Published February 20, 2021, 11:47 AM
Amid the rising food prices, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and other crisis situations in the country, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has urged agencies in the Executive Department to give all the assistance they can provide to poor and affected Filipinos.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“I am urging the executive to do all possible help. Sa DOLE, sa kanilang TUPAD program para sa mga nawalan ng trabaho at assistance to OFWs (To the Department of Labor and Employment, in its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers for those who lost their jobs, and assistance to OFWs),” Go said as he distributed assistance to fisherfolks in Samal, Davao del Norte.
SunStar Fishing ban at Visayan sea lifted
BAN LIFTED. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources lifts the three-month closed season in the Visayan Sea earlier this week. (File photo)
+ February 19, 2021 THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) lifted the three-month closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea earlier this week.
Under the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 167-3 Series of 2013, the government places the Visayan Sea and its vicinities under closed fishing season from November 15 to February 15 annually.
This is to ensure the protection and conservation of sardines, herrings and mackerels in the said fishing ground during their spawning period.
Published February 20, 2021, 6:00 AM
The Philippines’ rice inventory as of January this year declined by 12.8 percent year-on-year after both commercial warehouses and state-run grains agency National Food Authority (NFA) ended with lower stocks during the period.
Data from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of January, the country’s rice stocks inventory was recorded at 2.33 million metric tons (MT). This was lower by 12.8 percent in comparison with the previous year’s level of 2.67 million MT.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Likewise, rice stocks dropped by 15.7 percent over the previous month’s level of 2.76 million MT.
Year-on-year, rice stocks in households rose by 7.6 percent, but rice stocks in commercial warehouses and NFA depositories both contracted by -27.5 percent and -32.8 percent, respectively.
(photo from Pixabay)
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate panel, made the commitment on Thursday, Feb. 18, saying she will see to it that the resolutions filed by Senators Nancy Binay, Leila de Lima, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, which all seek an investigation into these alarming teen pregnancies, are heard at the Senate immediately.
“The dramatic rise in teen pregnancies is a health emergency and a social injustice in and of itself. I support the Commission of Population (POPCOM) in their call for the government to declare this a social emergency,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“It is also of great consequence that the teen pregnancy prevention bill, I authored be discussed again at the Senate. I am willing to accept amendments to the bill so we can finally move forward,” she said.
Rice inventory down in Philippines PSA
Published February 18, 2021 11:53pm Amid the low pork supply, the Philippine Statistics Authority said rice supply in the country also went down by 12.8 percent. According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, as of January 1, 2021, the rice supply in the country is only at 2.33 million metric tons. The rice supply in the commercial warehouse also decreased by 27.5 percent or over 689,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, the rice stock of the National Food Authority went down by 32.8 percent or more than 352,000 metric tons. Moreover, Philippine Integrated Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture said the low rice supply is due to the series of typhoons during the last quarter of 2020.