News Roundup 06 March 2023
Mar 06, 2023 • 3 min Read
Group urges Marcos to end ‘plunder of resources’ by large-scale mining firms | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — After two communities formed barricades against mining firms in February, Alyansa Tigil Mina has called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to put a stop to illegal mining operations that wreak havoc on the environment and surrounding areas.
The nationwide alliance of anti-mining advocates began its weeklong commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the passage of the Mining Act of 1995 with a demand for Marcos to halt the activities of companies involved in large-scale mining, especially those that dispensed with government permits in conducting its operations.
“We call on the PBBM administration to listen to the demand of the people, especially those holding barricades in Sibuyan, Romblon; Brooke’s Point, Palawan and Brgy. Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya,” said Jaybee Garganera, a national coordinator of ATM.
“Our natural resources should be protected and preserved and not subjected to exploitation and corruption,” Garganera added.
Full Story at: Group urges Marcos to end ‘plunder of resources’ by large-scale mining firms | Philstar.com
Weeklong jeepney strike begins to demand for Marcos to scrap phaseout | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — At least 100,000 jeepney drivers and operators across the country began their strike on Monday, prompting local governments to offer free rides and some schools to shift to online classes as some transport groups demand President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stop the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys.
Protests will be held in Metro Manila, southern Tagalog, Calabarzon, Bicol, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Ilocos region, Bulacan and Baguio City, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide president Mody Floranda told The STAR newspaper on Sunday.
In Metro Manila, Floranda said the protest begins at 7 a.m. at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, from there they will form a caravan to the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board office, proceed to Delta, then Quezon Avenue and finally to Mendiola in Manila.
Floranda said only an executive order from Marcos scrapping the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines which effectively phase out traditional jeepneys will stop the strike.
Full Story at: Weeklong jeepney strike begins to demand for Marcos to scrap phaseout | Philstar.com
MMDA: Number coding scheme in force from Tuesday-Friday despite week-long strike | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it will no longer suspend the number coding scheme in the succeeding days of the week-long transportation strike.
This means that the number coding scheme will stay in effect from Tuesday through Friday after lifting its implementation on Monday, March 6, or at the start of the strike staged by organizations of public utility drivers and operators under Manibela.
“Ang MMDA ay nag-decide na hindi na palawakin ang number coding scheme suspension, ang atin pong coding ay meron na ulit bukas,” MMDA acting chair Don Artes said in a press briefing.
(The MMDA has decided not to extend the number coding scheme suspension, our coding will be in force again tomorrow.)
Full Story at: MMDA: Number coding scheme in force from Tuesday-Friday despite week-long strike | Inquirer News
Location of sunken MT Princess Empress identified, says Oriental Mindoro gov | INQUIRER.NET – CITY OF CALAPAN — Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor announced Monday, March 6, that the sunken motor tanker Princess Empress had been located.
In an advisory, Dolor said Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga confirmed this development during a phone call about 1 p.m. while they were in an inter-agency meeting.
The tanker, which carried 800,000 liters of industrial oil, capsized in the waters off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 and sank the following day after experiencing engine trouble.
On March 4, two mapping vessels from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority were deployed to find the exact location of the sunken vessel, said Dolor.Loyzaga had previously said that determining the vessel’s location was important to help authorities determine which places, including marine protected areas, would be directly affected by the oil spill.
