Train Crash

BEIJING – Two passenger trains collided in eastern China on Monday, killing at least 66 people and injuring hundreds as carriages derailed and toppled into a ditch, state media said.

Some 400 people were taken to hospital, with 70 in a critical condition, Xinhua news agency said, suggesting the death toll could rise further.

One train was en route from Beijing to the seaside resort of Qingdao when the accident happened in Zibo, Shandong province. The second train was from the resort of Yantai, in Shandong.

Both were likely operating at full speed at the time of the accident, the worst in China since 1997, a cargo worker said.

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Bomb

Police recovered bomb-making materials during a raid on a suspected sleeper cell of the Jemaah Islamiyah Tuesday night in Alaminos, Laguna.

However, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group failed to arrest Khalid Pagayao, allegedly involved in a series of bombing incidents in the Philippines.

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P2.5-M smuggled motorcycles seized

 

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has confiscated a shipment of 64 smuggled motorcycles at the Port of Manila.BOC personnel intercepted the shipment, worth about P2.5 million, after they found “suspicious images” on the bureau’s X-ray scanning system.

Lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, head of the Customs X-ray Scanning Project, said importer Victoria Motors Corp. declared the shipment that arrived late January aboard a vessel from China as “60 cartons of knockdown motorcycle parts.”

She said they discovered that the shipment actually contained 60 complete brand new units of Motoposh motorcycle (SBK 200), four undeclared motorcycles, one generator set and 682 pieces of motorcycle rims.

“This is a clear case of technical smuggling. The shipment consists of undeclared and misdeclared items both in the import entry and in the packing list. Also, there has been a misapplication of clearance with the value reference information system as the items were declared to be in knockdown form, not in completely built form,” Mangaoang explained.

She asked Port of Manila collector Horacio Suansing to issue a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against the shipment and file charges against its importer.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Couple killed in Valentine’s Day road accident

 A couple was killed on Valentine’s Day when their car was hit by a passenger bus along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, radio dzMM reported.

Pastor Kevin Alamag, 40, and Afelia Alamag, 46, died after their Nissan Sentra (PKS-856) was hit by a Nova bus (TWL-703) near the Tandang Sora flyover. The couple was declared dead on arrival upon reaching Malvar General Hospital along Commonwealth Avenue.

Police said bus driver Joseph Areno will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting to double homicide.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Blackbugs infest Isabela town

ILAGAN, Isabela – Almost 200 hectares of farmlands in a remote Pacific coastal town here have been infested by rice blackbugs for almost two months now, with farmers here fearing that the infestation may spread to other towns in this country’s major rice producing-province.

Danilo Tumamao, provincial agriculture officer, on Wednesday said that close to 200 hectares have been affected by blackbugs in the six barangays of Dinapigue town, along the province’s Pacific coast. Other sources, however, hinted that the extent of damage may have reached even beyond the estimated hectares in the town.

Reference: www.abs.cbnnews.com

The Department of Agriculture, he said, already ordered the spraying of carbamate pesticide on the severely affected ricefields to ensure the total and swift eradication of the said pest, an insect bug which thrive on the leaves of rice plants.

“We still cannot estimate the cost of damage to the ricefields in terms of pesos since the affected rice plants were in different stages of growth when they were infested by the blackbugs,” Tumamao said.

Reports showed that most of the affected ricefields in the town, a 15-hour-trip from the provincial capital via Maddela, Quirino and Dilasag, Aurora, were said to be in their reproductive stages.

Tumamao furthered that almost all the farming families in the remote town, who are mostly dependent on farming and fishing for their livelihood, were affected by the said infestation, with the average size of ricefields being roughly one hectare each.

Other sources hinted that agriculture personnel are now conducting light bag operations in nearby municipal or village risk areas to prevent the further spread of the bug infestation.

“We got reports from farmers of the varying severity of damage. One farmer had reported that he normally harvested around 80 cavans in his one hectare lot; now he was only able to recover some 40 cavans,” Tumamao said.

Moreover, Tumamao said that a group from the regional crop protection center under DA regional director Gumersindo Lasam had gone to Dinapigue to inspect the extent of damage.

“Before this, Gov. (Grace) Padaca had already ordered rice specialists from our office to likewise see the extent of damage and validate the existence of the blackbug,” Tumamao said.

Aside from this, Tumamao said, the DA regional office had likewise sent a task force under regional technical director Andrew Villacorta to the area to conduct massive information dissemination drive among residents in the area regarding the rice blackbug.

Tumamao stressed the necessity for farmers to conduct surveillance and monitoring of their fields for any possible evidence of rice blackbug infestation or damage to rice plants.

“The farmers should not automatically spray their ricefields if they see insects that look like pernicious rice blackbugs. They should first get a sample of the insects, label it with the appropriate information on where and when it was taken and then give this to the nearest agricultural office. This is because not all blackbugs are pests,” he said.

Our Immersion

Last February 11 to 12 we are doing our immersion at the housing project of the UIC at madapo hills. And we have enjoy it. I really appreciate all the people there because they are friendly and hospitable. And we sleep in different houses there. But me, I sleep in hte hopuse of te Vangie together with my friends known as Poky. no no no….her true name is Dinabeth I called her Poky because she like Pokwang who is so funny. And together with Elnie. During the morning of Feb. 12, we started our task that to us by our CWTS coordinator . That we should have to make there garden be beautiful and we should have to plant some of a herbal plants or and ornamental plants. I hope that all the flower or plants that we plants there are all still alive and I hope that they treasure it  and showing care for them because, we did not plant them for our own good but for their own good as well as their children.

By: John Larry Limbo

BIR issues additional policies on deficiency taxes

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued additional policies governing the collection of deficiency taxes uncovered through computerized data matching, a ranking official Friday said.

Deputy Commissioner for Operations Nelson Aspe said the new rules, as stipulated in Revenue Memorandum Order No. 4-2008 applies to Tax Reconciliation System-Letter Notices (TRS-LN) that were issued to delinquent taxpayers for taxable year 2005.

According to the order, the BIR’s collection service, through its withholding tax division, shall list the taxpayers under the jurisdiction of revenue regions that have been given letters on tax deficiencies.

The taxpayers’ tax identification number, revenue district office where the taxpayer is registered, the amount of discrepancy uncovered and tax type shall also be provided to the BIR’s collection service.

According to the BIR, the list shall be submitted to the Office of the Commissioner. The BIR commissioner shall then select which cases shall be referred to the Legal and Inspection Group (LIG) for appropriate legal action.

The LIG through the National Investigation Division (NID) of the Enforcement service shall then make the necessary documentations to prepare the case for prosecution under the government’s Run After Tax Evaders program.

“Once evidence has been gathered sufficient enough to warrant the inclusion of a case in the RATE program, the case will be referred to the Prosecution Division of the Legal Service or the RATE team, whichever is applicable for the start of the prosecution process,” Aspe said.

The BIR has been stepping up efforts to boost revenues amid perennial shortfalls in its collection efforts.

This year, it expects to collect only P782 billion or P63 billion lower than the official target of P845 billion.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com

House minority won’t join speakership brawl

 

The opposition block in the House of Representatives will not join the scuffle for the speakership, House Senior Minority Leader Roilo Golez said Monday.

“We would be neutral,” Golez told ABS-CBN News Channel.

Golez said the decision to maintain the minority’s neutrality in the House’s power struggle issue was made during a meeting among opposition members at former president Joseph Estrada’s residence at Polk Street in Greenhills, San Juan Sunday.

He said at least two or three congressmen, including Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, had announced their support for Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles, who is being pushed to replace Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

He said majority of the minority bloc members decided not to step into the House speakership brawl because of an existing House rule that says a member who voted for a winning candidate in the speakership would have to become a majority bloc member.

“Under the rules, if you vote for someone for the speakership [and the candidate wins], you will be considered belonging to the majority,” he said.

Golez said that another decision arrived at during the meeting was to welcome de Venecia to the opposition if he fails to keep the speakership.

“In the event [de Venecia] would want to join the opposition, he is most welcome,” he said.

Meanwhile, media people were still waiting for the leaders of the administration block members to emerge from a caucus at the Malacañang compound, which started past 10 a.m. Monday.

President Arroyo called for a meeting of the party coalition leaders at Malacañang to “amicably” end the House power struggle.

Reports said de Venecia and Nograles attended the meeting.

Before attending the meeting, de Venecia Jr. revealed rumors that congressmen are being offered P500,000 to P1 million each to back a move to remove him as speaker.

“[Manila 6th District Rep.] Bienvenido Abante said there are rumors that P500,000 to P1 million are being given away to congressman. Hindi ko alam personally pero iyon ang sabi ni Benny Abante (I don’t know it personally, but that is what Benny Abante is saying),” de Venecia told ABS-CBN’s morning show, “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

De Venecia warned President Arroyo’s sons, Camarines Sur 1st District Rep. Diosdado Macapagal and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, against using “government resources” to avoid “another explosion of a financial scandal” in the House.

The speaker said the two presidential sons are backing the ouster move after his own son, businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, linked the First Family to irregularities in the scrapped $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal.

The younger de Venecia earlier said First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo acted as “godfather” in the deal after allegedly being promised $70 million if the deal pushed through.

“We should be fully transparent and that we should avoid what bishop Benny Abante is warning against [that] we have another explosion of a financial scandal. I am hopeful that Boy Nograles and the President’s children will stay by the rules,” de Venecia said.

Asked if he has knowledge of other irregularities committed by the Arroyo administration, de Venecia said “all of these will be considered.”

“We are very mature. We are statesmen or at least we try our best to be, but we are also God’s children. I am the strongest proponent of the moral revolution to stop corruption,” he added.

Abante earlier admitted receiving P500,000 cash at the height of rumors that over a hundred administration congressmen received cash gifts after attending a meeting with Mrs. Arroyo inside the Malacañang compound last October.

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita Villarosa, House deputy speaker, of Mrs. Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI), admitted giving Abante the amount, but denied that it was meant as a bribe. Villarosa said the money came from KAMPI’s party fund and part of the party’s initiatives to give congressmen cash during trips abroad.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com

 

Toyota invests additional P5.4B in RP plant

 

 Toyota Auto Parts Philippines Inc. (TAP), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC), has invested an additional P5.4 billion for the expansion of its plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

In an interview at the sidelines of the Toyota Thanksgiving party held Monday night at the Sofitel Hotel, Toyota vice president Rommel Gutierrez said the new facility is expected to be operational by August this year.

“By August we will be doubling the capacity of our existing plant,” Gutierrez said.

Currently, the plant in Sta. Rosa Laguna is producing at full capacity with a total output of 180,000 units per year. With the expansion in place, Gutierrez said the number will increase to 330,000 units.

The firm exports the parts to major Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and even South Africa.

The multi-billion peso Sta. Rosa facility will be Toyota’s fourth R-Type transmission production plant in the world in addition to Aisin AI Japan, Aisin AI Thailand and ToyotaKirloskar AutoParts in India.

From the time TAP was established in 1990, it has produced G-type transmissions and constant velocity joints.

At the same time, TMPC expects to post a 10 percent growth as opposed to the five percent industry target for this year.

To attain this, Gutierrez said they would have to sell close to 50,000 units this year. The industry target is 124,000 units.

Gutierrez admitted that this year would be more challenging than the last but strong branding and the introduction of new product lines will help them achieve their goal.

“We are the only car company in the country which has attained pre-financial crisis results in terms of sales,” he noted.

In connection with this, Toyota has launched the new Toyota Altis.

The car is priced between P774,000 for the 1.6 liters and P1.037 million for the 1.8 liter variant.

The last time Toyota introduced a new Vios was six years ago.

The new Altis, which will be available in March, is expected to sell 500 units per month, 200 more than the old Altis. However, during the first month of sales, Gutierrez said they are looking at selling 700 units.

The new Altis will be produced locally.

“This is our major launch for this year. We have no plans of launching a new SUV (special utility vehicle),” he said.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Globe, Smart tie up with Western Union for mobile money transfer

 

Leading global money transfer company Western Union has entered into separate agreements with wireless service providers Smart Communications and Globe Telecom, both aimed at offering better remittance services to more than eight million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a network of more than 320,000 agent locations in over 200 countries and territories.

Smart and Western Union will jointly develop and pilot a mobile money transfer service in the country that will make low-denomination, high-frequency remittances more affordable to OFWs.

“This agreement is in line with Smart’s thrust to continuously develop low-cost and convenient mobile remittance channels and communications services for overseas Filipino workers,” according to Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno. “We recognize the significant role they play in not only contributing to the country’s economy, but also in making sure their families’ financial and communications needs are met at the time they need them.”

Globe, meanwhile, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary G-Exchange Inc. and Western Union will join forces to introduce a cross-border mobile money transfer service supporting low-principal, high-frequency remittances.

Globe offers its GCash service with an “electronic wallet” feature that allows users to send and receive cash and make payments, including bill payments, donations and online purchases via texting.

“We envision that this relationship with Western Union will increase the accessibility and lower the cost of micro-remittances, which will greatly benefit Filipino overseas workers and their families here in the Philippines,” according to Ferdinand dela Cruz, Globe consumer wireless business group head. “This agreement will further expand our cross-border mobile commerce hub that allows multi-currency money transfers to mobile operators around the world, linking our groundbreaking GCash service to a global network of send and receive locations through Western Union .”

Once the Western Union mobile money transfer service is launched ‑ expected in the second quarter of 2008 ‑ the service will connect operators to Western Union ’s existing global money transfer system, which processed approximately 17 percent of the world’s cross-border remittance volume in 2006.

When connected to the Western Union service, operators will be able to use their own “mobile wallet” software to enable person-to-person mobile money transfers over Western Union ’s cross-border remittance network. The mobile money transfer service will enable consumers to transfer money to or from mobile wallets and will offer a global network of Western Union Agent locations for cash-to-mobile and mobile-to-cash transactions.

The agreement with Globe and Smart is part of the pilot program of Western Union and the GSM Association (GSMA), an international trade association representing over 700 GSM mobile phone operators, to facilitate the development of cross-border mobile money transfer services.

Reference: www.abs-cbnnews.com