Bayang Pilipinas

BUTUAN CITY – Around 20 fully armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels torched and destroyed six units of heavy equipment owned by the contractors of Platinum Group Mining Corporation (PGMC) Thursday afternoon in Sitio Kinalablaban, Barangay Cagdianao in Claver, Surigao del Norte.

Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (SDNPPO) director, Col. Noel Espinoza, in a statement Friday, said the perpetrators were led by a certain “Jacob” of Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda 16C, Guerrilla Front 16, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA.

The heavy equipment units destroyed include four backhoes owned by Cagdianao Construct Development Corporation and two other backhoes owned by Queens Contractor.

The local police station in Claver is still determining the total cost of the damage as of press time.

“The SDNPPO strongly condemns the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) for the burning of heavy equipment,” Espinosa said.

He added that intelligence units from Claver town were already directed to conduct intensified information gathering in the area.

Nearby municipal police stations, including in Siargao Island, as well as mining plants in the area, were also alerted for possible diversionary attack from the NPA rebels, he said.

“The CTG’s activity is a proof of their motive to pursue their lawless purpose, contrary to their claim of protecting the people,” Espinosa said.

He added that SDNPPO is also conducting an in-depth investigation for the possible identification of the perpetrators for prosecution.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. (PNA) 

MANILA – Kieth Absalon, the football player from Far Eastern University (FEU) who was killed on June 6 in a New People’s Army (NPA) attack in Masbate, was specifically targeted due to his popularity and active promotion of sports among the youth that was contrary to the advocacy of communist terrorist groups (CTGs).

This was revealed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. at the recent virtual presscon of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Why? Because they found out that Kieth is actively promoting sports and activities for the well-being of the youth na kontra sa adbokasiya ng (That is contrary to the advocacy of) CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA-NDF (National Demovcratic Front),” Esperon said.

He said the CPP-NPA-NDF also “want to show that they are still a force to reckon with, as many of their members have continued to surrender in Masbate.”

“Parang pananakot talaga ito sa tao, at yung pananakot na iyan ay sinamahan nila ng pagpatay. Kaya targeted talaga sila (It really seemed like a threat to the people, and that threat was accompanied by murder. So they are really targeted). Meaning they wanted to deliver a message to intimidate the population from whom they are losing support,” added Esperon, also the NTF-ELCAC Vice Chairperson.

He mourned for the loss of the FEU football player who was awarded the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Juniors Most Valuable Player in Season 78.

“We join the Absalons in their grief for their loss of a son and nephew in this unfortunate incident in Masbate. Nakakagulat talaga yung nangyari kina Kieth. Parang walang karason-rason at sa maling rason ay nawala isang kabataan na sana ay magbibigay ng isang magandang kinabukasan sa kanayang pamilya (What happened to Kieth was shocking. There was no any reason and for the wrong reason, a youth who would hopefully give his family bright future, was lost),” Esperon said.

He, however, assured the Absalon family that the Regional Task Force (RTF) in Bicol has already filed cases in court against the CPP-NPA-NDF and its key personalities for summarily executing Kieth and his cousin, Nolven, after blasting them with the banned anti-personnel mine (APM) last June 6 while biking.

“At ito nga ang pinaglalaban natin at tinutulungan natin ang pamilyang Absalon. At para dito ay sinasamahan tayo ng maraming nakikiisa sa atin hindi lang dito sa NTF-ELCAC (And this is what we are fighting for and we are helping the family of Absalom. And for this we are joined by many who join us not only here at NTF-ELCAC),” he said.

Meanwhile, Esperon pointed out that the RTF in Eastern Visayas will also be filing cases against the CTGs that killed and injured scores of unarmed soldiers and militiamen with another Anti-Personnel Mine (APM) in Jipapad, Eastern Samar on July 7.

He said the Jipapad incident only proves the continuing atrocities of the CTGs.

“Nakita natin kung gaano kalaupit at walang rason na violence na ginagawa ng (We have seen how cruel and unreasonable violence is committed by) CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said.

Esperon also acknowledged the move of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to condemn the violence committed by the NPA rebels.

“Just like us, the NTF-ELCAC, they are against violence, especially the violence carried out by an unreasonable ideology—which has gone out of control and gone out of reason for its existence. Kaya nga ang sinasabi natin ay dapat tuldukan na ito. At magsamasama tayo para sa madaling panahon ay matapos natin (That is why we are saying, we should stop this violence. Let’s unite so that we will end this as soon as possible),” Esperon said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PR)

MANILA – Graduating Grade 12 students in Taguig City’s public schools received PHP15,000 worth of scholarship vouchers each for use in their chosen schools for college.

Mayor Lino Cayetano, in a statement Monday, said the voucher certificate entitles the bearer to claim the amount of PHP15,000 under the Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-Need (L.A.N.I.) scholarship program, provided that the student enrolls in any tech-voc, certificate or baccalaureate course.

“This voucher is part of the L.A.N.I scholarship program that persuades graduates to take up tertiary education. To our beloved students, we have faced so much this year, let us get inspiration from this graduation. We will not abandon you. We are a loving and nurturing community, we are one family,” he added.

All Top 1 graduating students from Grades 6, 10 and 12 also received a cash incentive of PHP15,000, while the Top 2 students received PHP12,500.

Top 3-10 elementary students also received PHP5,000 each while completers and senior high students received PHP7,500 each.

Top 1 students in each elementary class also received PHP2,500, while Top 1 completer and senior high students from each class received PHP5,000.

As of April this year, the city has produced more than 58,000 scholars and continues to accept eligible applicants. 

source: (PNA)

TOKYO – Yakult Honsha Co., a major food and beverage firm popularly known for its probiotic drink, will aim to meet brisk demand by building a new factory in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, raising local output capacity by about 70 percent.

The Tokyo-based firm announced Monday that the new factory, to be constructed by its Manila-based equity-method affiliate, Yakult Philippines, Inc., in El Salvador in the province of Misamis Oriental, will start operations in January 2023 with a maximum daily production capacity of 3.2 million bottles of its mainstay Yakult and low-calorie Yakult Light.

The new plant, Yakult’s second in the Philippines, will sit on a plot of about 42,000 square meters, some 40 percent larger than its first plant in Calamba in Laguna province near the capital Manila.

Yakult did not publicly disclose the amount it will spend to build the plant, which will have a total floor space of about 26,000 square meters.

It will initially produce 1.6 million bottles of Yakult and Yakult Light daily, and the company plans to expand its facilities depending on demand.

Yakult’s combined daily output capacity in the Southeast Asian country will thus rise about 70 percent to a maximum of 7.9 million bottles.

“With the construction of a new factory, we can anticipate further market expansion and growing demand in the Visayas in the central Philippines and Mindanao in the south,” a Yakult spokesman told NNA.

Partly backed by growing health consciousness among Filipino consumers, sales in the Philippines soared 94.7 percent to 3.03 million bottles on a daily basis in 2020 over a year before.

The Philippines is Yakult’s fourth-largest overseas market after China with 7.01 million bottles, Indonesia with 6.73 million bottles and Mexico with 3.5 million bottles.

Yakult has promoted sales in the Philippines by deploying a sales force of about 3,800 “Yakult ladies.”