News Roundup 10 September 2022
Sep 10, 2022 • 4 min Read
DSWD closes online application for educational aid | PHILSTAR.COM – Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said Saturday that his department has closed online applications for its educational assistance program for indigent students as it can no longer accommodate any more registrants. Over two million have signed up for the program, but Tulfo said over DZBB that they could not add any more beneficiaries due to the lack of funding. “We can’t possibly add more to the two million,” he said in Filipino. Those who were not able to register online may still be able to receive aid from district lawmakers, Tulfo said, as the DSWD and the House of Representatives leadership are partnering for this program. Tulfo said P1.5 billion is allotted for the program and that around P600 million to P800 million has been doled out.
Oil price rollback: P1 for gas, diesel | PHILSTAR.COM – Pump prices are expected to go down for the second consecutive week, with reductions of more than P1 per liter seen for diesel and less than P1 per liter for gasoline. Philippine Petroleum Companies Association founding chairman Fernando Martinez said that as of Thursday, there were indications of a downward trend based on movements in the international oil market. He said diesel could decrease by at least P1 per liter next week, while gasoline could go down by around P0.45 per liter. Cleanfuel, for its part, said the running trend as of yesterday indicated a P1.20 per liter reduction in diesel prices and P0.50 per liter decrease for gasoline. Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rino Abad, in an interview with dzBB, said there would be a rollback on all products next week.
Telcos, bank forge agreement to fight text scams — Private Sector Advisory Council | INQUIRER.NET – Three major telecommunication companies and a bank have forged an agreement to implement measures against text scams and other forms of cyber crime, the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) said. According to the PSAC, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the UnionBank of the Philippines (UnionBank), Globe Group, Smart Communications, and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. The MOU signed on Friday outlined key steps, which include the development of a framework enabling the sharing of relevant data on fraudsters using technology for cyber fraud, the formation of Quick Response Teams composed of cybersecurity specialists to monitor and resolve cybersecurity incidents, and the taking down of malicious sites and phishing links. “The MOU will also add teeth to the private sector’s anti-fraud initiative by providing for the taking down of malicious sites and phishing links,” PSAC said in a statement. Earlier, the National Privacy Commission allowed telecommunication companies to share relevant data for fraud investigations. PSAC said the agreement is the response of the telcos firms to Advisory Opinion 2021-06 issued by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) allowing for the sharing of relevant data for purposes of fraud investigations. “It was a proactive response addressing the rising number of phishing and cybercrime cases,” PSAC said in a statement. “Together with our telecommunications partners: Globe, Smart and Converge, we want the digital Filipino to be protected from cyber crimes by ensuring that cyber criminals cannot hide behind the anonymity of prepaid numbers and the internet. We will hold them accountable. We want Filipinos to trust the banking system and their communications systems. We want the citizens to be 100% Digital. We want a secure Digital Filipino,” said UnionBank executive Henry Aguda, who also heads the PSAC’s Digital Infrastructure sector.
Inday now a typhoon, may enhance southwest monsoon | INQUIRER.NET – “Inday” (international name: Muifa) has now been upgraded from a severe tropical storm to a typhoon, and it may enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” said state meteorologists on Saturday. While it is not expected to have a direct impact on the country, Typhoon Inday’s trough will bring heavy rain showers over the eastern section of southern Luzon and the western portion of central Luzon, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Typhoon Inday was located 445 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 150 kilometers per hour, said Pagasa. It is now moving northwest at 15 kilometers per hour. Pagasa also said that the southwest monsoon is currently affecting the western portion of southern Luzon and Visayas, which will bring overcast skies with scattered rains. The state weather bureau said that they are not likely to raise any Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals, and Typhoon Inday is unlikely to directly impact any part of the country.
