Photo Credit: FOX Sports Philippines

Ducati Philippines recently announced that Ducati MotoGP rider and World Superbike Champion Carlos Checa will be in the Philippines for the Panigale V4 Experience set on November 21 to 23, 2018 at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga. Aside from Checa, he will be joined by European Women’s Supersport champion Rebecca Bianchi, Ducati WSBK Stock 1000 riders Federico Sandi and TJ Alberto. TJ is one of two sons of Toti Alberto, CEO of Ducati Philippines who are active in motorcycle racing. TJ is the only Filipino in the Stock 1000 category, which is part of the World SBK Championship. His other son, Troy became the first Filipino to land a podium finish in Moto3 recently in the Thailand Talent Cup at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram.

The 3-day event will start off with a Ducati Open Trackday which will be held on November 21stand will culminate with the Panigale V4 Experience event. The trackday is open to all owners of motorcycles with displacements of 400cc and above, regardless of brand.

For a minimal fee of P1,500, participants will be entitled to the use of the racetrack, an event shirt, refreshments including breakfast and lunch plus a meet and greet with the Ducati World class racers. Ducati Philippines will also officially unveil the 2019 Panigale V4 Motorcycles in the Philippines and the event will give Ducati enthusiasts an opportunity to share a riding experience with Ducati Champions around the Clark International Speedway.

Source: motioncars.inquirer.net

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SUBIC, Zambales — Chinese President Xi Jinping had come and gone, but fishermen in Zambales province said they had not heard if the government fought for their right to fish unhampered at Panatag Shoal and other parts of the West Philippine Sea.

Laureano Artagame, head of the municipal fishing vessel registry office here, said the fishermen had been waiting for concrete plans for their access to Panatag, internationally known as Scarborough Shoal and located 230 kilometers off the coast of Zambales.

No clear details

“There were no clear details about those agreements [made between President Duterte and Xi]. Do they benefit us fishermen? We are still not assured of anything,” Artagame told the Inquirer on Wednesday.

Located within the country’s 370-km exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Panatag has been guarded by Chinese Coast Guard vessels since 2012, after China grabbed the shoal from the Philippines.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, but the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, ruling in 2016 on a challenge brought by the Philippines, invalidated China’s sweeping claim and upheld the Philippines’ right to fish and explore for resources in the West Philippine Sea.

West Philippine Sea is the local name of waters within the country’s EEZ.

China ignored the arbitral ruling and the Duterte administration set it aside in exchange for aid, loans and investment from China. —Reports from Allan Macatuno and Joanna Aglibot

Source: globalnation.inquirer.net

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Commander Jonathan V. Zata, director of the Naval Public Affairs Office (PN / MANILA BULLETIN)

The Philippine Navy said that Wednesday’s capability test firing activity held off the waters of Lamao Point, Bataan, was not intended to coincide with the two-day visit to the country of Chinese President Xi Jingping.

This was clarified by Commander Jonathan V. Zata, director of the Naval Public Affairs Office on Wednesday.

“It’s not intentional. It’s not something that was planned, purposely for anyone, or any organization. It so happened that the planning cycle afforded this window and this is the only available window that was agreed upon,” Zata said.

“Hindi ito (This is not) purposely against one person or against an organization or even a particular entity. It so happened lang na yung (that the) planning cycle, even consideration… medyo nauna na to (This came first) even before…,” he added.

Zata, at the same time, said that President Rodrigo Duterte was supposed to attend the scenario-based capability demonstration and live firing of the newly-installed Spike Extended Range (ER) Missile System and Mini Typhoon Machine Gun System (MGS) on board the Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) MKIII but sent instead Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Zata said the Capability Demonstration is PN’s way of showing its readiness and preparedness as it acquires new capabilities as part of the ongoing military modernization program.

“The newly acquired Spike ER missile system, automated machine gun system and rocket equipped helicopter of your navy are intended to better serve the country and people,” Zata said.

The Philippine Navy successfully tested last August its first Spike-ER surface-to-surface missile on board the Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) MKIII during the Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan.

Zata said Navy officials together with teams from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. (RAFAEL) and the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee (TIAC) of the Department of National Defense (DND), oversaw the test firing activity that included the SAT for the Mini Typhoon Machine Gun System (MGS) and SAT for the Spike-Extended Range (ER) Missile Launching System (MLS).

He said it is necessary to test, inspect and accept the weapons and its systems in accordance with the contract for the final acceptance of the system.

Zata said Vice Admiral Empedrad, together with other senior Navy officers and DND Defense Acquisition Office representatives were on board an MPAC as they witnessed the historic missile live fire testing.

He said a Spike-ER missile was fired and accurately hit the designated target, approximately 6 kilometers away from the firing platform.

“The target was hit dead center even if the sea state condition was moderately rough with wave of at least 1 meter high but within the normal firing conditions of the missile,” Zata said.

The Philippine Navy MPAC Acquisition Project earlier entered into a contract with RAFAEL, through SIBAT of Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), for the supply and integration of the Weapons Systems to MPAC MKIII platforms.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

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Photo Credit: 1Bataan

PILAR, Bataan — More drug surrenderers are expected to receive help in leading new lives with the inauguration on Monday of the newly-constructed Bataan Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center at the foot of historic Mt. Samat here.

Dr. Elizabeth Serrano, chief of hospital, said the center was built through funds from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) amounting to more than PHP50 million.

Serrano said their operation began in an old building in Barangay Liyang here that was built in the 1970s by the Kabataang Barangay, then headed by Imee Marcos, now Ilocos Norte governor, as training center for the youth.

She said they started with a 50-bed capacity in October of 2008.

With the new center constructed on the same location, she said they now have a 220-bed capacity facility.

The new center, built on 1.7-hectare lot, will offer regular in-house program, outpatient treatment, after care treatment, and medical and dental services. There will also be an art room, prayer room and chapel for spiritual rehabilitation, Serrano said.

The center also has a room, where paintings and other forms of art of the “residents” or rehabilitees are displayed.

Serrano said at present, they have less than 90 “residents” and 300 outpatients. About 60 percent are Bataan residents and the rest from various parts of the country.

“Karamihan ng admissions are from the plea bargaining agreement. Galing sa jail na nag-plead ng guilty (Most of the admission were from the plea bargaining agreement. They came from jail and pleaded guilty),” Serrano said.

Residents undergo eight to 12 months of rehabilitation and the outpatients, four months.

Serrano said that thousands of residents have already graduated in their 10 years of operation. (PNA)

Source: pna.gov.ph

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CLARK International Airport aims to welcome 4.5 million annual passengers by 2022.

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it is expecting total passengers at the Clark International Airport (CIA) to reach 2.5 million next month as the holiday season kicks in.

In a statement on Monday, the DoTr said Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Jaime Alberto C. Melo reported the number of passengers in Clark is set to hit a record 2.5 million by the third week of December. In 2017, CIA recorded 1.5 million passengers.

“(Clark International Airport) is now one of the country’s busiest airports and this 2.5 million passenger mark is another record-breaking milestone for Clark,” he was quoted as saying.

The gateway in Pampanga currently handles 390 domestic and 184 intrnational flights every week. By next year, the Clark airport eyes 11 domestic and 24 international destinations.

“The increase in the number of passengers here at the Clark Airport means we help ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and in Metro Manila, and at the same time increase economic activities in the central and northern regions,” Mr. Melo added.

The Clark airport targets to register 4.5 million annual passengers by 2022. — Denise A. Valdez

Source: .bworldonline.com

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