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November 2, 2024
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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SINTRA, Portugal, August 26 ------ The doorbell to Martinho de Almada Pimentel’s house is hard to find, and he likes it that way. It’s a long rope that, when pulled, rings a literal bell on the roof that lets him know someone is outside the mountainside mansion that his great-grandfather built in 1914 as a monument to privacy. There’s precious little of that for Pimentel during this summer of “over tourism.”
Travelers idling in standstill traffic outside the sun washed walls of Casa do Cipreste in Cintra sometimes spot the bell and pull the string “because it’s funny,” he says. With the windows open, he can smell the car exhaust and hear the “tuk-tuk” of outsized scooters named for the sound they make. And he can sense the frustration of 5,000 visitors a day who are forced to queue around the house on the crawl up single-lane switchbacks to Pena Palace, the onetime retreat of King Ferdinand II. “Now I’m more isolated than during COVID,” the soft-spoken Pimentel, who lives alone, said during an interview this month on the veranda. “Now I try to (not) go out. What I feel is: angry.”
This is a story of what it means to be visited in 2024, the first year in which global tourism is expected to set records since the coronavirus pandemic brought much of life on Earth to a halt. Wandering is surging, rather than leveling off, driven by lingering revenge travel, digital nomad campaigns and so-called golden visas blamed in part for skyrocketing housing prices. Cue the violins, you might grouse, for people like Pimentel who are well-off enough to live in places worth visiting. But it’s more than a problem for rich people. “Not to be able to get an ambulance or to not be able to get my groceries is a rich people problem?” said Matthew Bedell, another resident of Sintra, which has no pharmacy or grocery store in the center of the UNESCO-designated district. “Those don’t feel like rich people problems to me.”
Over tourism generally describes the tipping point at which visitors and their cash stop benefitting residents and instead cause harm by degrading historic sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly more difficult for those who live there. Look a little deeper and you’ll find knottier issues for locals and their leaders, none more universal than housing prices driven up by short-term rentals like Airbnb, from Spain to South Africa. The summer of 2023 was defined by the chaos of the journey itself — airports and airlines overwhelmed, passports a nightmare for travelers from the US. Yet by the end of the year, signs abounded that the COVID-19 rush of revenge travel was accelerating.
In January, the United Nations’ tourism agency predicted that worldwide tourism would exceed the records set in 2019 by 2%. By the end of March, the agency reported, more than 285 million tourists had travelled internationally, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023. The World Travel & Tourism Council projected in April that 142 of 185 countries it analyzed would set records for tourism, set to generate $11.1 trillion globally and account for 330 million jobs. Aside from the money, there’s been trouble in paradise this year, with Spain playing a starring role in everything from water management problems to skyrocketing housing prices and drunken tourist drama. Protests erupted across the country as early as March, with thousands of people demonstrating in Spain’s Canary Islands against visitors and construction that was overwhelming water services and jacking up housing prices.
Japan set records for tourist arrivals. In Fujikawaguchiko, a town that offers some of the best views of Mt. Fuji, leaders erected a large black screen in a parking lot to deter tourists from overcrowding the site. The tourists apparently struck back by cutting holes in the screen at eye level. Air travel, meanwhile, only got more miserable, the U.S. government reported in July. Tourism is surging and shifting so quickly, in fact, that some experts say the very term “over tourism” is outdated.
Michael O’Regan, a lecturer on tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University, argues that “over tourism” doesn’t reflect the fact that the experience depends largely on the success or failure of crowd management. “There’s been backlash against the business models on which modern tourism has been built and the lack of response by politicians,” he said in an interview. Tourism “came back quicker than we expected,” he allows, but tourists aren’t the problem. “So what happens when we get too many tourists? Destinations need to do more research.” Virpi Makela can describe exactly what happens in her corner of Sintra. Incoming guests at Casa do Valle, her hillside bed-and-breakfast near the village center, call Makela in anguish because they cannot figure out how to find her property amid Sintra’s “disorganized” traffic rules that seem to change without notice. “There’s a pillar in the middle of the road that goes up and down and you can’t go forward because you ruin your car. So you have to somehow come down but you can’t turn around, so you have to back down the road,” says Makela, a resident of Portugal for 36 years. “And then people get so frustrated they come to our road, which also has a sign that says `authorized vehicles only.’ And they block everything.”
A 40-minute train ride to the west, Sintra’s municipality has invested in more parking lots outside town and youth housing at lower prices near the center, the mayor’s office said. More than 3 million people every year visit the mountains and castles of Sintra, long one of Portugal’s wealthiest regions for its cool microclimate and scenery. Sintra City Hall also said via email that fewer tickets are now sold to the nearby historic sites. Pena Palace, for example, began this year to permit less than half the 12,000 tickets per day sold there in the past. It’s not enough, say local residents, who have organized into QSintra, an association that’s challenging City Hall to “put residents first” with better communication, to start. They also want to know the government’s plan for managing guests at a new hotel being constructed to increase the number of overnight stays, and more limits on the number of cars and visitors allowed.
Source: inquirer.net
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Current climate pledges still fall way short on Paris goals, UN body says
ISTANBUL, August 26 ------ The move, which starts today, will affect migrants from Asian countries who require visas to remain in Brazil. It does not apply to people from Asian countries currently exempt from visas to Brazil. US citizens and many European nationals also do not require visas for Brazil.
A Federal Police investigation has shown these migrants often buy flights with layovers in Sao Paulo’s international airport, en route to other destinations, but stay in Brazil as a place from where they then begin their journey north, according to official documents provided to The Associated Press. More than 70% of requests for refuge at the airport come from people with either Indian, Nepalese or Vietnamese nationalities, one of the documents says.
Starting next week, travelers without visas will either have to continue their journey by plane or return to their country of origin, the ministry said. A report signed by federal police investigator Marinho da Silva Rezende Júnior informs the justice ministry that since the beginning of last year there has been “great turmoil” due to the influx of migrants at the airport in Guarulhos, a city located in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area. “Evidence suggests that those migrants, for the most part, are making use of the known — and extremely dangerous — route that goes from Sao Paulo to the western state of Acre, so they can access Peru and go toward Central America and then, finally, reach the U.S. from its southern border,” one of the documents says. An AP investigation in July found migrants passing through the Amazon, including some from Vietnam and India. Many returned to Acre state, on the border with Peru, as U.S. border policies triggered a wait-and-see attitude among them. Brazil’s justice ministry said that the new guidelines will not apply to the almost 500 migrants currently staying camping out at a Sao Paulo’s international airport.
Rêmullo Diniz, the coordinator of Gefron, Acre state’s police group for border operations, told the AP the government's move comes after local authorities spoke to U.S. diplomats about the situation with many Asian and undocumented migrants in the region. “We have seen growth both in the number of migrants coming here and in the number of nations they come from,” Diniz told the AP over the phone. “Bangladesh, Indonesia also send a lot of people here. They come either with no documents or with fake documents from other nations." “That is a concern for us, they could be running from police,” he added. "And there are also the ‘coyote’ networks, taking unaccompanied children, trafficking drugs."
Earlier on Wednesday, Brazil’s federal prosecutors’ office said in a statement that Sao Paulo’s international airport “is once again counting a high number of foreigners who arrive on flights of the airline LATAM and do not exit quickly due to the overload on the Brazilian migration system.” The prosecutors’ office added that it will put pressure on airlines to give migrants some basic supplies as they wait for their concession of refuge. The term refers to an application for refugee status, regardless of the reason. LATAM did not immediately respond an AP request for comment. “It is important that we quickly decide on these refuge requests so that the growing arrival of foreigners does not impact the operation of the airport itself,” federal prosecutor Guilherme Rocha Göpfert said after a meeting at Sao Paulo’s international airport Wednesday. One of the documents says Brazil’s federal police received 9,082 requests for refuge this year through July 15. That is more than the double the amount for the entire 2023, and the most in over a decade, according to the figures. However, federal police said that just a few hundred of those sought to get documents to remain in Brazil. The same document says federal police are convinced there is “a consolidated route of irregular migration in Brazil, with a strong presence of people who are involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with an evident fraudulent use of the application for refugee status.”
Brazil has historically welcomed refugees, particularly Afghans in recent years, regardless of ideological leanings of the Latin American country's leaders. But reports of migrants seeking refugee status as a means to use Brazil as a waystation has caused frustration in the government, particularly at a time when the system is burdened by many people from Haiti, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine seeking humanitarian visas. Brazil granted 11,248 humanitarian visas to Afghans alone between between Sept. 2021 and April 2024, government figures show. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decided in January 2023, in the early days of his administration, to bring his country back to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, an intergovernmental agreement. His administration has kept humanitarian visas, but guidelines for the concession of those has become more restrictive under his administration.
Source: mb.com.ph
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MARITIME NEWS
"Legal Finish" in Maritime Security is Too Often Lacking a Legal Start
November 2 ------ “Legal Finish” is a term that has become commonplace in maritime security circles around the world. It refers to the process of putting a maritime law enforcement action through a legal mechanism – whether a prosecution, administrative proceeding or other adjudication – that formally assesses offenses under national law and where appropriate, penalizes perpetrators. Legal finish has rightly been identified as crucial because merely disrupting illicit activities does little to deter future criminal conduct; only enforcing legal consequences changes the risk-reward calculus for nefarious actors. The problem, however, is that with all the focus on the legal finish, many states, international organizations, and “capacity building” partners have forgotten the legal start.
Maritime law enforcement is not a linear process, it is a cycle that starts and ends with the law. Recognizing its recursive nature is essential to establishing clear, consistent, and effective law enforcement and security operations.
To begin with, the law is the framework by which the maritime domain is assessed. Armed with the legal framework, maritime watchstanders can monitor and surveil the maritime domain, looking for any anomalies. Once they find those anomalies, however, a rigorous analytical process is needed to ensure that information is turned into understanding –about both what is happening on the water and what can be done about it. That analytical process, therefore, relies heavily on understanding the law. The key questions are:
• Is the anomaly desirable or undesirable? (Not all anomalies are undesirable).
• If it is undesirable, is it legal or illegal? (Not all undesirable matters have been addressed by the law).
• If it is illegal, is it actionable or not? (Does the state have the authority and jurisdiction to do something about it?)
• If it is actionable, is it achievable or not? (Does the state have the right physical capacity and capability to interdict the matter?)
• Even if it is undesirable, illegal, actionable, and achievable, would interdicting the matter be wise? (Is it worth the fuel, is it worth the risk, could there be geopolitical blowback, etc.?)
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then there should still be consideration of one additional question: “Is there anything else that could be done?” Watching the situation further, notifying other agencies, issuing a notice to mariners, or contacting neighboring states are all on the long list of other things that might be worth doing, short of pursuing an interdiction.
If the analysis suggests that an on-the-water operation might be warranted, then the analysts must have access to some sort of mechanism for sharing information with the proper decision-makers. Whether it is operative within an agency or across agencies, that cooperative mechanism must be repeatable (so there is consistency in how things happen), documentable (so there is a chance to learn from both successes and mistakes), and structured in such a manner that adequate information gets to the appropriate decision makers efficiently.
Once decision-makers have information about an anomaly that is undesirable, illegal, actionable, achievable, and worth pursuing, it is up to them to decide whether to conduct an operation. If they choose to do so, the operation must be planned and executed in a manner consistent with the law. That requires not only a clear understanding of the authorities that the respective agencies have for law enforcement, and the limitation of enforcement jurisdiction in the maritime domain, but also a sufficient grasp of all the elements of an offense to be able to identify and document those elements at sea. The collection and preservation of evidence in the maritime space is crucial, especially since revisiting a “crime scene” at sea is rarely, if ever possible. Thus, understanding the law at the operational stage – both in the sense of what the law enforcement officers do and concerning what they notice and record – is vital to legal finish. But that understanding is usually in the hands of completely different people than those responsible for the legal finish.
Importantly, arrests of people do not happen at sea. While it is possible to arrest a vessel, the suspects themselves are detained at sea and brought back to shore. Only once on shore are they handed over to land-based authorities who, on reviewing whatever evidence has been collected, then conduct an arrest or initiate an administrative proceeding. An arrest would then trigger the start of a prosecution, adjudication, and, if successful, penalization of the case. An administrative proceeding would similarly assess some sort of penalty. In either case – both considered to be “legal finish” – the personnel responsible are almost always different than the ones involved in every prior step of the process. All too often, however, most of the support, training, capacity building, attention, and funding has gone to this final stage, while the role of the law and legal advisors has been ignored in all the others.
Legal advisors are rarely, if ever, part of the process of monitoring and surveilling the maritime domain, analyzing anomalies, sharing information, planning operations, or even executing operations. They are sometimes – but rarely – consulted regarding evidence collection and preservation. Usually, the first time lawyers are brought into the maritime security cycle is for the legal finish, and it is left to them to kick-save any legal mistake or oversight that has been made at any previous point in the cycle. There is only so much, however, that can be fixed at the end of the process. Additionally, there may have been operational options that would have been more impactful if legal consultations had occurred earlier. Maritime law is strange and it affords some rights and opportunities that are sometimes hard to believe. Operators may miss out on more effective operations due to a lack of legal input at that stage.
Because maritime law enforcement is a cycle rather than a linear process, it does not end if one of the steps breaks down or even if all of them are successful through to prosecution. The final step is to revisit the starting point – the law – to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Law has two main functions: to constrain bad action and to enable good. If the law does not address an undesirable activity occurring in the maritime domain, it should be expanded or amended. If that law is not creating space for “good,” economically productive, and desirable activities, it should also be amended. While maritime law enforcement focuses on “the bad,” governing the maritime domain requires recognizing a balance between the two. Only stamping out the bad is not possible; there must be ample opportunities for good, lawful activities as well – especially when they are vital to a state’s economic security.
To be most effective, therefore, in both promoting good activities and stopping bad ones, the law must be seen as a tool or an asset for law enforcement – much the way a ship, radar system, or even a weapon would be seen. To be as impactful as possible, the law must be calibrated for the security operating environment. But even perfect law will be virtually worthless unless those who understand it and know how to use it are involved from the start of the maritime security cycle. Relegating the law to the legal finish phase betrays a lack of appreciation for the centrality of the law to the entire cycle, and sets up the state for failure.
Legal finish is incredibly important. But so is the legal start. If operational lawyers are not recognized as playing a vital role in all the phases leading up to the handover to land-based authorities, the prospects of both effective operations and successful legal finish are being undermined. So, for all the good attention that has been paid to prosecutors and judges, as well as to the work of coast guard and navy lawyers in support of those prosecutions or administrative proceedings, much more must be done to back up and start integrating sound legal advice throughout the maritime security cycle. While this can be a challenge, as operational cultures tend to not be welcoming to legal advisors, it is not about disrupting missions and operations with annoying legal points. It is about enhancing missions and operations by safeguarding the likelihood of their success. As simple as it sounds, we must not lose sight of the reality that legal finish needs a legal start.
Source: maritime-executive.com
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Maersk and Danone collaborate to slash logistics emissions with sustainable shipping fuels
November 2 ------ Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller Maersk has partnered with Danone, a French multinational food-products corporation, to reduce logistics greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using Maersk’s decarbonization service. As disclosed, Danone will integrate Maersk ECO Delivery Ocean, a product based on reduced GHG emission fuels like bio-diesel or bio-methanol, into its supply chain. These fuels are then used on vessels across the Maersk’s fleet.
With the applied version of ECO Delivery Ocean by Danone, GHG emissions are expected to be reduced by more than 40% compared to conventional fossil fuels, according to Maersk. “We are happy to partner with Maersk through Danone’s Partner for Growth program. The ECO Delivery Ocean product and its reduced greenhouse gas emissions align well with our decarbonization strategy to focus primarily on alternative fuels and multimodal transportation. Maersk is an important partner and using their product to reduce CO2 emissions on sea freight marks yet another step in our decarbonization journey,” Jean-Yves Krummenacher, Global Chief Procurement Officer at Danone, said.
“The swift reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is at the core of both our companies. Well-known companies like Danone can act as a beacon in their industries by using effective levers to decarbonize their supply chains. We are proud to be Danone’s trusted partner in this important task,” Emilio de la Cruz, Maersk Area Managing Director South West Europe, added.
The partnership between Danone and Maersk will comprise more than ocean transport, but also comprehensive inland transport solutions and dedicated control towers. Danone is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and has aligned its pathway to net-zero with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) already back in 2017.
Maersk ECO Delivery Ocean is a decarbonization product that aims to reduce the impact of global trade on the climate. According to the shipowner, the service uses lower greenhouse gas emissions fuels to “significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% on a well-to-wake basis compared to fossil reference fuels”. The firm defines reduced/lower GHG emissions fuels as “fuels with at least 65% reductions in GHG emissions on a lifecycle basis compared to fossil of 94 g CO2e/MJ”.
Maersk has set a net-zero target of 2040 and is the first shipping and logistics company that has a pathway to net-zero approved by the SBTi. To ensure its targets are met, the company has previously revealed the orders for 25 owned dual-fuel methanol vessels; 5 in service and 20 on order. Moreover, last year, the firm transported more than 660,000 TEUs by using green fuels, saving “over 683,000 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere”.
Meanwhile, in August this year, the Danish shipping heavyweight unveiled that it was in the process of signing newbuilding orders and time-charter contracts for dual-fuel vessels to match the planned renewal pace of around 160,000 TEUs per year. The orders will comprise a total of 50–60 containerships combining both owned and chartered dual-fuel vessels equaling 800,000 TEUs.
Source: offshore-energy.biz
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Asyaport sets milestone as Türkiye’s first port to provide shore power to containerships
November 2 ------ Asyaport, considered to be Türkiye’s largest container terminal today, has completed the installation of an onshore power supply (OPS), becoming “the first port in Türkiye” to offer shore power to container vessels. As disclosed, the system will provide electricity to berthed ships, which is anticipated to reduce the vessels’ carbon emissions and environmental footprint ‘by a considerable margin’.
The system—part of an onshore power project that has been running for three years at the terminal—is believed to possess the capacity to, for instance, supply high-voltage power to two mainline ships and three feeder vessels at the same time. Asyaport, which currently and ‘exclusively’ runs on electrified cranes to ensure a ‘sustainable positioning of the containers at the terminal’, shared that the onshore power capability is a further addition to the facility’s existing portfolio of features that cut down on its emissions.
The first vessel to have tested this new system was revealed to be the 199,300 dwt MSC Oscar, ‘one of the largest container vessels in the world’ with a length of 396 meters and a capacity of circa 20,000 TEU. The Panama-flagged ship, presently in the service of the Swiss shipping heavyweight Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) Tiger service that connects trade between Asia and Europe, underwent a 48-hour operation wherein its energy needs at berth were ‘successfully met’ with the onshore electricity from Asyaport’s new OPS, MSC explained.
Ever since it was established by Global Terminal Limited (GTL), MSC’s terminal investment company, and the Turkish Soyuer family, located in Barbaros, Tekirdağ, Asyaport has taken numerous steps to improve its environmental footprint.
As per MSC, this terminal has been generating electricity for its own consumption through solar energy systems, with a reported total of 3,020 solar panels with a capacity of 1,289.03 kW. Right now, 6% of the port’s total energy consumption is believed to be provided by these panels. In addition to this, feasibility and project studies are already well underway to see how energy at the terminal could be produced from renewable sources only, with plans to establish a renewable energy supply chain from production to consumption, MSC revealed.
To remind, last year, MSC held a naming ceremony for its Calestino Maresca-class 24,000 TEU vessel at Asyaport. The vessel, christened MSC Türkiye, is argued to be not just one of the world’s largest but also the most fuel-efficient boxships by design to date.
Source: offshore-energy.biz
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PHILIPPINE NEWS
Western Visayas wage earners, ‘kasambahay’ get pay hike
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ As the Philippine Coast Guard takes stock of last Monday’s run-in with the Chinese around Escoda (Sabina) Shoal that left two PCG vessels damaged, the Philippine Navy has increased its patrols in the West Philippine Sea and vowed no letup in supply missions to isolated outposts. “Rest assured that we have increased our presence through sea patrols and air surveillance flights all over the vast expanse of our nine features in the WPS,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said at a press briefing.
Before dawn on Monday, Chinese coast guard (CCG) ships rammed the BRP Bagacay and the BRP Cape Engaño within minutes of each other after engaging them in dangerous manuevers in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Trinidad said the Philippine Navy also conducts regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to Patag and Lawak islands and other areas in coordination with the PCG, under the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Naval Forces West.
He said that while Escoda Shoal “is not a new flashpoint,” the presence of the CCG, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and maritime militia vessels (MMVs) in the area is illegal and their “actions are coercive and aggressive, their messages are deceptive.” He also said the Philippine Navy “has a deployment plan that is now focusing on the EEZ based on the CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept) of the Department of National Defense.” “Meaning to say, we are now more capable, we are now focusing the deployment of our capital ships to cover the vast expanse of the EEZ,” he pointed out. “We should focus on the bigger picture of the vast expanse of the South China Sea, a portion of which is the WPS. Again, the presence of the agents of aggression of the Chinese Communist Party is causing all of the dynamics, all of the aggressive maneuvers in the WPS,” Trinidad said when asked if tensions have shifted from Ayungin Shoal to Escoda Shoal. “This may shift from Ayungin Shoal to the eight other features to Bajo de Masinloc,” he said, referring to the Panatag Shoal by its local name. “If you noticed after the BCM (Bilateral Consultative Mechanisom) and the successful RORE in Ayungin Shoal, we had the Bajo de Masinloc incident, we have the Escoda Shoal incident. Again, it is this presence (of Chinese vessels) that is causing all the dynamics in the WPS,” he added.
Source: philstar.com
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Government uses up 89 percent of 2024 borrowing plan
August 26 ------ Motorists passing through expressways without radio frequency identification (RFID) devices as well as those with insufficient load balance will be slapped with fines starting Aug. 31, 2024. This is pursuant to the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, signed by the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) on Aug. 1, 2024.
The JMC No. 2024-001 will take effect at the end of the month after a copy of the circular was submitted for registration at the University of the Philippines-Office of the National Administrative Register (UP-ONAR) on Aug. 8, 2024, and was published on the Manila Bulletin on 16 Aug. 16, 2024. Under the circular, motorists entering toll roads without valid RFID or electronic toll collection (ETC) device, including dilapidated ones, shall be penalized as “No Valid ETC Device” with the following fines:
• First offense - P1,000
• Second offense - P2,000
• Subsequent offenses - P5,000 per offense
Those exiting an expressway with insufficient balance, meanwhile, shall be penalized as “Insufficient Load” with the following penalties:
• First offense - P500
• Second offense - P1,000
• Subsequent offenses - P2,500 per offense
For the use of fraudulent, tampered, or fake RFID device and e-card upon entry and exit on toll expressway shall be penalized as "Fraudulent or Falsified ETC" with a penalty of:
• First offense - P1,000
• Second offense - P2,000
• Subsequent offenses - P5,000 per offense
In a statement, the TRB said that erring motorists with RFID-related violations represent 9% of all the motorists using the toll expressways, “who unfortunately are the ones causing the unnecessary delays and long queues at the toll plazas.” The toll roads regulator said the majority of expressway users at 91% are “compliant and responsible ETC users” and “are often greatly inconvenienced by the erring motorists.” The TRB said the fines and penalties for violations upon the implementation of the JMC “intends to achieve a smoother and faster flow of traffic at the toll plazas, thereby saving time, money and resources.”
The agency said it shall be issuing subsequent advisories on the JMC to discuss the details of the other provisions such as the responsibilities of the toll expressway concessionaires/operators, RFID service providers, toll expressway users, the LTO, and the TRB; as well as its salient provisions. “The Toll Expressway Concessionaires/Operators and the LTO shall also conduct an information campaign pertaining to the JMC,” it said.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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ASEAN body probes impact of PH reclamation projects in coastal, marine resources
COTABATO CITY, Philippines, August 26 ------ The Bangsamoro Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (BTWPB) approved a wage order setting at P5,000 the monthly pay of household workers or kasambahay in the autonomous region.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi as well as the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan and Marawi. The wage order was signed during a ceremony held at the BARMM capitol in Cotabato City by members of the BTWPB, BARMM Labor Minister Muslimin Sema and other stakeholders. “It is a product of a very extensive multisector consultation in the Bangsamoro provinces and cities. We ensure that the wage order will be acceptable to employers and household helpers,” Sema said.
Anwar Malang, who represents the employers sector and provides free legal services to Muslim labor groups, said the P5,000 monthly wage order for BARMM household workers is higher by P500 than the amount granted in the neighboring region of Soccsksargen. Sema said he directed the provincial offices of the Ministry of Labor and Employment in BARMM to disseminate details pertaining to the P5,000 per month wage order for domestic workers.
Source: philstar.com
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Local rice still cheaper than imported – DA
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ Twelve medicines have been added to the list of essential health products exempted from value-added tax (VAT), according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In Advisory 2024-1118, the FDA endorsed 12 more medicines that must be VAT-exempt, making these products more affordable. For cancer, Denosumab 70 mg/mL solution for injection has been endorsed for VAT exemption.
For diabetes, Linagliptin 5 mg film-coated tablet and Sitagliptin (as phosphate monohydrate) + Metformin Hydrochloride 50mg/500mg and 1g/50mg film-coated tablets were included in the list.
For hypertension, Losartan Potassium + Amlodipine (as basilate) 100 mg/10mg film-coated tablet and Candesartan cliexetil 32 mg tablet are VAT-exempt. For kidney diseases, Finerone 10mg and 20 mg film-coated tablets are VAT-exempt. For mental illnesses, Desvenlafaxine (as succinate monohydrate) 100 mg controlled-release tablet, Lurasidone Hydrochloride 20 mg film-coated tablet and Quetiapine (as fumarate) 200 mg sustained-release tablet are VAT-exempt. For tuberculosis, Bedaquiline (as fumarate) 100 mg tablet is also on the list.
Source: philstar.com
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China ‘will exert more control’ in SCS unless PH finds ‘more consistency’
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ The 10,000 doses of vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) acquired by the goverment through emergency procurement have arrived in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. “The vaccines have arrived and are still at the Bureau of Customs,” Arnel de Mesa, DA assistant secretary and spokesman, said. De Mesa said ASF vaccination would start after necessary procedures are completed. Pigs that test positive for ASF would not be included in the controlled vaccination. “Hogs that will pass the criteria will proceed to the vaccination,” he added.
Asis Perez, DA undersecretary for policy, planning and regulation, said the agency has completed a series of consultations in Calabarzon to refine protocols concerning movement of healthy hogs amid outbreaks in several areas, particularly Batangas. Perez said that under the proposed guideline, the DA would allow movement of healthy pigs from red zones or areas with active cases to ensure a stable supply of pork and protect the livelihood of hog raisers. “The government will ease regulation, but we have to make sure that only live and healthy pigs are transported to prevent the spread of ASF. It’s important to ensure that infected animals stay in red zones” Perez said.
Meanwhile, the provincial governments of Isabela, Laguna and Quezon confirmed the spread of ASF in their areas. Local officials expressed fear that a second wave of ASF outbreaks might occur in their jurisdictions. Mary Grace Bustamante, Laguna chief veterinarian, said that outbreaks were logged in Alaminos, Calamba, Nagcarlan and San Pablo. Bustamante said that in 2020, the local hog industry sufferred from the effects of ASF.
Quezon chief veterinarian Flomella Caguicla said at least eight of 41 towns in the province are affected by the virus. Caguicla said among the affected municipalities are Candelaria, Lopez, Macalelon, Mauban, San Antonio, San Andres, San Narciso and Tiaong. Isabela Gov. Rodito Albano said five barangays in two towns recorded outbreaks and more than 100 hogs have been culled in these areas.
Source: philstar.com
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PAL moving New York flights to new terminal
BACOLOR, Pampanga, August 26 ------ More than 2,300 Chinese nationals have been repatriated from the Philippines over issues related to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) since 2022, according to the Bureau of Immigration. From 2022 to 2024, at least 2,379 Chinese nationals have been deported, around half or 1,207 of whom were asked to leave the country in connection to their employment at POGO hubs. "But there were also Chinese nationals who were sent home because they were categorized as victims," Homer Arellano, head of the Bureau of Immigrations’ prosecution and legal assistance section, said in a mix of English and Filipino.
This data from the Bureau of Immigration was provided to lawmakers during the first meeting of the House of Representatives' "quad" committee, which held its first hearing on Friday in Bacolor, Pampanga. The megapanel fuses together four House committees — dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights and public accounts — to investigate the connection between POGOs and the illegal drug trade. Part of the inquiry will also touch on the alleged collusion between public officials and Chinese nationals to acquire properties to be used for illegal POGOs.
On Friday, Rep. Bonifacio Bosita (1-Rider Partylist) also requested that the Bureau of Immigration provide the exact number of Chinese nationals involved in illegal POGOs currently in its custody. Arellano said there are "several fugitives" under its custody, the exact number of which he vowed to provide to the committee later on.
Rep. Robert Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), chair of the House dangerous drugs committee, said in his opening speech that the mega-panel's investigation seeks to build on the committees' earlier findings on the "well-organized syndicate" that has "[flooded] the country with dangerous drugs in probable connivance with corrupt officials." "POGOs, introduced under the guise of generating much-needed revenue, have instead revealed themselves as a curse, becoming gateways for syndicate members to enter the country as legitimate visitors, investors, or even citizens," Barbers said.
The proliferation of POGOs have been made possible by the "countless agencies that issue visas and permits for a price, allowing these criminals to operate freely and with the protection of certain members of our own law enforcement agencies," the lawmaker added.
Source: philstar.com
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10,000 more operators, drivers to join jeepney consolidation, says LTFRB
August 26 ------ A total of 396 people nationwide have died so far this year due to dengue, as cases continue to rise this rainy season, the Department of Health (DOH) said. Latest data from DOH showed that the 396 deaths were recorded from January 1 to August 10, 2024. It is lower than the 421 deaths logged during the same period last year.
A 24% increase in dengue cases was also observed from 18,784 on June 30-July 13 period to 23,290 on July 14-July 27. Only 13,369 cases were reported on July 28-August 10, but the DOH said this may be due to late consultations and reports. All in all, 150,354 dengue cases were recorded nationwide starting January 1 up to August 10, which is 39% higher compared to the 107,953 dengue cases during the same period in 2023.
All regions except SOCCSKSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bicol Region had an increase in cases in the recent three to four weeks counting back from August 10. Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Monday said he is set to declare a dengue outbreak soon as the number of dengue cases in the country are now at “outbreak levels.”
The DOH has been reminding the public to practice the 4S strategy against dengue: Search and destroy breeding places; Secure self-protection; Seek early consultation; and Support fogging or spraying in hotspot areas, especially during the rainy season.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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10,000 more operators, drivers to join jeepney consolidation, says LTFRB
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ Leaders of the country’s largest political parties gathered on Monday at the Aguado Residence at Malacañang to finalize the administration coalition’s 12-person senatorial lineup and formulate a strategy for the 2025 midterm elections.
The gathering brought together leaders from President Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP) and National Unity Party (NUP). Discussed at the talks was the formation of the administration’s Senate slate for 2025. Former Senate president Tito Sotto III leads the four-person bloc from the NPC. He is joined by former senator Panfilo Lacson, reelectionist Sen. Lito Lapid and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay.
The three from the NP bloc are reelectionist Senators Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano, and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, who will be swapping posts with her mother, Sen. Cynthia Villar who is reportedly eyeing the mayor’s post in their home city. Three candidates from Marcos’ PFP have also been named: reelectionist Sen. Francis Tolentino, returning senator Manny Pacquiao and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos. There will also be two from the ruling Lakas-CMD party, the country’s most dominant party, re-electionist Senator Bong Revilla and Rep. Erwin Tulfo of party-list ACT-CIS, a former broadcast journalist and DSWD chief. “We are not just allies in name. We are united by a shared purpose – to serve our nation with integrity, strength and unwavering resolve,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, president of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) party whose membership in the House of Representatives reached 103, said. “Our unity is our strength, and today, we solidify that bond to ensure that our vision for a better Philippines will continue to be realized. We are here not only to support the programs and projects of President Marcos but also to help realize his vision of unity towards lasting peace and prosperity for all. The challenges we face require a coalition that is not only strong but also harmonious,” Romauldez, first cousin of President Marcos who had already forged an alliance with the latter’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), added.
The House leader, along with PFP executive vice president Antonio Lagdameo Jr., who is also Special Assistant to the President, met the nation’s top political leaders and convened a meeting last Monday evening at the Aguado residence in Malacañang to unify and strengthen the administration party. They emphasized the need to prevent internal conflicts among politicians and maintain the incumbents’ equity, ensuring that each party’s interests are protected as they work together in pursuit of this shared vision.
Romualdez led the discussions with a clear focus on fostering unity, preventing internal conflicts and ensuring that the coalition’s strategy for the May 2025 midterm polls is both cohesive and effective. “This is more than just a strategic planning session; it is a declaration of our shared commitment to the Filipino people,” the Speaker declared.
The formidable alliance is between and among Lakas-CMD of Romualdez, Nationalist People’s Coalition of the late tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., Nacionalista Party of former Senate president Manny Villar and the National Unity Party. Under Marcos’ leadership and guidance, the meeting marked the first gathering of key leaders from the country’s major political parties, now united under the banner of “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.”
Representing the PFP were Lagdameo and its president, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo; the NP, Sen. Mark Villar and Reps. Ferjenel Biron (Iloilo’s fourth district) and Yevgeny Emano (Misamis Oriental’s second district); the NPC, its chairman, former Senate president Vicente Sotto III and its secretary-general, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office head Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza, himself a former congressman from Batangas; the NUP, its president and Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte and its secretary-general and Bataan 2nd District Rep. Albert Raymond Garcia.
As the meeting concluded, the leaders reiterated their commitment to the alliance, recognizing that their unity is essential in navigating the challenges ahead and realizing the administration’s vision. “This is just the beginning,” Romualdez declared. “As we move forward, we will continue to strengthen our coalition, refine our strategies and ensure that our vision for a new Philippines is realized in every corner of the nation,” he ended.
Source: philstar.com
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Kathryn Bernardo opens up about 'good and bad' about being a star
August 26 ------ Early on, Zel Bautista, Jem Manuel, Don Gregorio, Gelo Cruz, and Jet Danao of December Avenue, didn't imagine they would be playing to a huge crowd. At that point, they were playing in small clubs, dipping into their own pockets to get by. Despite the hardship, they pushed on, eager to pursue their passion.
It worked.
15 years on, the band is now set to play their biggest concert ever: "Sa Ilalim ng mga Butuin" at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on August 30. At a media conference held at the Glass Ballroom in Okada, Pasay City on Aug. 20, Zel spilled the tea on the struggles they went through as band. "Meron kasi na stereotype na when it comes to being in a band, especially pagdating sa parents (sasabihan ka) 'if you like this kind this stuff, hindi ka kikita ng pera jan.' And true enough when we started, ganun talaga. We had to pay out of our own pockets papunta sa shows and obviously when you're starting no one's going to watch you," he related.
According to the band's guitarist Jem, the situation persisted for a long time and it helped them forge a strong bond as band. "The good thing about it is yung na-build namin na chemistry. So, kumbaga kahit isa lang nanonood diyan or thousands, our energy stay the same," Jem said.
As they started to make a name on the music scene, Zel and his band eventually had to let go of their day jobs. Although things are now going great for the band, Zel still recalls how they actually booked the Teatrino in 2016 just to see if they could fill it up. "It was also a test for us kasi parang we were on the verge of like parang giving up, na parang walang nangyayari sa amin. During that time we took the risk and tried if we still had fans and lo and behold na sold out yung shows namin," He said.
December Avenue has already garnered numerous music awards including the 2020 Silver Wishclusive Elite Circle for the songs "Sa Ngalan Ng Pag-ibig" and "Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw;" Best Song Written for Movie-TV at The 33rd Awit Awards for "Huling Sandali;" the Most Popular Recording/Performing Group at the 51st Box Office Entertainment Awards; the Most Influential OPM Band of the Year from EdukCircle in Awards 2019; and Rock Artist of the Year and Rock Album of the Year from the 12th Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Music for "Langit Mong Bughaw," among many others.
Source: mb.com.ph
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A ‘Himala’ at MMFF: The Unlikely Journey of the Iconic Film’s Musical Adaptation
August 26 ------ Emerging Pinoy Pop (PPop) artist Los Akiyama makes his solo musical debut with the release of his single "Buti Na Lang" accompanied by an official music video. “Buti Na Lang,” composed by Jason Dedal and arranged by Brian Lotho, is produced by Insight 360 Music, the record label arm of award-winning public relations guru and filmmaker Chris Cahilig. “I am incredibly excited to share 'Buti Na Lang' with the world because we worked very hard for the song and the music video to be the best it can be and make its mark in the PPop industry,” says Los Akiyama. “More than that, I hope it resonates with the Filipino audience.”
The track, which talks about deciding to open a door and seeing a brighter chance at love, can also relate to Los’ direction in life–how he almost contemplated a return to the corporate world but decided to take more chances in the entertainment industry. Los collaborated with student director Dizelle C. Masilungan, who he worked with in the film Kung Nag-aatubili, for Buti Na Lang’s music video. The team also includes Denver Kyle Pangilinan as assistant director and colorist; Anton Stefano Acosta, director of photography and editor; Veronica Caridad, production designer; Dang Calumba, line producer; and Tatjana Deocareza and Marian Jayce Tiongzon, production assistants.
Los, the actor
Los first showed potential to succeed in the colorful landscape of Philippine cinema with his recent stellar performance in the short film Kung Nag-aatubli, which rightfully earned him the Best Supporting Actor award for the short film category at the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2024.
On this achievement, he shares, “It was a moment of validation, and more than anything, I thought, maybe there is a place for me in this industry.” Marking a pivotal moment in his career, this recognition solidified his desire to become an actor. Born in Quezon City and raised in San Pablo City, Laguna, Los’ journey is deeply rooted in family. He fondly recalls, “[Our family] does not know what a reunion is because of how often we see each other.” Despite his Japanese heritage, he has yet to visit the country, but he expresses a deep interest in exploring that part of his roots. The youngest of five siblings, all scholars, Los attributes his early success to his supportive family, especially his mother, who nurtured his passions.
Los graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Management Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University, in a rigorous and competitive course, often reputed as a career path with the best employment offers. While excelling in his academics, he also nurtured his love for performing arts with his high school Glee Club, and this carried on until university, where he continued to dabble in theater and acting even more. With varying talents, his interests are likewise diverse, ranging from sports like volleyball and swimming to other hobbies such as cooking, woodworking, and metalworking. He adds, “I enjoy traveling and diving into specific topics I can gain knowledge on.”
On his personal growth. Los believes his greatest strength is his openness to new experiences. He notes, “You [need to] learn to be persistent with what you do.” Los feels that from this point on, he can only do more. After unveiling his debut single, Buti Na Lang, Los aims to take on more diverse roles and work in feature films while improving his craft in different aspects of artistry, like music. In the long term, he hopes to establish himself as a leading actor, potentially directing his films and creating meaningful work that resonates with audiences and contributes to Philippine cinema. To young people aspiring to enter the entertainment industry, Los advises, “Just put yourself out there. In the [modern] age we live in today, there are so many ways to create, so many ways to share your talent, and so many ways to connect with people searching for exactly what you’re giving.” He emphasizes the importance of being genuine to oneself in education, acting, and music. “Knowing yourself and continually finding yourself in what you do, that insatiable desire for learning about yourself and the world around you leads to growth that no one can take from you.”
Source: mb.com.ph
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Josh Cullen’s Lost And Found concert is heading to Cebu, Dubai, and Hong Kong
August 26 ------ While Kyline Alcantara has yet to clarify the status of her relationship with Kobe Paras, she admitted that what she feels towards him is “different,” and hard to describe. Alcantara, in an interview with GMA, confessed that she “cannot find the exact words” on how she feels towards him. “It’s a different feeling po so I don’t know the exact words to describe it. Lumalabas siya (It comes out) through actions and our auras, I guess. So I cannot find the exact words,” she said.
Alcantara and Paras have been hounded with dating speculations since May after they were spotted together on multiple occasions, including a Taguig date, attending a birthday party as a pair, and the actress being invited to the opening of Paras’ tattoo shop. They were also seen together at an undisclosed establishment, where they bonded with Paras’ dad Benjie, brother Andre, and the latter’s non-showbiz girlfriend Honey Escarez
Despite this, both stressed at the recently-held GMA Gala that they are just “great friends.”
In a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview last July, the basketball player-turned-actor said he’s happy for Kobe whoever he decides to date, while noting that whatever makes Paras and Alcantara, in turn, makes him happy for them as well.
Source: inquirer.net
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SPORTS NEWS
MPBL to hold first two games of its championship in Dubai
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ The East Asia Super League (EASL) will be kicking off at the Mall of Asia Arena in October, the league announced. The two PBA teams – the San Miguel Beermen and the Meralco Bolts – will be facing foreign teams at the MOA Arena on October 2, Wednesday.
According to the schedule, the Beermen will face the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the season curtain-raiser. The Bolts will then battle the Macau Black Bears to cap the opening day. For this season, the number of teams expanded to 10 from eight. There will also be a total of 30 games in the group stage. The expanded group stage of the tourney will run until February 12, 2025. The Final Four championship will then be held in March.
Aside from the opening day double-header, the two Philippine-based squads will play at the Philsports Arena as well. On November 13, San Miguel will take on the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, while Meralco will go for broke against the Busan KCC Egis at Philsports. The Beermen and the Bolts will likewise host the Hong Kong Eastern and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, respectively, at the same venue in Pasig in January next year.
San Miguel is part of Group A, composed of B.League champion Hiroshima Dragonflies, Korean Basketball League runner-up Suwon KT Sonicboom, P. LEAGUE+ runner-up Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and HKSAR champion Hong Kong Eastern. Meralco, on the other hand, is in Group B that also includes B.League runner-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, KBL champion Busan KCC Egis, P.LEAGUE+ champion New Taipei Kings and Macau SAR champion Black Bears. “The 34-game EASL season is the ultimate test in Asian club basketball. After an incredible performance during our first season in 2023-24, this is now understood by teams, players and fans alike,” EASL CEO Henry Kerins said. "Fans all across Asia, whether in person or via our expanded broadcast coverage for the 2024-25 season, will all get to experience the highest level of basketball played in Asia today; EASL's thrilling competition to become champion."
Source: philstar.com
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Rachel Daquis makes PVL return, joins Farm Fresh
MANILA, August 26 ------ Filipina boxer Aira Villegas battled not just her opponents but also a bevy of injuries on her way to winning a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this month.
The secretary-general of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) revealed during Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum that Villegas was dealing with issues in her knee, foot, and shoulder during the build-up to the Summer Games. "Ang dami (injuries), may shoulder tendinopathy, mild ACL sprain, compartment syndrome sa left foot," said ABAP sec-gen Marcus Manalo, noting that the 29-year-old boxer could not step foot in the ring with just a month left before the biggest competition of her life. "Unang sabak niya sa sparring nandun na kami sa France (Metz training camp). And then yung actual sparring niya andun na kami sa Germany, two weeks na lang before the Olympics. Yun na yung actual sparring against some of the opponents na nakaharap niya rin dun (Paris)," he explained.
Daily rehab and help from the ABAP support staff ultimately allowed Villegas to exceed expectations in her first stint in the Olympics. "Big competition na ito so ang focus ko doon is to get a medal," said Villegas, who won her first two bouts against Yasmine Moutaqui (Morocco) and Roumaysa Boualam (Algeria), the same boxer she sparred in Germany while still recovering from her injuries, to set up a quarterfinal clash with home bet Wassila Lkhadiri.
A pep talk from her coach, Reynaldo Galido, ahead of the semifinal match fueled Villegas into a sure bronze. "Sabi ko sa kanya, itong laban natin mabigat ito, hometown bet ang kalaban natin. Pero sabi ko huwag mong isipin yan, huwag mong isipin yung crowd. Kasi itong laban na ito ang makakapag-pabago sa buhay mo. Isipin mo yung mga magulang mo, mga kapatid mo," said Galido.
Villegas edged the French boxer, 3-2, in a thrilling encounter before bowing to a more-experienced foe in the semis, Buse Naz Cakuroglu of Turkey. While that ended her shot at winning a gold medal, it only made Villegas hungrier for more success in the future. "Aware akong bronze medalist ako, pero hindi ko pa rin siya maramdaman kasi yung utak ko and yung feeling ko, hindi ko pa nakukuha yung gold, so kailangan kong abutin pa yung goal ko," said Villegas. "Grateful pa rin ako sa lahat ng blessings, pero kailangan ko pa ring mag-trabaho para makamit ang goal ko."
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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Alas Pilipinas eyes podium in Asian beach volleyball tilt
MANILA, Philippines, August 26 ------ Bianca Bustamante found her biggest supporter in England-based racing team McLaren as she pursues her dream of racing in Formula 1 as she is currently part of their Driver Development Programme. Competing mainly at F1 Academy, Bustamante moved her entire life to London to take the next step in chasing a highly elusive seat at the F1 grid.
Even as her life was turned upside down since her shift to Formula machinery some years ago, the 19-year-old said she’s been holding steady with the help of McLaren. “They’ve really been my pillar. They’ve allowed me to find home and to find solitude. Obviously, moving to London, it’s a new place, a new country, but they’ve made it very fluid for me,” said Bustamante during the Race to Inspire event supported by GoTyme Bank and beIN Sports. “I feel like that’s what you need to be a champion, you need to find support on track and off track. It’s been very good,” she added.
Under McLaren’s care, Bustamante has shown brilliance and consistency on the track. Halfway through the F1 Academy season, she has scored in every race so far, which placed her firmly in the fight in the driver’s championship standings at P5. But more than the support she’s been receiving on the F1 Academy grid, she’s also been able to get a glimpse of what it’s like to reach her ultimate dream.
For multiple weekends this F1 season, Bustamante has had the pleasure of being at the McLaren garage and seeing how the whole process works. Gaining valuable knowledge from the team, Bustamante has taken the learnings to heart. “It’s cool, I mean, to be there with McLaren, to represent the colors and yeah, to wear the shirt, to be with the team, even like listening during debrief, listening to the engineers, and Lando [Norris] speaking to the radio,” raved Bustamante, who has also interacted multiple times with McLaren F1 drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri. “It’s honestly very cool and to kind of be exactly where I wanna be, and to be working with the people that I wanna be working with. The professionals in the sport. It’s an amazing opportunity, I’m learning so much.”
With still a long way to go for the F1 Academy season, Bustamante will be eager to show her learnings and rake in the results for McLaren. Currently, she has one podium but no wins so far under Team Papaya. Bustamante has her first chance to break that win drought when the F1 Academy season returns at Zandvoort for Round 4 this weekend.
Source: philstar.com
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