MANILA: The Philippines reopens its crown jewel resort island Boracay to holidaymakers on Friday (Oct 26), after a six-month clean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by years of unrestrained mass tourism. Boracay is consistently rated by major tourist magazines as among the world's best beaches. (Photo: AFP) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the island shuttered in April for a major effort to fortify weak infrastructure and crack down on the rampant overdevelopment that had left it, what he termed, a "cesspool". When the government throws open the doors, Boracay will have fewer hotels and restaurants, a cap on the number of visitors and anti-beach boozing rules aimed at taming its party-hard reputation. All of this is intended to protect the bruised beauty of the island's turquoise waters and expanses of white sand beaches which were being loved to death by two million tourists per year. Under the new rules, 19,200 tourists will be allowed on the island at … [Read more...] about Philippines to reopen ‘cesspool’ Boracay after clean up
Philippines
Local firms win bid to supply rice for Philippines
The companies won the bid last week after they offered prices of slightly under USD 428 per tons, revealed Judy Carol Dansal, head of the Philippines’ National Food Authority (NFA). Thai Capital Crops Co., Ltd will also export 18,000 tons of rice to the Philippines for USD 426.3 per ton. Vinafood 1 and Vinafood 2 offered prices of slightly under USD 428 per ton. In the last week’s rice import tender, the NFA accepted offers for only 47,000 tons from three suppliers, well below a planned purchase of 250,000 tons. Most of the offers from 13 international suppliers exceeded the state-run NFA’s approved budget of 428.18 per ton. “We will reopen the tender for the volume that was not taken,” said Dansal. The Philippines is on a rice buying spree this year, after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted a 20-year restriction on rice imports as inflation accelerated. The NFA has been approved to import 2.4 million tons, just below the record 2.45 … [Read more...] about Local firms win bid to supply rice for Philippines
Traffic accident kills 11 people in southern Philippines
Illustrative image (Source: BBC) Hanoi (VNA) – At least 11 people were killed after two passenger vehicles collided in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on October 22. Officials revealed on October 23 that the accident happened when a passenger van crashed into an oncoming jeepney during a heavy downpour along a highway in Batomelong village. Chief Inspector Yol Hilado, district police chief in the area, said that one of the van's tires blew, causing the vehicle to careen and hit the jeepney around 3:45 p.m (Philippines time). Most of the dead were passengers of the van while drivers of both vehicles are among the injured. Investigations into the incident were underway. The Philippines has seen an increase in deaths related to road accidents in recent years. Over 10,000 Filipinos are killed due to traffic accidents every year, which have been blamed on bad road conditions, poorly-maintained vehicles and ill-disciplined drivers.-VNA … [Read more...] about Traffic accident kills 11 people in southern Philippines
Vietnamese traders win deal to export 29,000 tons of rice to Philippines
Vietnamese traders win deal to export 29,000 tons of rice to PhilippinesBy Trung Chanh Farmers gather rice on field in the Mekong Delta – PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH CAN THO - Two Vietnamese firms have won rice export contracts for a combined volume of 29,000 tons of rice in the Philippines’ 250,000-ton government-to-private (G2P) rice tender, opened on October 18. The director of a rice firm in the Mekong Delta region told The Saigon Times the same day that the two Vietnamese firms that won the export contracts were Vietnam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) and Vietnam Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1). According to the source, Vinafood 2 won the contract for 15,000 tons of rice at US$427.68 per ton, and Vinafood 1 secured a contract for 14,000 tons at US$427.5 per ton. Meanwhile, Thai Capital Crops Co., Ltd, of Thailand won a deal to export 18,000 tons of rice to the Philippines at US$426.3 per ton. As the rice exports secured by suppliers totaled only 47,000 … [Read more...] about Vietnamese traders win deal to export 29,000 tons of rice to Philippines
Philippine navy to send ship, 300 sailors to take part in ASEAN-China maritime military exercises
Philippine Navy spokesman Jonathan Zata said the navy ship BRP Dagupan City, with 300 sailors on board, will leave for China on October 17 morning from a naval base in Cavite City in the northern Philippines. According to China's Ministry of National Defense, China will hold maritime military exercises with ASEAN countries in October in the waters off the city of Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong province. Zata said the maritime military exercises "aim to promote military exchanges and cooperation" between the navies of the 10-member ASEAN and China. The ASEAN-China maritime military exercises will focus on "maritime safety and search and rescue at sea with emphasis on the use of Code of Unplanned Encounter at Sea," Zata added. ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, found in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. China is a dialogue partner of ASEAN. … [Read more...] about Philippine navy to send ship, 300 sailors to take part in ASEAN-China maritime military exercises