The downpour Wednesday afternoon did not stop the Bureau of Customs from destroying over a hundred smuggled motorcycles and vehicles worth P37.41 million in Manila in a bid to prevent smugglers from getting the seized vehicles back through auctions.

By Betheena Unite

The Bureau of Customs destroyed over a hundred smuggled motorcycles and vehicles worth P37.41 million at the Customs headquarters in Manila.(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)

Using a backhoe, a total of 122 smuggled vehicles — 116 motorcycles and six vehicles — were crashed and bulldozed at the Customs grounds with President Duterte and several government officials witnessing the third destruction of seized vehicles in the country.

The vehicles destroyed include 112 units of brand new Vespa scooters, used BMW motorcycle, Harley Davidson, two units of Triumph motorcycle, Mitsubishi Pajero, two units of Land Rover, and Volvo car. These, according to the bureau were seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Subic, and Port of Iloilo. They arrived on separate dates.

Two more vehicles — used 2002 Ford Ecoline and 2005 Ford Ecoline E350 — were also destroyed at the Port of Cebu on the same day.

Supercars not included

Missing on the vehicles that were destroyed were the previously seized supercars including McLaren and Ferrari, which are currently under litigation at the Law Division.

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said 24 luxury vehicles that were intercepted at the MICP are under litigation.

“I have directed those in charge of the case to facilitate the litigation of the 24 luxury cars. If the final decision of the case is in favor of the government, the same will happen to them. They will be destroyed,” Lapena said.

Eighteen of the 24 cars including 13 brand new Land Cruisers, two units of Chevrolet Camaro, two units of brand new Range Rover, and McLaren have been forfeited. However, the importer filed an appeal to the Court of Tax Appeals.

The remaining cars, Lapena furthered, are still under legal proceedings.

Stop fixing schemes

The Bureau reiterated that the destruction of the vehicles aims to stop the fixing schemes of the smugglers conniving with some Customs employees in the usual public auction of seized cars.

It is also meant to send a stern warning to importers to pay the right tax for their vehicle importations “or have them crushed by a bulldozer.”

“The President’s order is clear, sending a very strong message to smugglers to stop what they have been doing. These smugglers have long been cheating the government. this has to stop,” Lapena said.

The Customs chief stressed that smugglers disguised as bidders during legitimate auction proceedings to get the seized vehicles back.

To date, the condemnation of vehicles on Wednesday was the third time under the Duterte administration.

On the first condemnation of smuggled vehicles, a total of 20 luxury vehicles seized at the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port, and Port of Subic were destroyed in February in Manila. Another 10 smuggled vehicles were also crushed in Cebu and Davao on the same day.

The cars destroyed included Corvette Stringay, Lexus, BMW, Pajero, a several of Mercedez Benz, and Audi, among others.

In a matter of minutes, the luxury cars valued at P61,626,000 were bulldozed and reduced to roughly P1, 600 per vehicle.

Another set of smuggled cars, 14 vehicles in total, worth P27 million were also destroyed in Sta. Ana, Cagayan in March.

Among the destroyed cars were Maserati Quattroporte, Porsche 911 GT3, BMW Alpina B12, BMW Z1, Opel Manta, Renault 5, and eight Mercedes Benz cars.

source: news.mb.com.ph

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Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction – Philippines (HHIC-Phil Inc.) has once again cemented its stronghold in the highly competitive global shipbuilding industry, with the completion of its second Subic-made 20,600 TEU class container vessel, the company said in its press release.

HHIC-Phil Inc. unveiled this unprecedented success in a Naming Ceremony program held at the Company’s 326-hectare Subic facility on May 25, 2018.

Considered among the biggest commercial ships in the world today this mammoth container vessel measures 400 meters in length overall, 59 meters in width and 33 meters in depth. Highlighting its game-changing role in the international shipping market, it could transport up to 20,600 units of a 40-foot shipping container, which, when lined up, would reach 12.5 kilometers long. Its deck is equivalent to four football fields.

Photo credit: hhic-phil.com

The newly-built vessel is the second of three 20,600 TEU class Ultra Large Container ships (ULCS) to be delivered by HHIC-Phil Inc. to French shipping magnate CMA CGM following the signing of the newbuilding contract in April 2015. The first of its kind was delivered early this year and the third vessel of the 20, 600 TEU series is set to deliver on September this year.

Indeed, the daunting task of building such a huge commercial ship brought out the best in HHIC-Phil Inc. in terms of technology and innovation. Under the technical supervision of classification society Bureau Veritas, HHIC-Phil Inc. successfully carried out the construction of the vessel underscoring the high quality of craftsmanship of Filipino workforce at par with international standards.

HHIC-Phil Inc. continues to be vigorous in its vision to help Filipinos attain a better Philippines. Since its maiden ship delivery in 2009, HHIC-Phil Inc. has exported a total of 117 ocean-going merchant ships of various types, ranging from containership, bulk carrier, suezmax and aframax tankers, very large crude oil carrier (VLCC), liquefied petroleum gas carrier (LPG) and floating dock worth more than USD7 Billion, catapulting the Philippines among the top five shipbuilding countries in the world.

source: en.portnews.ru

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LUCENA CITY, Quezon – The security personnel as front liners and the management staff of SM Lucena were charmed by Cheridel Alejandrino, the YouTube “Elevator Girl” sensation who gave her inspirational talk Tuesday to boost the moral of mall employees.

Cheridel is the singing elevator girl from SM Olongapo who gained popularity when her video was uploaded by a netizen over YouTube, with her singing and greeting all mall-goers with a sunny disposition and often singing while performing her duties as an elevator girl.

Photo credit: PEP.ph

She recounted to her audience her humble beginnings, starting as a day-off reliever at the mall, cleaning comfort rooms.

Her viral video jumpstarted her popularity, with her being drafted as Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) housemate in a TV reality show in 2014. After her PBB stint, she was offered by the mall the position of marketing officer, a position she now holds.

She also lent positive vibes to the audience of the Pasayahan sa Lucena Grand Parade on Monday, maintaining high energy level and untiringly granting fans who requested selfies with her. (Belinda M. Otordoz / PNA)

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As the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released the list of top 20 companies that engaged in labor-only contracting, the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution on Tuesday seeking congressional probe on the rampant contractualization of employment in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate (Bayan Muna Party list Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate led the filing of House Resolution 1916, saying that the general situation of the Filipino workers in the country is reflected on the workers of the SBMA.

“At least half of the total work force of the SBMA are contractuals and this has to be corrected immediately but instead of being regularized ,the SBMA workers are facing the threat of losing their jobs,” he said.

He said starting April 2018, the SBMA administration took initial steps on “streamlining its work force”, supposedly in compliance with the joint resolution passed by the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, and the Department of Budget and Management, (CSC-COA-DBM JR No.1 s.2017) which states that Contract of Service
workers are to be terminated by December 31, 2018.

“There is no security of tenure with worker’s rights vulnerable under the prevailing contractualization scheme, compounded by other government issuances and policies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) DO 174 and the CSC-COA-DBM Joint Circular No.1 s2017,” Zarate laments.

He noted that since 2011, the employment of SBMA workers are categorized as contract of services/job order/memorandum-of-agreement.

“What is worse though is that the SBMA is a government owned and/or controlled corporation (GOCC) and it should be the Duterte government that is supposedly spearheading the fight against ENDO and contractualization. In fact it is the government itself that is the biggest ENDO violator with more than 721,282 contractuals and its other derivatives, out of the 2,302,191 government employees since 2016 based on the Inventory of Government Human Resources,” the progressive solon said.

Under House Resolution 1916, the Makabayan lawmakers strongly urged the House Committee on bases Conversion and the House Committee on Labor and Employment to look into the SBMA’s violation of workers’ rights in the past 25 years.

“We hope that Congress can probe this matter immediately and not only would the workers be retained but they should be regularized as well,” Zarate said.

“The attacks on the rights of our labor force must be stopped, especially the rampant contractualization, which has even the bane of all workers in the Philippines for decades,” he said.

Joining Zarate in filing the resolution were ACT Teachers partylist Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, Gabriela Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.

source: Manila Bulletin

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Photo Credit: www.pinoyfitness.com

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 28) — The Philippines will host its first full Ironman triathlon in 2018, it was announced Wednesday.

Filipino triathletes can aim to become Ironman finishers in the country on June 3, 2018, in Subic Bay, Zambales as they try to conquer the most difficult single-day sport in the world, said, organizers.

“The Century Tuna Ironman Philippines will be the first full-distance Ironman race staged in the Philippines,” Ironman, a Wanda Sports Holding company, said in a statement.

An Ironman triathlon consists of a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-kilometer bike, followed by a full marathon or a 42-km run.

“The enthusiasm around Ironman races in the Philippines is tremendous, from both spectators and participants,” said Ironman Asia Pacific managing director Geoff Meyer.

The “special edition” Ironman in the Philippines comes 10 years after the country’s first Ironman-branded race — the Ironman 70.3, which is half the distance of the full Ironman — was held in August 2009 in Camarines Sur.

Video credit: ap.ironman.com

The 2018 race is expected to draw huge interest from Filipinos and international participants since winners in each age-group category will be given the chance to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii held each year in October.

“Thirty Kona slots up for grabs,” said Sunrise Events CEO Fred Uytengsu in an Instagram post. Sunrise Events is the organizer of Ironman-branded races in the Philippines.

The Ironman in the Philippines is the only other sanctioned Ironman event in the Southeast Asia region apart from Langkawi, Malaysia.

Ironman has its origins in Hawaii in 1978 and was started by U.S. Naval officer John Collins as a bet to determine which athletes were considered the fittest — swimmers, cyclists, or runners.

The appeal of triathlon has grown worldwide despite the mental and physical demands of this endurance sport.

Registration for Ironman Subic Bay opens on August 1, 2017. All athletes must be 18 or older on race day.

source: cnnphilippines.com

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