SEA OF YELLOW A tourist enjoys the sea of yellow in a sunflower maze in Tayug town, Pangasinan province. RAY ZAMBRANO

Sunflower lovers are in for a big surprise when a sunflower farm in Tayug town, Pangasinan province, opens on Feb. 18.

Not only that the farm has moved to a better and wider location, it will have 10 beautifully designed sunflower mazes, according to its owner, Aaron Paul Peralta. Four of the mazes are box-shaped and two are elliptical.

The farm, called “Sunflower Camp,” also features a bloom field with colorful flowers and a patch of vegetables.

From its site last year at Purok 6 in Barangay C. Lichauco, it now occupies a 2-hectare area in the middle of rice fields at the village’s Purok 4, about 1.5 kilometers away.

It has parking areas that can accommodate 300 cars and buses. A two-story building, which will house the ticketing and other offices, is now being built.

This is the second year for Peralta to create sunflower mazes. The country’s first sunflower maze was built also in Tayug in 2017 by Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC), a seed company.

Last year, after learning that ABC had abandoned the project, Peralta rented a farm and built three sunflower mazes.

“This has become my passion, to plant and work in a farm. Besides, Tayug became known because of the sunflower maze so I decided to make this attraction permanent,” Peralta said.

This year, Sunflower Camp will have villas and a resort for tourists, he said.

“We are now studying what to plant during the rainy season that will attract tourists,” he said, adding that grape- and guava-picking activities would also be offered in an adjacent 2-ha farm.

New Zambales attraction

In San Antonio, Zambales province, travelers have something new to enjoy aside from the town’s beaches and coves.

A sunflower farm called “Blooms and Venoms” has started drawing local and foreign tourists to the 1-ha lot at Sitio Loong in Barangay Luna.

The farm is owned by Edison Maglaya and conceptualized by his brother Brian. It was officially opened to the public last month.

FLOWER FARM A sunflower farm is the newest attraction in San Antonio, Zambales province, which is known for its beaches and coves.

“On the first wave, between Jan. 5 and Jan. 27, we had welcomed 1,000 visitors” Brian told the Inquirer.

He said tourists would enjoy a scenery of 1,500 “towering and buoyant” sunflowers.

“It is the new best spot to simply stop by. Visitors will be amused by the beauty of sunflower fields. For P50 you can enjoy taking pictures,” said resident Jeanna Chelcea Javier, 25.

For now, the sunflower farm has to close in preparation for the second wave by the second week of February.

GETTING THERE

To reach Tayug from Metro Manila, motorists can take the Carmen exit of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) and drive through Rosales town in Pangasinan to reach Sta. Maria town.

In Sta. Maria, motorists should turn right to the Sta. Maria-San Quintin Road for a 20-minute drive to Barangay C. Lichauco in Tayug, where the Sunflower Camp is located.

To get to San Antonio, take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) then Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) to Iba, Zambales. Drive all the way to San Antonio.

For commuters, take a Victory Liner bus bound for Sta. Cruz or Iba, Zambales, from Pasay, Cubao or Caloocan terminal. Get off at a waiting shed near a slaughterhouse in Barangay Luna in San Antonio.

The trip will take 4 to 5 hours.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

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MANILA, Philippines – In President Rodrigo Duterte’s second year, the government ramped up efforts to conserve Philippine tourist hotspots.

It all started when the interior, tourism, and environment departments suggested that Boracay is closed due to its grave environmental problems.

In February, Duterte ordered the closure of the world-famous Boracay, which he called a “cesspool.” Starting April 26, the island was closed to tourists for 6 months.

The government has said that it doesn’t want another case of Boracay to happen. In the past months, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been issuing notices of violation to errant establishments left and right.

In less than 3 months, nearly 900 businesses and households in 5 tourist destinations were issued a violation and eviction notices, for encroaching on easement zones and lack of sewerage treatment facilities, among others.

Here are the top tourist hotspots that the government is monitoring, aside from Boracay:

Palawan

Photo Credit: Henann resort
Palawan is one of the country’s top tourist draws. But the booming industry has also taken a toll on the environment, particularly in Puerto Princesa City, El Nido, and Coron. (IN PHOTOS: Which of these 5 Palawan destinations will you visit next?)

In February, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said that the increasing number of people contributes to the concentration of carbon gas at the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Experts said the level of carbon gas remains within the allowable limit, but a study on the area’s carrying capacity is being conducted.

In March, the DENR ordered 32 establishments in El Nido caught violating the easement rule to self-demolish illegally built structures. Business owners asked for an extension until the end of the peak season, but this was rejected by the DENR.

The Philippines’ Water Code prohibits occupation of riverbanks, seashores, and lakes within a zone of 3 meters in urban areas and 40 meters in forest areas. Those found in this no-build zone were ordered to self-demolish within 30 days of receiving a notice.

The environment department also issued eviction notices to 364 occupants of forestland-classified areas, including 84 establishments and 262 households along the shoreline of Barangay Corong-Corong.

Reversion cases will also be filed before the courts to cancel land titles issued by local government units (LGUs) to nearly 40 businesses occupying forestland in El Nido. (READ: El Nido, Palawan: Tips for the budget traveler)

Meanwhile in Coron, 75 establishments received eviction notices in April and were asked to self-demolish structures built on waters and within the easement zone.

Coron faces a water problem as well, mainly attributed to the town’s lack of a centralized wastewater treatment facility.

Panglao Island, Bohol

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Bohol‘s crown jewel, Panglao Island, is also facing environmental problems.

Earlier in February, the DENR mobilized an investigating team to check on the environmental compliance of resorts and other commercial establishments in the island. (READ: 6 underrated, stunning Visayas destinations)

It found out in April that fecal coliform in Panglao’s waters has breached the accepted concentration of 100 most probable number (MPN) per 100 millimeters. It had reached 150 to 200 MPN.

Panglao resorts were also given 6 months to self-demolish illegal structures, or else charges would be filed against them.

Of the 379 establishments in the area, only 10 have sewerage treatment facilities. More than 300 hotels and resorts were found to be violating the Clean Water Act.

Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte

Photo Credit: MindaNews

Siargao Island has grown popular as a surfing haven. (LOOK: 14 stunning photos of Siargao, a surfer’s paradise)

In 1996, former president Fidel Ramos declared Siargao Island and its terrestrial, wetland, and marine areas as protected areas under the category of protected landscape and seascape.

It is home to endemic flora and fauna, with the Mindanao tarictic, rufous hornbill, and the Philippine magpie-robin living in the island.

But it turns out that a third of Siargao businesses – 49 establishments out of 148 – are violating either the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or the Environmental Impact Statement System.

In March, these establishments were issued notices of violation. The DENR also found that some of the businesses, mostly hotels and restaurants, failed to secure environmental compliance certificates.

Proper sewerage treatment facilities are also nonexistent, affecting the water quality of the island. Coastal encroachment is a problem, too.

Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

Photo Credit: Scandi Divers

Known for its world-class diving spots in Sabang and white sand beach, Puerto Galera gets more than 300,000 visitors annually.

Back in April, 14 establishments were served eviction notices and were asked to voluntarily remove structures built on easement zones in Sabang and White Beach.

The DENR also found high levels of fecal coliform in Puerto Galera.

In 2014, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) almost stripped Puerto Galera of the Man and Biosphere Reserve distinction for not being a model of sustainable development.

In 2017, the title remained for Puerto Galera, after the local government submitted a management plan.

The DENR’s radar

In an interview with Rappler, Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said stricter measures are being enforced to prevent a repeat of the situation in Boracay.

He added that Boracay’s shutdown made other areas realize that they could also end up closed unless they shape up. The DENR plans to evaluate all tourism destinations, including beaches in La Union, Aurora, and Zambales, as well as Baguio and Tagaytay, two cities often packed with tourists.

“With the closure of Boracay, our local governments saw the need to address pollution that is happening in their areas. Otherwise, if they will not address the existing problems, there is a possibility that they might also be closed down,” Leones said.

But Leones noted that LGUs – which are key to ensuring compliance with environmental laws – still have limited interventions.

“It’s critical. Without the local government units, rehabilitation will not be effective,” he pointed out.

Their move to evaluate tourism spots, according to Leones, would require a bigger budget for the DENR in 2019.

“We see that this is a priority by the President. This is the priority of the Secretary. So we will be asking for a higher budget allocation to make sure that potential tourist destinations will also be monitored,” he said.

More than the costs, Leones said sustainability of a tourism destination is of paramount importance.

“Environmental compliance is costly. But for a business to be sustainable, one should be compliant as well. If you damage the environment, tourists will no longer come,” he said. “Our concern is really environmental compliance, protection, [and] preservation.”

Source: rappler.com

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MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law an act that will lift import restrictions on rice, a measure the government hopes will make the food staple more affordable for Filipinos.

Duterte signed the document on Friday, February 15 – the day it was to lapse into law, unless the President decided to veto it. This was confirmed by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Friday.

However, a copy of the measure is yet to be released to media as of press time.

The law seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 and replace the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice imports.

Instead of limiting how much rice will enter the country, rice imports will just be slapped with a tariff.

Rice from Southeast Asian countries will pay a 35% tariff or the import duty rate commitment of the Philippines for rice importation, pursuant to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.

For non-ASEAN member states, the tariff is at 50% or the tariff equivalent calculated in accordance with the World Trade Organization agreement on agriculture upon the expiration of the waiver relating to the special treatment for rice of the Philippines, whichever is higher.

This deregulation of rice will mean imported rice flooding the country, to the disadvantage of Filipino rice farmers and local rice industry as a whole which can’t compete with the prices of rice from countries like Thailand and Vietnam. (READ: Butterfly affect: How rice tariffication bill affects everyone)

However, this increased supply of rice is expected to benefit rice consumers who will have access to more affordable rice.

The Senate version of the bill included provisions for a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to protect the Philippine rice industry from sudden or extreme price fluctuations. The Senate set it at a minimum of P10 billion annually for 6 years.

The fund seeks to provide various forms of assistance to rice farmers, such as development of inbred rice seeds, rice farm equipment, and skills enhancement. Under the measure, the fund would be allocated and disbursed to rice-producing areas.

The rice tariffication law has been pushed by Duterte’s economic managers as one way to address inflation. Senator Cynthia Villar, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said it would also take out “unnecessary intervention” by the government in rice importation.

Villar was referring to the National Food Authority (NFA), the government agency that had been in charge of importing rice to ensure a buffer stock for the country in times of emergency.

The NFA, however, has been recently accused of mismanagement and corruption. In September 2018, Duterte announced he would replace its embattled administrator Jason Aquino. Duterte is yet to appoint his replacement, though he had initially offered the post to former army chief and now Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista.

Source: rappler.com

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MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred its personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as well as other international ports in the country from using mobile phones while on duty.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said Friday the move seeks to ensure that immigration officers render full and uninterrupted service to the traveling public during their duty.

He also warned that using such is in violation of a standing directive prohibiting the said practice.

“I have thus instructed our Port Operations Division Chief, Grifton Medina, to see to it that the ban on mobile phones is implemented to the letter not only at the NAIA but in the other international airports as well,” the BI chief said in a statement.

Morente issued the warning after his office received reports that some immigration officers on duty at the NAIA were caught on camera while using their mobile phones.

For his part, Medina has directed BI head supervisors of NAIA’s three terminals and the other airports to follow the BI chief’s order or be also held responsible for the actions of their subordinates.

“Using mobile phones is disallowed as aside from being counterproductive and may promote corruption, it is also an eyesore to passengers who expect us to give them fast and efficient service,” he said.

Meanwhile, Medina announced that they will soon launch an integrity management program (IMP) for immigration personnel as part of the agency’s anti-corruption campaign.

He added that an integrated management committee, composed of selected BI officials, will soon be formed to formulate and implement anti-corruption measures in all of the bureau’s offices, including the different ports and sub-ports nationwide.

Medina, who also chairs the BI’s composite committee on good governance, explained that the IMP will be initiated to support the anti-corruption advocacy of the Duterte administration.

Launched in 2014 under Executive Order 176, the IMP was established as a national corruption prevention program which aims to reduce levels of corruption in government agencies and improve public trust and confidence in the government.

Source: ptvnews.ph

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In the waters of Subic Bay, industrial vessels lumber alongside smaller boats taking tourists on diving and fishing trips. On one side of the bay is a massive shipyard operated by Hanjin Philippines, while on the other is a sandy beach lined with hotels.

The bay, on the western coast of Luzon – the Philippines’ largest and most populous island – has long held strategic military and commercial importance. Now, it is becoming a flashpoint in Manila’s ongoing conflict with Beijing over control of the South China Sea.

Last month, Hanjin the Philippines – a local subsidiary of South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction and a major employer in the area – announced it was pulling out of Subic Bay after declaring bankruptcy over a reported US$412 million in unpaid loans.

Within days, at least two major Chinese shipbuilders were eyeing the large plot of land currently occupied by Hanjin, which is located on part of what was the United States’ largest overseas military base before its closure in 1992.

This prompted an outcry, fuelled by the latent mistrust of China that has been felt by people in the Philippines for years. According to local polling body Social Weather Stations, net trust in China among Filipinos has been positive in only nine of the 47 surveys it has conducted on the topic between August 1994 and November.

Not only is there suspicion over the “Belt and Road Initiative”, which Beijing says will grow global trade through infrastructure investment and critics deride as debt-trap diplomacy, but there is also the problem of the South China Sea.

About 270km west of Subic Bay is Scarborough Shoal – a territory that was administered by Manila until 2012, when a stand-off over Chinese fishermen operating in the area prompted Beijing to dispatch an armada of coastguard vessels, the likes of which have enforced China’s jurisdiction over the shoal ever since.

An arbitral tribunal at The Hague subsequently ruled that the waters surrounding the shoal were a common fishing ground and censured Chinese-imposed restrictions on Filipino fishermen operating in the area.

Relations between the two countries have warmed since then, especially after President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 and announced his intention to broker a new alliance with the world’s second-largest economy, as part of his pursuit of an independent foreign policy.

This new-found friendliness, however, has stoked fears that by buying up the shipyard at Subic Bay, Chinese companies could potentially hand Beijing a military base by the back door.

On January 12, former Philippine navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama warned of as much in a Facebook post.

“Although it is a commercial shipyard, nothing can prevent the owners from making it into a de facto naval base and a maritime facility for other security purposes,” he said, adding that a Chinese takeover would be “a very significant national issue”.

Four days later, Philippine Senator Grace Poe introduced a resolution in the country’s Congress calling on the government to conduct an inquiry into the possibility of Chinese firms controlling the shipyard.

The resolution described Subic Bay as “a natural deepwater harbour that is protected from typhoons, and its sheltered port and strategic location make it one of the most important maritime facilities in the Philippines”. Any inquiry should determine “the adequacy of existing legal frameworks” regarding foreign corporations’ control of “strategic industries that could be vital to national security development and the economy”, it said.

According to Zha Daojiong, a professor at Peking University’s School of International Studies in Beijing, jitters over a Chinese presence in the bay are overblown as even if such firms do take over operations, the land will still belong to the Philippines by law. “So long as the property remains part of the existent market in the port city, it is hard to justify claims that smack of China going after the Philippines,” he said.

But for Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Fountain, this explanation is unlikely to pass muster with the Philippine public.

“Most Filipinos won’t see any distinction between this being a private or public sector matter. They would think that, if a Chinese company is occupying this place, that means the Chinese government has control of it and can do what they want there,” he said.

“Duterte will have to balance the position and historical legacy of Subic along with the sensitivity of relations with the US. If, perhaps, a Chinese consortium with deep pockets can take over and initiate some kind of mixed ownership, that could be a way forward. Duterte will have to be skilful in mitigating any possible backlash.”

The Philippines’ history of high-level corruption also has a part to play in public perceptions, said Donald Kirk, a veteran correspondent and author of Looted – The Philippines After the Bases about the country in the years since the US military’s withdrawal.

“There is a sense among people in the Philippines that the looting of the state is carried out not just by the country’s own wealthy class, but by the foreigners whom the postcolonial rulers have to call on in times of crisis,” he said.

Manila is keen to find a new owner for the 300-hectare Hanjin shipyard, which employed as many as 30,000 people at its peak, but was down to just 3,800 workers in December after more than 7,000 staff were laid off, according to a report inNikkei Asian Review .

At a workers’ housing estate to the north of the shipyard that was once planned to include as many as 2,775 dwellings, a security guard estimated that only 200 or so residents were still present as of last month.

Shay Cullen, an Irish priest who has lived in the area for about five decades and helped campaign against the US presence there, said such a drastic reduction in paid employees could undo years of work spent weaning the local economy off of military dollars and transforming it into a retail, tourist and manufacturing hub.

“We do worry that the economic development that we planned, and implemented, could be at risk,” the 75-year-old said.

“A lot of those Hanjin workers had steady jobs, so they took out loans to buy houses and cars.”

Not everyone is pessimistic about the future, however. Josito Lucov lost his job as a welder at the shipyard last year and now makes money taking paying passengers in his motorised tricycle – a type of auto rickshaw that is common in the Philippines. He still lives with his wife and two children in company housing.

While standing under a tarp shelter waiting for his next fare, Lucov said he was not worried about the shipyard’s next owner because he was happy in his new line of work. “I get to see my family more now,” he said.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Source: msn.com

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