A TOTAL of 47 establishments has been closed down in Bulacan and Bataan since Friday for non-compliance with environmental laws and polluting the river system leading to the Manila Bay.

Lormelyn Claudio, Region 3 Environmental Management Bureau chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the establishments were found violating environmental laws and most have no environmental clearance certificates.

Sixteen of the establishments are located in the City of Meycauayan, 24 in Obando town and three in Marilao, all in Bulacan, while four are in Mariveles, Bataan.

Claudio said 15 establishments were served with notices of violations and cease and desist orders on Friday, while 32 were served with notices on Sunday

The businesses found with violations in Meycauayan include those engaged in leather and jewelry production, fishpond operators in Obando, and a beach resort, hotel and manufacturing plants in Mariveles, Bataan.

These establishments would be monitored closely and would remain closed until they comply with necessary requirements, Claudio added.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu in a media briefing earlier, said that aside from closing the establishments, the violators have to pay a fine from P20,000 to P200,000 per day until they have fully complied with the measures against polluting the environment.

On Sunday, various government agencies and other sectoral groups joined the simultaneous massive cleanup and rehabilitation efforts to Save Manila Bay that was held in Barangay Tawiran in Obando, Bulacan.

Source: manilatimes.net

Continue Reading

THE Philippine representative, Karen Gallman, was crowned as the 47th Miss Intercontinental making her the first filipina to win the prestigious title.Gallman bested more than 80 delegates from around

THE Philippine representative, Karen Gallman, was crowned as the 47th Miss Intercontinental making her the first filipina to win the prestigious title.

Gallman bested more than 80 delegates from around the ground. Mexico’s Veronica Vallejo crowned Gallman at the SM Mall of Asia Arena Saturday evening.

Costa Rica was hailed as the first runner up, while the Slovak Republic as second runner up. Colombia finished 3rd, Vietnam at 4th and Ethiopia finished 5th.

Gallman is a Filipino-Australian who hails from the province of Bohol.

The Philippines hosted the international pageant for the first time.

Source: ph.news.yahoo.com

Continue Reading

Photo Credit: nidec-shimpo.com

Nidec-Shimpo Corporation (Japan) yesterday launched a new line at its Subic Freeport factory for the mass production of robot components.

Nidec-Shimpo is a leading innovator of precision-gearing solutions for robotics and industrial automation.

Nidec-Shimpo First Senior Vice President Hitoshi Inoue said the wholly-owned company of Japan’s Nidec Corp. and sister-company of Nidec Subic Philippine Corp. will initially build speed reducers for high-precision motion control applications at the rate of 10,000 to 25,000 units per month.

He pointed out that the Subic factory’s monthly product capacity is greater than the combined capacity of Nidec’s plants in Kyoto, which was at 30,000 units in 2018, and in Ueda, which is expected to reach 50,000 units in 2019.

But the plant’s target production is expected to increase to 100,000 units per month at the end of this year, and to 120,000 units per month by March 2020, he added.

The Subic-made products will be exported to Spain, the United States and Germany, he added.

Inoue stressed that the gearless component parts to be produced in Subic are an entirely new product line that has not been manufactured elsewhere in the world. He described them as “super silent, and with zero backlash and smooth rotation.”

The launch of Nidec-Shimpo operations was attended by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, Senator Richard Gordon, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, and Assistant Secretary Rafaelita Aldaba of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Haneda said Nidec’s expansion “demonstrates the continuing Japanese investor confidence in the Philippines’ business potential (and) shows the rigorous effort of Nidec to take advantage of opportunities and take on challenges to break new ground.”

Source: business.mb.com.ph

Continue Reading

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading the measure seeking to legalize and regulate the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

The chamber, through a vote of “ayes” and “nays,” approved House Bill 6517, or the proposed “Philippine Medical Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act.”

The bill, principally authored by Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano, seeks to legalize and regulate the medical use of cannabis, found to have beneficial and therapeutic uses in treating chronic or debilitating medical conditions.

If enacted into law, the measure will establish Medical Cannabis Compassionate Centers (MCCC) which are authorized to sell, supply and dispense cannabis to qualified patients or their caregivers through S3-licensed pharmacists.

The MCCC is licensed by the Department of Health based in department-retained hospitals, specialty hospitals, and private tertiary hospitals.

The bill will also provide for the establishment of the Medical Cannabis Research and Safety Compliance Facilities mandated to conduct scientific and medical research on the medical use of cannabis.

Following the approval of the bill, Kabayan party-list Representative Ron Salo, one of the authors of the measure, said that it does not allow medical marijuana to be sold to the general public over the counter.

Salo said that if the bill passes, the only places where prescribed medical marijuana would be available are DOH hospitals, tertiary hospitals, and private hospitals licensed for medical cannabis purposes.

Meanwhile, the only people who may issue prescriptions for medical marijuana are licensed doctors authorized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

“The authorized licensed doctors would be prescribing medical cannabis for very specific conditions and purposes based on their expert diagnosis,” Salo said.

“There will also be licensed medical cannabis caregivers who will be issued special identification cards by the DOH Secretary. Medical cannabis patients will also be issued special IDs. The medical cannabis caregiver can attend to only one patient at any time,” he added.

The issue regained national attention in December, when Philippines candidate Catriona Gray said during the Miss Universe pageant that she supported the use of marijuana in medical situations. She went on to win the title.

Source: gmanetwork.com

Continue Reading

JOBS JOBS JOBS CARAVAN in SUBIC
Schedule of Pre-Registration of Applicants for the JOBS JOBS JOBS CARAVAN in SUBIC on February 9, 2019:

January 28, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.
January 30, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.
January 31, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.
February 4, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.
February 6, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.
February 7, 2019 – 8:30 am – 2:00 p.m.

Subic Gym, Aguinaldo St., Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Procedure:
– We will be giving a Registration Form (National Skills Registration Program form); Fill-out the form and register at our Registration tables inside the Subic Gym.

– After registering, we will give you a NUMBER. Please keep the number as you will use this during the February 9 Job Fair, just present it to the assigned Security Officers, so you will not line up anymore for the onsite registration during the Job Fair itself.

– Please bring own pen (for filling-out the form)
===

– Kami po ay mamimigay ng Registration Form (National Skills Registration Program form); Kumpletuhin ang mga impormasyon sa form at magparehistro sa Registration tables sa loob ng Subic Gym.

– Kami po ay mamimigay ng mga NUMERO pagkatapos po ninyong makapagparehistro. Paki-ingatan at itabi po ang numero na ibibigay sa inyo sapagkat ito po ang gagamitin ninyo para agaran po kayo makapasok sa Job Fair area, ipakita lamang po sa mga Security Officers sa Subic Gym at hindi na po kayo pipila sa araw ng Job Fair mismo upang magparehistro muli.

– Maaari lamang pong magdala ng sariling ballpen para sa pagfi-fill-out ng form.

Maraming salamat po.

Source: SBMA Labor Department-Manpower Service Division

Continue Reading