News Roundup 30 October 2023
Oct 30, 2023 • 4 min Read
QC Mayor Joy Belmonte awarded top UN environmental honor | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations’ environment agency named Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte a “champion of the Earth” for her efforts to transform the Philippines’ most populous city into an environmental trailblazer.
The UN Environment Programme recognized Belmonte in the policy leadership category of the 2023 Champions of the Earth award, which is the intergovernmental organization’s highest environmental honor.
Belmonte received the award for her initiatives aimed at combating plastic pollution, addressing climate change, and greening Quezon City.
“Mayor Josefina Belmonte’s passionate leadership and policy achievements exemplify how local authorities can solve global environmental problems,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said.
“Cities can be the dynamic engines of change we need to overcome the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste—and mayors can help to lead that charge,” she added.
Full Story at: QC Mayor Joy Belmonte awarded top UN environmental honor | Philstar.com
Sara’s satisfaction rating plummets by double digits — OCTA survey | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Satisfaction ratings for Vice President Sara Duterte declined by double digits while overall ratings for Duterte and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. fell in the third quarter of the year, the latest Tugon ng Masa Survey by private research firm Octa Research found.
From July to September, Duterte’s satisfaction score dropped 12 points from 82% to 70%, while her trust score dipped by eight points from 83% to 75%, according to the poll released Sunday.
The president suffered a six-point drop in his satisfaction score from 71% to 65% while his trust rating dropped to 73% from the second quarter’s 75%.
Both leaders still held majority approval in their trust and satisfaction ratings nationwide despite the “significant decreases,” Octa Research noted.
Duterte’s satisfaction score plummeted the most in Visayas — declining by 16 points from 90% to 74%, while survey respondents from Balance Luzon provided the lowest score for Duterte at 62% (lower by 12 points from July).
Trust ratings for the vice president remain the highest in Mindanao — 95%, the highest of the five officials included in the survey. Meanwhile, Duterte received the lowest trust score in Balanze Luzon (64%) and members of Class ABC (59%).
Full Story at: Sara’s satisfaction rating plummets by double digits — OCTA survey | Philstar.com
Revenge! Victim takes phone snatcher’s motorcycle in Las Piñas | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A victim of a phone snatcher certainly knows how to get revenge by taking the motorcycle of the thief of his prized possession in Las Piñas City.
The hilarious – albeit somewhat dangerous – retribution earned Mark Russel Zapata some cheers on social media.
Las Piñas police chief Col. Jaime Santos said Zapata voluntarily surrendered the motorcycle that belonged to the suspect who snatched his P10,000-worth mobile phone.
“Napakapambihirang kaso po nito dahil ito po ay nangyayari lamang sa (This is a very rare case because it only happens on) TikTok,” Santos said in a video-recorded message while trying to hold back his laughter. The video was posted on Facebook over the weekend.
“Kaya nandito po siya ngayon, nagrereklamo po siya dahil ‘yung cellphone niya, tinakbo ng snatcher; siya naman ‘yung motor ng snatcher tinakbo niya din po,” he said of the victim which he presented in the video.
“Kaya nandito po siya ngayon, nagrereklamo po siya dahil ‘yung cellphone niya, tinakbo ng snatcher; siya naman ‘yung motor ng snatcher tinakbo niya din po,” he said of the victim which he presented in the video.
(That’s why he’s here now, he’s complaining because the snatcher ran away with his cell phone; he then also ran away with the snatcher’s motorcycle.)
Full Story at: Revenge! Victim takes phone snatcher’s motorcycle in Las Piñas | Inquirer News
Hontiveros: Grab riders should not suffer from fare reduction | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros has maintained that the move of the transport network operator Grab, to ease the burden of commuters by initiating fare cuts, should not come at the expense of riders.
In a statement on Monday, Hontiveros said that she stands with riders whose livelihood may be affected by Grab’s new fare matrix, which reduces the base fare from P45 to just P45, and the P10 per kilometer rate to P7.
According to the senator, such a practice would not be fair and sustainable to riders especially amid the high prices of goods nowadays.
“Kaisa ako ng mga Grab riders at lahat ng riders sa iba’t-ibang platforms sa laban nila para sa mas makatarungang fare matrix. These platform companies that engage in abusive practices have a lot of explaining to do,” Hontiveros said.
(I am one with Grab riders and all riders from different platforms in their fight for a just fare matrix.)
Full Story at: Hontiveros: Grab riders should not suffer from fare reduction (inquirer.net)
