http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12174/59 2026-07-08T05:39:48Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12174/17858 Chinese Navy ship spotted as PHL’s newest frigate launches 1st mission Basilio, Kenneth Christiane A Chinese Navy ship was spotted during joint maritime drills between the Philippines and US on Wednesday, as Filipino sailors aboard the country’s newest warship sought to familiarize themselves with the vessel alongside their counterparts to enhance interoperability. A People’s Liberation Army-Navy destroyer was seen monitoring the Philippine-US exercise in the South China Sea about 43 nautical miles (79 kilometers) west of the Zambales coast, Captain Paul Michael P. Hechanova, commander of BRP Miguel Malvar, said. 2025-06-06T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12174/17824 Farmer, fisherfolk registry contains 5.4M beneficiaries Jocson, Luisa Maria Jacinta The government stands to pay out fuel and fertilizer subsidies and other benefits to more than 5.4 million farmers and fisherfolk in the national registry, the Department of Agriculture said. “Once registered, they are given priority in availing of agriculture and fishery assistance in the form of cash or farm inputs like seeds and fertilizer, fuel subsidy vouchers, and crop insurance,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement. The Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) has a target of registering up to 12 million farmers, farm workers, and fisherfolk to facilitate the distribution of aid, with the latest programs meant to address the rising cost of fuel and fertilizer. 2022-03-11T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12174/17696 Philippines: Chinese ships harassed fishing boat near Scarborough Shoal Basilio, Kenneth Christiane; Halili, Adrian A Philippine fishing vessel was harassed by Chinese navy and coast guard ships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Monday, underscoring rising tensions in the South China Sea as Beijing asserts tighter control over contested waters. A People’s Liberation Army Navy ship with bow number 621 and a China Coast Guard vessel approached the fishing boat at close range, within 30 meters, while blaring sirens in an apparent attempt to block its route toward fishing grounds west of the shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said in a statement on Tuesday. The boat’s captain diverted southeast to avoid the ships but reported being closely trailed by the China Coast Guard vessel. 2026-01-14T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12174/17695 Breaking our plastics habit is easier said than done Fickling, David Could our unshakeable addiction to plastics be broken? That’s certainly the hope of activists. The US — birthplace of the modern polymers industry, and the biggest producer of its key feedstocks, oil and gas — has joined a bloc supporting a worldwide treaty capping plastics production. That could make a United Nations meeting in South Korea in November into a turning point in the material culture of humanity. The harder challenge will be ensuring that an agreement is workable. 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z