News Roundup 24 February 2024
Feb 24, 2024 • 4 min Read
China attempts to block Filipinos in another mission to Scarborough | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel (CMMV) once again tried to block a Filipino-led resupply mission to Bajo de Masinloc — a resource-rich feature being claimed by Beijing within the West Philippine Sea.
In a video released by state-owned PTV this Saturday, the Chinese vessel could be seen blocking off BRP Datu Sanday during the rotational deployment of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to said area.
The CMMV was said to be 300 meters from the Philippine ship, with the maneuver reportedly happening just 1.2 nautical miles south of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough or Panatag Shoal.
The PCG and BFAR vessel BRP Datu Sanday fortunately delivered the supplies to Filipino fisherfolk within the area even after the latest incident.
Over 44 mother boats of Filipino fishing vessels recieved the said aid, which came in the form of gasoline and grocery packs.
Said activity from the Chinese militia is just one of the many forms of harassment being experienced by Filipinos within the West Philippine Sea even after the Permanent Court of Arbitration already invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim way back in 2016.
Full Story at: China attempts to block Filipinos in another mission to Scarborough | Philstar.com
Decline in fish output seen amid destruction of 21,000 acres of West Philippine Sea coral reefs | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The country faces a decline in fisheries production amid a study conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that China has destroyed at least 21,000 acres of coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an expert from the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) warned yesterday.
“The immediate effect of the destruction of coral reefs and the devastation of the habitats of fish is the decline in the production of our fish,” UP-MSI assistant professor Mike Atrigeneo said in a radio interview.
He explained that the worst case scenario could be the extinction of fish dependent on coral reefs.
“For lapu-lapu, maya-maya and other fish associated with live stones, these are the corals, they are facing extinction as they have no habitat. Many fish eat directly from the corals. If there are no longer corals, that’s the impact on fisheries, we have lower catch. That’s the economic implication,” Atrigeneo added.
He was reacting to the study conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which showed that China’s activities have caused massive damage to the marine environment in the WPS.
Full Story at: Decline in fish output seen amid destruction of 21,000 acres of West Philippine Sea coral reefs | Philstar.com
DOH: No FDA approval on injectable glutathione for skin lightening | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any injectable products, including glutathione, for skin lightening.
According to its statement, while injectable glutathione is used in cisplatin chemotherapy, there have been no clinical trials yet on its use for skin lightening.
“DOH categorically states that there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening. There are also no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimens and duration of treatment,” the statement said.
“Injectable glutathione is approved by FDA Philippines as an adjunct treatment in cisplatin chemotherapy. The FDA has not approved any injectable products for skin lightening,” it added.
In January, Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa made the same statement that the FDA has not yet approved any use of the clinical product for cosmetic purposes.
Full Story at: DOH: No FDA approval on injectable glutathione for skin lightening (inquirer.net)
Lanao del Norte local execs told: Keep watch, report presence of terrorists | INQUIRER.NET – MUNAI, LANAO DEL NORTE — Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo has called on all village officials of this town, now rocked by terrorism, to step up their support to the military by providing timely information about the activities of Islamic State-linked Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) militants.
Dimaporo attended a meeting of the municipal peace and order council on Friday and told the local leaders that the first step in decisively preventing the spread of DI in the communities is by being vigilant about their presence.
Dimaporo said that if the barangay governments in each of the town’s 26 villages were functional, it would have been easy to notice the inroads of DI into their communities.
Munai was the scene of fierce fighting between government troops and DI gunmen last Feb. 18 in Ramain village that resulted in six soldiers and three militants slain.
Full Story at: Lanao del Norte local execs told: Keep watch, report presence of terrorists (inquirer.net)
