complete body. Accomplishing a complete revival, “WAKE ME UP” which is to be released on 4/25 is a B.A.P-like song. Last year, after ending their hiatus period of around one and a half years, they have since made a comeback with “SKYDIVE” and had leader Bang Yongguk going on a break due to his illness. This spring, they will be promoting as 6 long awaited by the fans, and the members too seem to have a feel for what they’re going to do.  YG: I’m happy about being able to promote together after a long time. Standing on stage is our true selves so being able to stand there as 6 makes me happy.  DH: The 6 of us are gathered now, so I think we’re able to stand on stage more confidently that we have before. With the fans too, we are able to stand with our heads tall to interact with them.  YJ: Personally, the promotions we did for this album including the music program performances were satisfying overall. The fans were happy too and welcomed us so we were glad as well. I think we’ll be able to show a matured side even in the Japanese version.  JU: It came to me again how B.A.P really is about being as 6, and that that form is the best.  DH: For the Japanese version, I’d like people to focus on the MV in particular! I think the dance scenes that weren’t included in the Korean version is the highlight.  HC: We did filmed just before the Korean comeback. We were pushed for time with preparations and although we didn’t have much time to practise the dance for the performances, we danced it many times whilst filming the Japanese MV so we were able to memorise it perfectly, which makes it one of the episodes about the filming for this single (laughs). 

With a smooth and sharp sound, “WAKE ME UP” provides an encouraging push with lyrics that contain the message to overcome doubts and worries whilst experiencing them. Bang Yongguk and Zelo participated in the lyrics for the Korean version.  YG: I incorporated many messages towards society. Usually, I already tend to write lyrics that appeal my doubts and thoughts about the society. The lyrics this time have that same nuance as well.  ZL: Self-awareness, revolution and enlightenment are the keywords. Whilst thinking about the lyrics which will be our base, I thought about how we are during performances as 6 and wrote the lyrics. I debuted at a young age so I wanted to show my growth from promoting as B.A.P to the fans, and on the contrary, to incorporate societal messages that I couldn’t experience, I referred to many things. 

Starting with producing for the album that Bang Yongguk spent his efforts on and a world tour that began in March revealing solo stages with self-composed songs, their talents as artists are high, and with their cool figures, the gap that comes through with their playful selves are what draws fans in.  DH: We wanted to show our individual charms as well for this tour so we prepared solo stages. The song that I sung was created with a composer friend of mine and I wrote it with him whilst discussing what a couple would feel if they were in this sort of a situation. I tend to receive a lot of inspiration from movies when I’m working. I like love stories, so I watch romance movies often and incorporate the feelings I felt into the lyrics and melodies.  ZL: In my case, rather than doing something to write a song, I’m the type to make memos of what I feel in everyday life and gain hints from reading over them. More than the written contents, I think it may be more about making memos to note down the memory of how I felt in that moment of writing.  HC: For the Seoul concert, we prepared water guns to play with the fans, but on the contrary we spotted fans who brought water guns. It’s fun to communicate like that, and I’m always ready to accept (your counterattacks)! (laughs)  JU: After having the corner where we chose a someone to come on stage, I was more conscious about communicating with fans. I’m a little worried if I escorted them properly though...... (shy). It’s become a fun memory.  YG: Not only with this tour, we want to continue challenging new things and give fans a fun time through our concerts. 

With a Korean comeback, a world tour, and furthermore, a Japanese comeback, the members are going through a busy spring. If you had a long break, what would you do? DH: I’ve planned about this for a long time, but I definitely want to go on a holiday with the 6 of us! ZL: A holiday where we can enjoy each and every moment will be nice......🎵 YJ: Riding the banana boat in Okinawa comes to mind doesn’t it (laughs)  HC: When we went to Okinawa together, we just played to our hearts content (laughs). For that, the expenses piled up too, so I’d like to go somewhere that we can still have fun whilst not spending too much money. 

Finally, we asked them about their goals for this year. DH: I want to go and meet more BABYz♡ ZL: I want to continue practising without stopping so that I can bring a good influence to the group as a B.A.P member! YG: We’re planning for a new album after the tour. We’ll show you good performances as B.A.P so please look anticipate it!

Tell us more! B.A.P

Q1. Relating to “WAKE ME UP”... What do you do first when you wake up? ZL: I brush my teeth, look at [myself in] the mirror and check my condition for that day. (DH: No, you eat) JU: I‘ll think “another 5 minutes......!”, and go back to sleep.  YG: I stop the alarm and check the time.  HC: I check my phone and see that no one hasn’t contacted me today either... and so I confirm as much and start my day. (ALL: Aren’t you lonely?!) DH: I sing everyday, so I check my throat’s condition and do vocal exercises. I’m an artist after all! (ALL: (grinning)) YJ: I’ll end the morning call from my manager. He’ll still call even if I tell him that “I’m awake” so I ignore it (laughs). 

Q2. Relating to the lyrics for the coupling song “I GUESS I NEED U” - “Until the morning... I want to hug you right now” - what type of females draws your heart in and makes you want to hug them subconsciously?! ZL: A female with a cute smile and is more charming as you know more about her...? I don’t know (shy). Someone who “I want to instinctively hug!”. JU: A female who can naturally show that she is true to her own feelings and is charming in her unadorned self.  YG: Considering both their personality and appearance, I think a feminine person is attractive.  HC: Since I’m a talkative person, someone cheerful who talks even more than me draws me in. I want to listen to what she has to say as well.  DH: A cute female who’s not too skinny and has a younger-sister-like familiarity.  YJ: A female who can be a good influence to me and someone who I think I can learn from by being together is attractive to me. I’m not picky about looks. 

Q3. Relating to the lyrics “paradise for just the two of us”... What place (paradise) and member do you want to go with? ZL: I want to go back to the times when Yongguk and I promoted as BANG&ZELO. It’s a precious time that whilst training, I learnt just how difficult it was to debut.  JU: With Zelo to Itaewon. I want to go and eat hamburgers! We weren’t able to go out freely before debut, so that was our only respite. It’s a precious memory so it seems like it’d be fun if we went now! YG: We’ve been to Okinawa in the past before as 6, but if there was a chance, I’d like to go to Mexico’s Cancun with all 6 members. Since Himchan recommended it saying it was fun.  HC: To Spain’s Ibiza where they say there are festivals 24 hours a day for all 365 days, I want to go with Jongup to have a refresher! DH: I’ll go to a marine corps camp with Himchan and be trained by a scary instructor. He has no choice to object! (laughs) (HC: I can train myself so don’t worry!)  YJ: The dorm is my paradise. If I were to go then I guess it’d be with Jongup who I live with (laughs). I want to order chicken and eat it. 

Q4. Like the coupling song “BE HAPPY”, what moments do you feel unconditionally happy in? ZL: When I see results in my practise!  JU: The time when I’m watching anime and manga till late at night and fully enjoying that world. Lately I’ve been into “CLAYMORE”.  YG: When I’m composing. I’m obsessed with Japanese whisky lately so maybe I’ll write a song with that as the theme (laughs).  HC: When I can roll around in bed.  DH: The free time after schedules are finished for the day 🎵 YJ: When I’m performing as B.A.P!

We asked them to write messages that will get BABYz excited!  WAKE BABY UP! from B.A.P  YJ: Everyone! It’s Youngjae. I miss you! I love you always! DH: Everyone! I love you♡  YG: FREE. LOVE. REAL. ILL  ZL: R LA VIEW  HC: Everyone, I’m by your side♡ JU: I’m coming to meet you now. I love you. 

Source: UPPERMOST_文钟业阿噗站 Translation: cassie_babyz

Please take out with full credits

Who is your most favorite of these"niche japanese plushie" below:

is there ANY way to obtain the "Niigata City Aquarium “Marine Pia Heart” - Baikal Seal" plush without being there in person i am begging you

I'm very sorry to tell about this I tried searching baikal seal plushies on several Japanese sites like Yahoo Auctions or Mercari and I cannot find any so you have to buy it in person in the said aquarium in Japan. ...or try to make one for yourself or commission stuffed animal maker to do it

Bohol allocates funds for peace, order programs

#PHinfo: Bohol allocates funds for peace, order programs

CORTES, Bohol, Feb. 12 (PIA) -- Simultaneous with the government stance using military solution in ending local communist armed conflict (ELCAC), Bohol allocated P728,040,610 in its annual investment plan and annual budget in programmed social, general services as well as economic investments for cleared areas to bring peace and development here.

During its latest online Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting, the council approved en masse the P.7-B representing the ready funds for programs and services that would promote peace and order.

SETTING UP FEEDBACK MECHANISMS. The Dagyawan Townhall meetings in Bohol's PPOC events would continue as funds are set aside to allow much more of these engagements to inform the national government of the impact of its projects. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

The list of programs and projects to be implemented from January to December of this year includes P130,520,000 appropriated for general services; ₱156,604,188 for the provincial government’s social services; and another P440,916,422 for services in the economic sector, said Provincial Budget Officer Peter Ross Retutal in his presentation.

Under the general services sector, the Office of the Governor is expected to implement P1-M in support of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards, with P23-M as counterpart funding assistance for activities and programs in support of peace and order.

Bohol also allocated P20-M as fund for assistance to indigents and individuals in crisis situations, a fund portfolio under the Office of the Governor.

For this year, Bohol put up a fund of P17-M in support of the multi-service initiatives during the HEART Caravan which aims to bring government services to rural barangays and spreading development equitably in all parts of the province.

Also to be implemented under the Office of the Governor are: P2-M in aid to the provincial and regional peace and order council; P4-M for Balik Bohol Medical Mission; P7-M for the conduct of Tingog sa Mga Bol-anon; P1-M for Bisita sa Kapitolyo; P6-M in support of Task Forces, Councils and Boards; P3-M in support of the government’s Civil Society Organization’s collaboration program; and P15,720,000 for Community Development Action for Rural Transformation (CD-Art).

Still under the Office of the Governor are the P10.4-M fund to support the operation and activities of the Center for Drug Education and Counselling and another P10-M in support of Capacity Development for Barangay Officials.

As to the economic sector, the Office of the Governor gets P10-M in support of the development of water sources and waterworks system in the province, as well as improve access of water for households; P25-M in support of various infra projects support programl; and P16-M for local roads development support program.

In total, the PPOC funds going to the Office of the Governor for implementation this year amounts to P167,620. 

Peace and order programs and projects to be implemented under the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (OPSWD) are Assistance to Indigents and Individuals in Crisis Situation (such as burial, medical/hospital/ health/ Philhealth assistance) with a funding of P80,174,000 which also responds to the provision of emergency subsidy, sustainable livelihood program (SLP) for informal sectors, distribution of food and non-food items, livelihood assistance grants, supplemental feeding program for day care children, and other key social services.

The OPSWD will also allocate P15-M in support of the multi-service initiatives during HEART Caravan/ outreach missions, and for the maintenance and operation of the residential facility that provides psychosocial rehabilitation services for abused women and children, empowering abused women and children of their rights, recovering emotional pain, and providing employment through self or sheltered employment for which the OPSWD gets P15,720,000. 

For the operation of Bohol Youth Home and the maintenance and operational cost, updated knowledge and skills of staff, OPSWD has P15,720,000 while it also keeps a portfolio for organizational strengthening, inventory of former rebels in the Kauban sa Reporma / Comprehensive Local Integration Program and Development for Former Rebels amounting to P2,856,000. 

All in all, OPSWD has a total of P129,470,00.

For peace through food and agriculture, Bohol’s Organic Agricultural Development in peace efforts gets P6,029, 600; its rice program gets P120,180,000; and another P92,479,000 for the province’s corn program, while Bohol’s high-value commercial crops program gets P5,541,278, implemented through the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) 

Other than those, OPA also implements Agri-Fishery Production Enhancement Development, Upland aquaculture production and other initiatives to help increase fishery production in the province with a fund allocation of P5,706,000. 

This yea,r too, OPA is set to put up the operation of the coconut oil processing facility to help coconut farmers earn more income and provide value-added processing of coconut production in the province with an allocation of P3,659,564; the establishment and operation of fish feed pellet line facility to support food requirements for fishery production at P3,659,654, the establishment of Agri-Fishery retail terminal at P53,884,000; the acquisition of machineries and establishment of facility for food dehydrator to support farmers increasing the shelf life of their farm produce at P18,701,600, for a total of P309,840,696.

Mobilizing communities to sustain the barangay-based support force for the livestock industry that provide assistance in disease prevention, monitoring and implementation of upgrading program, disease prevention and control, capacity development, monitoring and assessment, peace building through the Barangay Livestock Program gets P9,439,040 which is given to the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) as the project implementer.

OPV also has the Agricultural Rural Transformation thru Integrated Community Dairy Project with P14,160,000 which intends to support dairy development and processing initiatives to provide better livelihood and more income to those engaged in dairy production, while OPV's "LET'S HELP BOHOL" program gets P5,940, 000 and the Bohol native chicken development program has P3,540,000 for the OPV.

Also in the peace budget is the P4,375,360 fund for the Provincial Livestock and Poultry Farm, P17-M Livestock Disease Preparedness Program and P2-M for Meat Production and Enterprise Development for a Capitol cache of P56,814,040.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Health Office's procurement and distribution of drugs, vitamins, and food supplements for senior citizens and other sectors as part of the Health Development thrust of the Provincial Government gets P10-M and the Drug Testing program gets P2,840,000. 

Bohol Environment Management Office Coastal and Marine Resource Management Program also gets P13,785,500, Land and Mineral Resource Management Program gest P1.5-M and its Forest Resource Management Program gets P6,666,560 for a grand total of P21,952,060.

Bohol’s Legal Assistance for Effective Law Enforcement Program (LAELEP) would be implemented under the Provincial Legal Office and gets P900,000 while Bohol’s implementation of various projects and activities under the components of the Program for the youth such as AMOMA (psychological, psychiatric intervention and crisis hotline), DUWA (sports), ABIBA (awareness and support group), DAYAG (arts, culture and history); and BANSAY (skills training) including the implementation of sports development, Boholympics, and other youth development programs, has P21,578,500,00. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Bohol allocates funds for peace, order programs." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1067192 (accessed February 23, 2021 at 01:53PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Bohol allocates funds for peace, order programs." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1067192 (archived).

DA chief graces launching of P156-M worth of projects in Ilocos Sur

#PHinfo: DA chief graces launching of P156-M worth of projects in Ilocos Sur

ILOCOS SUR, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Agriculture Secretary William Dar led the turn-over and ceremonial groundbreaking of various projects in the second district of Ilocos Sur that will soon rise to benefit students, farmers as well as fisherfolk in the province. 

With a total project cost of Php156.8 million, Secretary Dar graced the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Provincial Trading Center and the AA Abattoir to be established in Brgy. Danuman West, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur; the Sea Urchin Breeding, Hatchery and Nursery at Brgy. Nalvo, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; and the rehabilitation of Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP) in Balballasioan, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur.

The Provincial Trading Center and the AA Abattoir projects amounting to Php 116 million aims to provide better market access of farmers’ produce in the province. 

With added facilities like cold storage and packing area, agri commodities can be properly sorted and packed to achieve value-adding and increase the market value of the farmers' produce brought in the said facility.

"Trading posts or centers are essential to have those agricultural commodities produced in the countryside be able to have a common facility where they can be brought to have better opportunity of linkage to big companies and other markets in Metro Manila," Dar explained. 

"We aim to establish a platform where we can eliminate middlemen and have traders with good heart access our farmers' products through the (trading) centers  at a fair price," he added.

On the Abattoir project, Sec. Dar said although the facility has been approved as AA Slaughterhouse category, this can be upgraded into AAA category so that it can attract investments from big processing companies that are importing meat for their raw materials.

Meanwhile, the Sea Urchin Breeding, Hatchery and Nursery that shall be established in Brgy. Nalvo, amounting to Php4.8 million is intended for the students of the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College in Narvacan Campus which aims to provide enough supply of seedstock for sea urchin growers through the adoption of economically viable seed production system in general and will also serve as a learning facility for students taking up fishery-related courses.

Sec. Dar, through the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), also spearheaded the turning over of various fishery projects to the municipalities of Narvacan, Sta. Maria, San Esteban, Santiago and Candon City benefiting 101 individual registered fisherfolk and 40 fishermen’s association who received sea urchin cages for commercialization purposes and the tuna conservation and management zone – payao project.

A total of 100 modules with five units cage per module was turned-over to the beneficiaries amounting to Php5 million which are intended to collect, develop and maintain good quality brood stock of sea urchin for breeding and nursery and to ensure ready and available source of seedstock.  

These fishery projects are all in support of Sta. Maria’s vision to be a center for sea urchin and other marine products in the North and the leading importer of sea urchin to Asian countries.

Dar also inspected the ongoing irrigation project worth Php 29.2 million. 

The project will increase farm productivity catering an additional service area of 250 hectares and will benefit 137 farmers in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur. (JCR/AMB/PIA Ilocos Sur with reports from RAFIS Ilocos Region)

  ***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DA chief graces launching of P156-M worth of projects in Ilocos Sur." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1058115 (accessed November 05, 2020 at 05:21PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DA chief graces launching of P156-M worth of projects in Ilocos Sur." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1058115 (archived).

ACB chief: Concerted efforts needed towards future-ready, green cities

#PHinfo: ACB chief: Concerted efforts needed towards future-ready, green cities

CALOOCAN CITY, Nov. 1 (PIA) -- In the global observance of the World Cities Day, the head of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) underlined the need for greater partnership among the private and public sectors, and communities in further developing future-ready and sustainable cities amid risks posed by climate change and the emergence of infectious diseases.

“The conservation of the remaining natural areas and biodiversity in the cities, and developing green spaces are of paramount priority. Mainstreaming and integrating biodiversity into urban planning must be done, and it will entail the collaboration of various sectors and stakeholders,” said ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim in her press statement on Saturday.

Designated by the United Nations in 2014, the celebration of World Cities Day seeks to promote global interest in urbanisation and engender international cooperation to address the challenges of urbanization, thereby contributing to sustainable urban development.

Lim said as urbanisation becomes inevitable, the development of cities must take into consideration present and future needs, and their long-term impacts on nature and biodiversity. 

“In the ASEAN and the rest of the world, the expansion and development of urban areas have brought economic development right at the fringes of forests or marine coastal areas, resulting in the alarming decline of vast natural resources and biological diversity,” she said. She cited the estimates of the 2018 ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy report that more than half of the region’s populations are concentrated in the cities, and this number will increase by more than 70 million by 2025.

Given these challenges, Lim commended some regional, national, and local actions in conserving and enriching biodiversity and ecosystems in urban areas.

She shared that the ASEAN region has been making headway in developing green and sustainable cities. Under the Bio-Bridge Initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the National Parks Board of Singapore (NParks) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Thailand are leading the development of an ASEAN Work Programme on green infrastructure, aimed at integrating green infrastructure and urban biodiversity and incorporating ecosystem-based adaptation solutions into the member states’ planning and development. The draft of this work programme is currently under review by the ASEAN Member States. 

The ACB head likewise acknowledged the continued actions to conserve the last lungs of some cities in the region.

She mentioned the declaration of the Arroceros Forest Park in Manila, Philippines, as a "permanent forest park," just early this year. The conservation of the 2.2-hectare park, which hosts more than 3,000 trees of 61 varieties and 8,000 ornamental plants and is home to 10 bird species, will help build resilience against siltation and flooding, apart from contributing to the physical and mental wellness of the city residents.

Meanwhile, the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC), a 23.85-hectare protected area in the heart of Quezon City, Philippines, continues to serve a haven for 73 bird species freely flying in the area and a place of recreation for tourists and locals.

In Thailand, on the other hand, green spaces in the megacity of Bangkok are being integrated into urban structures that can also be used for agricultural production.

“Without a doubt, urban biodiversity contributes by and large to the overall capacity of cities and communities to function well and become more resilient,” said Lim, stressing that urban development and biodiversity need not be at opposing ends. (PIA NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "ACB chief: Concerted efforts needed towards future-ready, green cities." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1057741 (accessed November 01, 2020 at 01:47PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "ACB chief: Concerted efforts needed towards future-ready, green cities." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1057741 (archived).

Philippine Navy adds 2 actors and a former army official as reservists

#PHinfo: Philippine Navy adds 2 actors and a former army official as reservists

Vice Adm. Empedrad confers the rank of Lieutenant Commander to Jose Sixto "Dingdong" G. Dantes III while actress Marian Rivera, wife of Dantes assists in the pinning of rank insignia. (Photo courtesy of PN)

QUEZON CITY, Jan. 28 (PIA)—Two actors and a former army official are now full-pledged navy reservists after Admiral Robert A Empedrad, Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy, conferred their respective ranks) during  the Philippine Navy’s Monday flag raising ceremony Monday, January 27 at their headquarters in Manila.

Vice Adm. Empedrad conferred the rank of captain to Capt Manuel Felino V. Ramos PN(RES), the rank of Lieutenant Commander to Lt. Cmdr. Jose Sixto “Dingdong” G. Dantes III PN(RES) and the rank of Petty Officer Third Class to PO3 Raphael Q. Nacino PN (RES).

Capt. Manuel Felino V. Ramos (RES) is a retired Philippine Army officer who was incorporated in the PN Reserve Force, last August 9, 2019. Capt. Ramos is the current Assistant Secretary for Installation and Self-Reliant Defense Posture (ASIS) in the Department of the National Defense.

On the other hand, the actor known for his screen name as Dingdong Dantes, has been enlisted as marine reservist since 2006 and commissioned in the reserve force in 2019. Lt. Cmdr. Dantes (RES) is the Chairman and Founder of Yes Pinoy Foundation. He also holds the position of Assistant Vice Chairman of Logistics Support Group of Front liners Brotherhood Incorporated (FBI) which is affiliated to PN Affiliated Reserve Units (PNARU) program and placed under the Marine Affiliated Reserve Combat Service Support Batallion (MARCSSBn).

Rocco Nacino was enlisted as Petty Officer Third Class in the reserve force after graduating in the Basic Citizen Military Training (BSMT) conducted last year. He is currently assigned at Naval Forces Reserve-National Capital Region under Naval Reserve Center. (Photo courtesy of PN)

Also, Rocco Nacino was enlisted as Petty Officer Third Class in the reserve force after graduating in the Basic Citizen Military Training (BSMT) conducted last year. He is currently assigned at Naval Forces Reserve-National Capital Region under Naval Reserve Center.

The family of Dantes, other PN senior leaders and Mrs. Marian Rivera Dantes, who assisted during the pinning of rank insignia to his husband, Dingdong were also present during the event.

Meanwhile, both Dantes and Nacino were also awarded with a Military Merit Medal for their notable achievement as they conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response during the eruption of Taal volcano.

In his speech, Lt Cmdr Dantes narrates his reason for joining the Navy reserve, “I am a soldier, a reservist, because I would like to volunteer, to help those who help keep my family and my loved one safe. To my mind being a reservist, being a soldier, is about enabling others to pursue their own dreams in a secure and safe environment.”

He added, “Nasa gobyerno ka man o pribadong sector, may katungkulan man o karaniwang namamasukan, sundalo man o isang actor, tangan natin ang ‘puso’ ng isang bayani. So whatever uniform we maybe in today, let’s not forget to put our strongest hearts and commit ourselves to be heroes in our own ways.”

Empedrad hailed the navy reservists and its vital role played in the accomplishment of the AFP’s mission saying the values of volunteerism, patriotism and willingness to serve the country beyond being private citizen is something to be proud of.

“Our reservists are our unsung heroes… they are always there to help our Philippine Navy,” Empedrad said.

The Philippine Navy reservists play an important role as force multipliers as they are engaged in medical and civic action program, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response aspect of the military. The Command is very grateful for having reservists whose qualities are highly needed, and professionals who put a premium on national interest and well-being of the Filipino people. (PN/PIA-NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Philippine Navy adds 2 actors and a former army official as reservists." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1033551 (accessed January 28, 2020 at 04:05PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Philippine Navy adds 2 actors and a former army official as reservists." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1033551 (archived).

DENR working to ensure fish kill won’t affect Manila Bay rehab-Cimatu

#PHinfo: DENR working to ensure fish kill won’t affect Manila Bay rehab-Cimatu

QUEZON CITY, Oct. 18 (PIA)--The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has assured that appropriate measures will be undertaken to make sure the recent fish kill in the Las Piñas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) will not affect the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in Manila Bay.

In a statement, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said the agency is “looking deeply” into the cause of the fish kill in the protected wetland area situated within the Manila Bay region.

“The DENR is now gathering more information on the extent and the cause of the fish kill in LPPWP,” the environment chief said.

Cimatu said the Environmental Management Bureau-National Capital Region (EMB-NCR) had already conducted tests in LPPWP for several key water quality indicators.

He said the results are being fast tracked “to enable us to determine what measures to undertake to mitigate adverse impacts over other marine life in the area.”

“We are also doing this because we want to make sure that the fish kill incident will not cause any delay to the ongoing Manila Bay rehabilitation efforts,” Cimatu added.

DENR-NCR Regional Executive Director Jacqueline Caancan said the water test results will be out “in the next few days.”

The results, she said, would complement studies being done by experts from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture and the city governments of Las Piñas and Paranaque.

“While agriculturists initially assessed that the state of some of the fishes indicate dynamite fishing, our parameter tests on the water quality in the area could pinpoint other factors that may have contributed to the fish kill,” Caancan said.

The DENR-EMB tested the LPPWP waters for dissolved oxygen, pH level, nitrates, phosphates, fecal coliform and cyanide. The results could show whether the fish died through toxic means, or through oxygen saturation that is determined by the level of dissolved oxygen in the water, which is essential to sustain aquatic life.

As of the morning of October 11, personnel from the DENR, the local governments of Las Piñas and Paranaque, and the so-called “bakawan warriors” assigned to LPPWP had already cleared the shore of dead fish, which was causing a heavy stench in the area.

They were able to gather more than 200 sacks and over 5,000 kilograms of different marine species, such as fish, shrimps and crabs.

“The cleanup was necessary to reduce hazards to both human and environmental health,” Caancan said. “We must remove the dead fish before the tide brings them back to the sea and further affect the water quality in the area.”

Pending the results of the water tests, Caancan advised the public against bathing in the area to avoid ingesting through the skin or by accidental swallowing of chemicals which may be present in the water.

Cyanide, one of the test parameters, could cause headache, rapid heart rate, dizziness and vomiting when ingested in small amounts. Exposure to larger amounts could result in loss of consciousness, lung injury, birth defects when exposed during pregnancy, and respiratory failure that could lead to death.

The public is also advised to heed announcements from health officials on the safety of consuming fish gathered from the fish kill.

Around noontime on October 9, residents near the LPPWP saw a portion of the waters surrounding the wetland turning “milky white” in color. Fish then gradually appeared along the shore, with some displaying an erratic “jumping” behavior.

The large fish kill appeared the next morning, with tons of various marine species crowded along a half-kilometer stretch of LPPWP’s Long Island, and about half-ton spread out over Freedom Island.

Personnel from the EMB-NCR, BFAR, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group and the Las Piñas and Paranaque agriculture and environment offices immediately conducted an on-site inspection, identifying at least 33 marine species, including tilapia, talakitok, sapsap, lapu-lapu, eel, malakapas, crabs and shrimp.

In 2013, the LPPWP, formerly known as the Las Piñas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area, was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention because of the critical role it plays in the survival of various migratory bird species.

LPPWP is one of only two protected areas in the highly urbanized Metro Manila, the other being the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City. (PIA-NCR/DENR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DENR working to ensure fish kill won’t affect Manila Bay rehab-Cimatu." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1028914 (accessed October 18, 2019 at 03:18PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DENR working to ensure fish kill won’t affect Manila Bay rehab-Cimatu." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1028914 (archived).